Wistanstow CofE Primary School

Wistanstow CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 123517 Local Authority Shropshire Inspection number 366586 Inspection dates 3–4 March 2011 Reporting inspector Derek Aitken

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 76 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Liz Tinsley Headteacher Nick Collins Date of previous school inspection 25 September 2006 School address Wistanstow Craven Arms SY7 8DQ Telephone number 01588 673347 Fax number 01588 674825 Email address admin.wistanstow@shropshirelg.net

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Age group 4–11 Inspection dates 3–4 March 2011 Inspection number 366586 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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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 .

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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 documentation 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'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. Eight lessons were observed and five teachers were seen. A scrutiny of pupils' written work was carried out. Inspectors held discussions with members of the governing body, staff, groups of pupils and a very small number of parents and carers. The inspectors observed the school's work and looked at documents, including policies and procedures relating to the safeguarding of pupils, self-evaluation records and assessment information. The inspectors analysed responses to questionnaires from 59 parents and carers, 41 pupils and six staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  Inspectors examined whether there was any difference between pupils' current attainment and progress in English and in mathematics.  They considered how well more-able pupils were supported and challenged to do

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Introduction

their best.  They explored the quality of assessment opportunities provided by teachers and the use pupils made of these to promote their learning and progress.  They evaluated the effectiveness of the school's monitoring and evaluation procedures in establishing accurate self-evaluation and driving improvement.

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Information about the school

Wistanstow is much smaller than most primary schools. A large majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average, but this varies between year groups annually. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a mixed-age class with pupils in Year 1 and Year 2. There are two further mixed-age classes for older pupils. The headteacher took up post in January 2010. There is an on-site setting, Wistanstow Under Fives, for pre-school children. This is privately managed and subject to a separate inspection.

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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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Main findings

Wistanstow provides its pupils with a satisfactory education. Attainment in Year 6 in 2010 was average. Across the school pupils make good progress in reading and satisfactory progress in mathematics. Progress in writing is more variable with opportunities missed to enable pupils to develop their writing skills more fully in other subjects, including through information and communication technology. There are some strengths in pupils' personal development. Pupils demonstrate a clear understanding of how to keep healthy. They say that they feel safe and know there are adults to provide support when they need it. Pupils behave well and play harmoniously with each other. Opportunities are missed to enable them to contribute more widely to the school's work and to foster their cultural development, including their awareness of other cultures. The school has started to develop its tracking system to provide staff with more

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Main findings

assessment information on pupils' performance and what levels each pupil can reasonably be expected to achieve by the time they transfer to secondary school. This has enabled leaders to identify underachievement by some pupils in writing and put in place an initiative to tackle it. This work is at too early a stage to support pupils' learning to best effect. At this stage, assessment information is not being used well enough to plan work that meets the needs of different groups of pupils and which, therefore, challenges all pupils fully. Some pupils report that they are unclear about how well they are doing. This is because there are inconsistencies in the quality of teachers' marking and there are too few opportunities for pupils to become involved in evaluating their progress. The capacity of the school for improvement is satisfactory. Leaders are motivated to improve pupils' achievement. They enjoy the confidence and support of parents and the

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Main findings

members of the governing body are working hard to develop their expertise. Nevertheless, self-evaluation, school development planning and monitoring arrangements, including the organisation of record- keeping and the documentation of some procedures, lack sufficient rigour to maximise teamwork and ensure rapid improvement. Leaders other than the headteacher do not have enough opportunities, for example through lesson observations, to monitor the quality of pupils' progress in English and mathematics. Up to 40% of the 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?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

sharpening systems for self-evaluation and improving the quality of school development planning implementing more efficient measures for record-keeping and for documenting school procedures to enhance teamwork and accountability providing more opportunities for leaders other than the headteacher to monitor and develop provision in English and mathematics  Improve the quality of pupils' learning and progress, especially in writing by: ensuring that teachers' lesson planning makes consistent use of assessment information to match work to the needs of all groups of pupils providing pupils with clearer success criteria and more opportunities to evaluate their learning further developing the tracking system to support the learning of all groups of pupils providing pupils with better opportunities to extend their writing skills in other subjects  Enhance pupils' cultural development and the contribution they make to the school

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

and wider community by: providing pupils with a greater range of opportunities to contribute to the school's work developing national and international links

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils achieve satisfactorily. Their skills when they join Year 1 are usually a little above average, but this varies from year to year because of the relatively small groups involved. Tracking evidence indicates that more-able pupils in Year 6 have made good progress in Key Stage 2. For other groups of pupils in Key Stage 2 their progress is satisfactory. Good progress was seen when pupils demonstrated an understanding of a variety of addition methods to support their calculations. There are some weaknesses in pupils' rate of progress in writing especially in Year 3 and Year 4. For example, pupils' less secure understanding and explanation of more abstract concepts, such as 'guilt' or 'sorrow' hampered their progress in another lesson. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities showed a satisfactory capacity to match text accurately to food symbols in French. A large majority of pupils enjoy school and attendance is consistently above average.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils usually have positive attitudes towards their learning and are keen to respond to 'hands-on' opportunities to demonstrate their understanding on the interactive whiteboard. On a few occasions they are passive in lessons and this hinders their ability to think creatively and work productively. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, for example, by keeping a proper distance from hot radiators or through following the staff's instructions. They also show a good awareness of healthy lifestyles. They say you should think what the healthiest food option is and follow it. Pupils make a useful contribution as school councillors and as 'Jumping Jaxx' play-leaders, but would welcome opportunities to

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

play a more significant role in the school's work. A few older pupils demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity, but this is not yet a commonplace awareness.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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3

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching has some strengths. Teachers manage pupils well and relationships are harmonious. Most pupils are keen to succeed and teachers make regular use of the interactive whiteboard to capture pupils' interest and sustain motivation at different points in the lesson. Weaknesses in lesson planning mean that lesson objectives lack sharpness and are not adapted fully to meet the different levels of age or attainment in each class. It is often unclear what skills teachers expect pupils to have acquired by the end of the lesson and how both parties can measure progress. On occasion, tasks are too repetitive or lack sufficient challenge to ensure a brisk pace of learning for all groups, including more able pupils. While marking sometimes provides useful guidance for pupils, pupils do not have enough opportunities to take greater responsibility for evaluating and improving their work. The curriculum is adequately matched to pupils' needs. The school makes effective use of

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How effective is the provision?

partnerships with parents and the local community to augment resources and expand the range of pupils' experiences. Links with the feeder secondary school have been usefully exploited to enhance work in design technology. Shortfalls in the tracking system combined with recent staffing changes have restricted leaders' capacity to raise

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

achievement and to refine provision to meet the needs of all groups of pupils. Provision for the small number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is satisfactory. The school provides its pupils with satisfactory care and guidance. Pupils have good relationships with the staff. Routines are in place and these provide pupils with an orderly and calm environment. The school pays due attention to attendance matters and consequently the attendance of pupils in each class remains above average.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 3

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The new leadership team has not fully gelled yet. In part this is because the senior teacher has only recently rejoined the staff after a lengthy period of secondment in another school and has not yet played a full part in monitoring provision in English and mathematics. Leaders have drawn up a useful calendar to guide the implementation of the school development plan. Some effective measures have been put in place since September 2010 to develop tracking and the capacity of the several new members of the governing body to support the school's work. At the same time, shortfalls remain in strategic planning and systems for evaluating and reviewing the school's work. There are some gaps in the school's organisation of record-keeping and the quality of documentation, which limit effective communication and accountability. Arrangements for safeguarding are satisfactory. The school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles

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How effective are leadership and management?

discrimination satisfactorily as reflected in outcomes for pupils. The school's contribution to community cohesion is satisfactory. It is actively promoted in the local community and there have been sporadic attempts to establish a link in Uganda, but the school recognises that more needs to be done to develop the national and international contexts.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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3

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children's skills and knowledge when they join Reception are broadly average. The number of children in the class varies considerably from year to year. Normally most children join in September but this year there was a disproportionately large influx of children in January. Children make satisfactory progress over their time in Reception. The new children are settling well and steadily forming good relationships with each other and the staff. The curriculum in the mixed-age class is adequately adapted to meet the needs of the Reception children and good use is usually made of the teaching assistant to support children's learning. Opportunities are missed, however, to collect and make full use of information on children's achievement to enable work to be matched precisely to their needs. Children behave well, following the example of the older pupils and show a good awareness of safety considerations. Regular visits to 'Forest School' enable children

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Early Years Foundation Stage

to extend their experiences of the wider world and partly compensate for some shortfalls in the location and resources of the outdoor area. Satisfactory leadership and management ensure that welfare requirements are met and effective links with parents and carers are maintained through the home-school book. Links with the pre-school are currently in transition following a very recent change in the leadership of that setting.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

A high proportion of parents and carers responded to the questionnaire. The statistical responses, as reflected in the table below, and the tone of comments received, indicate that the large majority of parents and carers have a positive view of the school's work. Ten per cent of respondents disagreed that their child was making sufficient progress. As described elsewhere in the report, inspectors judged that pupils' progress is satisfactory overall. Inspectors noted that one of the items on the school development plan related to strengthening links further with parents and carers.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Wistanstow CofE Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 59 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 76 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 39 66 16 27 3 5 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 41 69 17 29 0 0 1 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 28 47 27 46 2 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 30 51 23 39 6 10 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 32 54 19 32 4 7 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 28 47 25 42 2 3 1 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 39 66 13 22 2 3 1 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 28 47 26 44 2 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 30 51 23 39 3 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 33 56 21 36 0 0 2 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 23 39 30 51 1 2 2 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 33 56 22 37 0 0 2 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 41 69 12 20 3 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

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

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2009/10 was not representative of all sc hools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Wistanstow CofE Primary School, Craven Arms, SY7 8DQ

I would like to thank you for your help when the inspection team visited your school recently. This is what we found. Yours is a satisfactory school but there are some good things about it. You enjoy school and feel safe there You behave well, both in lessons and outside at play You have a good understanding of how to live a healthy life. When you leave school at the end of Year 6, your attainment in English and mathematics is average, but you do better with your reading than your writing. To raise your attainment and help you to learn better, I have asked the headteacher and his staff to do a number of things. The most important are:  to improve arrangements for all leaders to check up on the quality of the school's work and planning for the future  to improve teamwork by making sure information can be shared better through good organisation and paperwork  to make further improvements to the ways they keep a check on your progress

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Inspection of Wistanstow CofE Primary School, Craven Arms, SY7 8DQ

 to make sure that you are always given work which stretches you  to give you a bigger role in checking up on how well you are doing in your work  to let you have better chances for improving your writing  to give you more opportunities to contribute to the school's work and also to learn more about people from other cultures. You can help by keeping up your above average attendance and by working hard, especially with your writing tasks.

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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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