Lightmoor Village Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 15–16 March 2012 Inspection number 381851 Lightmoor Village Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 135244 Local authority Telford and Wrekin Inspection number 381851 Inspection dates 15–16 March 2012 Lead inspector Keith Shannon

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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 110 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Jones Headteacher Jane Siddons Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected School address Lightmoor Way Lightmoor Village Telford TF4 3EG Telephone number 01952 387620 Fax number 01952 387620 Email address julie.worrall@taw.org.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 11 lessons; five of these were carried out jointly by the inspector and senior staff. All five classroom teachers were observed teaching. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body and staff. 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 the plans for improvement, assessment information, lesson plans, the school’s monitoring information and a range of school policies. He also analysed questionnaires received from 44 parents, as well as those from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. It is growing rapidly. The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A very small number of pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those with a statement of special educational needs, is below average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. The school opened in September 2010 with 43 pupils. Apart from the headteacher, the school has five full-time teachers. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are taught in two mixed-age classes. There are plans to create separate year groups as the number of pupils increases. Apart from the children who start in the Early Years Foundation Stage, all other pupils have transferred from other school by choice, or, have moved into the newly created village. The school meets the current

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Information about the school

floor standard, whereby the government sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school. It is not outstanding because the more-able pupils are not making as much progress as they could. Leaders and managers are successfully developing all aspects of this new school and have high aspirations for its future development and improvement.

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Key findings

 Pupils achieve well and most make good progress although there are times when more could be expected of the more-able pupils. Pupils become confident readers because there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics and reading.

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Key findings

 Teaching is good. Where lessons fall short of outstanding or good, it is often because of a lack of opportunities for the more-able to make rapid progress through independent work at a challenging level. The excellent facilities and stimulating learning environment in the Early Years Foundation Stage, combined with the highly skilled staff, ensure the children do well.

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Key findings

 Pupils have a strong understanding of right and wrong, behave well and have a deep appreciation and enjoyment of school life. Pupils’ personal development is good because they are encouraged to see their potential and are given the self- confidence to work hard and aim high. They develop high expectations of both the school and themselves.

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Key findings

 The school’s early progress has undoubtedly been brought about by the diligent efforts of staff. They have been guided by the dynamic leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The governing body has only recently been formed. It satisfactorily supports the school but has not developed a strong enough approach to holding the school to account for its performance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the attainment of more-able pupils by ensuring that all lessons: 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 provide challenging tasks that motivate them to achieve highly  contain clear guidance on how to extend their learning  develop pupils’ higher-level problem solving and independent learning skills  encourage more interaction and questioning.  Develop the skills of the governing body to hold the school to account by creating opportunities for governors to attend appropriate training.

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Achievement of pupils

The skills and understanding of children on entry to Reception are generally below expectations. They make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics because these skills are reinforced every day. The well-organised environment provides a wide variety of opportunities for the children to develop their skills through activities that the teacher leads and those they choose themselves.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils in Years 1 to 6, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress. As a result, the attainment of the very small number of pupils in Year 6, last year, was above average. Pupils make good progress in reading and reach average standards by the end of Year 2. Their confidence grows through lessons in Years 3 to 6 so that reading standards are above average by the end of Year 6. The pupils’ spoken language is good. This is due to the many opportunities provided throughout lessons to share ideas, act out short plays and develop debating skills. The quality of learning observed in some lessons was outstanding, with pupils working purposefully, with pace and often achieving above the level expected. There is a good working relationship between pupils and their peers, and also between teacher and pupils. This was exemplified in an outstanding Year 5/6 literacy lesson

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Achievement of pupils

when pupils were engrossed in the ideas presented by the teacher, and made considerable gains in their ability to hypothesise, question and debate.

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Achievement of pupils

As a new school with an increasing population, several pupils join the school during the course of the year, often with a range of differing skills and abilities. They make good progress because the school is welcoming and ensures that those with particular needs are supported through careful individual planning. The highly skilled teaching assistants provide good support throughout the school. Parents are welcomed and expected to take a keen and active role in their child’s learning. A number spoke to the inspector and all were full of praise for what the school is doing for their children. This was further substantiated in the questionnaires returned.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils made particularly good progress when teachers challenged them with high- quality questioning and encouraged them to take greater responsibility for their work. On occasions, however, lessons do not focus sharply enough on learning for the more-able because challenging problem solving and developing independent 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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Achievement of pupils

learning skills are not given a high enough priority. Consequently their learning is not always fully engaging. Nevertheless, pupils learn well in all subjects. Effective use of computers and other technologies to aid learning, research and presentation, are common throughout the school. The skilled use of cross-curricular work enhances the pupils’ ability to develop learning further.

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Quality of teaching

The setting of targets that are ambitious are welcomed and understood, especially by older pupils. Completed questionnaires from pupils and parents rightly state that teaching is good. There are high expectations upon teaching and support staff to ensure that lessons are interesting, paced correctly and matched to pupils’ needs. Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning well, often teaching smaller groups with good interaction. They check understanding with questioning that leads pupils to think carefully about the topic. They contribute well to the assessment of individual progress and needs, ensuring, with the class teacher, that lessons are planned effectively. In outstanding lessons pupils are consistently reminded of their individual learning targets as they begin independent work. As a result, pupils are sharply focused on achieving their medium-term targets and make rapid progress.

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Quality of teaching

A variety of approaches are used by the teachers, including questioning to draw pupils into activities, the use of talking partners, creative and structured role play and careful attention to individual needs. In an outstanding lesson in the Reception class, emphasis was placed upon correct pronunciation of sounds and words, through a wide variety of activities that engaged each child. Children decided for themselves how much time to spend on each activity, and made rapid progress in developing speaking and reading skills. One child said that a word picked out was ‘reception’; when asked how she knew, she said it was ‘because it is the same as the word on our class door’.

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Quality of teaching

Reading, spelling and speaking skills are frequently reinforced through interesting tasks in a wide range of subjects. Opportunities to enhance learning are rarely missed; for example, registrations are often taken in different languages each day. Rich displays stimulate and support learning. Pupils are given time to reflect, and to share and debate ideas. This successfully promotes pupils’ self-confidence and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which is also enriched by work on other cultures and faiths, and the ecology groups run by the pupils.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The pupils are happy to attend school. They arrive on time for the start of the day and are ready for the start of each lesson. The rate of attendance is well above the national average. The questionnaires returned by pupils and parents show great satisfaction with relationships and that children feel safe in school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The behaviour of pupils is good. They are attentive, concentrate well and persevere to complete the tasks they are set. School records show a very few low-level 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

disputes between pupils, and record the appropriate actions and outcomes that followed. The bullying records show very occasional name calling. There is no evidence of cyber, racist or physical bullying. A small minority of parents expressed concern about aspects of behaviour, although the pupils made clear in conversations that they were happy to be in this school and did not see bullying as an issue. The inspector, taking account of a range of views and evidence in school records, found behaviour over time to be good.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The positive ethos within the school allows the pupils to gain confidence and share ideas. For example, a group of pupils wish the school to gain an ‘ECO Award’ and have already begun to work in the school explaining, and persuading, what each person can contribute to this. ‘Playground Buddies’ have been appointed, with training scheduled.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils overwhelmingly feel safe. They are taught effectively about internet safety and are aware of all types of bullying, for example, cyber bullying. They understand about outside dangers. The school grounds enable many types of play, and pupils are considerate to others whilst taking part in playground activities.

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Leadership and management

All staff and the governing body share a determination to create an exciting school that seeks to reach the highest standards of attainment. The headteacher communicates high aspirations clearly and persuasively so that all staff have a shared sense of direction and feel part of a successful team. The senior team uses its excellent coaching and mentoring skills to offer constructive advice and training. This is especially shown by the development of the newly qualified teachers. The team uses highly effective teachers particularly well to extend and share good practice, including opportunities to observe exemplar lessons. In this way, the quality of teaching and learning is good and improving. Staff induction is clear and consistent. Progress for all groups of pupils, given their different starting points, is broadly similar, indicating that the school’s commitment to equal opportunities is translated

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Leadership and management

The Early Years Foundation Stage is managed and led well, with excellent relationships with parents. The information provided to parents about progress and how to assist their child’s learning is of a high standard. The staff in this area work cohesively and with great effect.

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Leadership and management

The governing body is passionate about the school and, though inexperienced due to being recently formed, is increasing its ability to hold the school to account for its work. However, governors do not yet have the range of skills they need to carry out this task rigorously. The governing body fulfils all legal requirements, and all safeguarding arrangements were found to be compliant and effective at the time of the inspection.

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Leadership and management

School leaders have ensured that the curriculum successfully promotes pupils’ 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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Leadership and management

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school is inclusive and individual needs are considered very specifically, and the school works closely with parents and carers to support their child through carefully crafted individual support plans. The school forms excellent relationships with families and works well in partnership with external agencies and its partner schools to secure extra support for those pupils who need it. At the time of the inspection, there was no evidence of any discrimination, and this is supported by data kept by the school. The school promotes equality for all pupils through sophisticated monitoring and timely support.

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Leadership and management

Despite being a good school, there is no complacency. Leaders know exactly what actions to take next as a result of thorough systems of school self-evaluation. This, coupled with the strong gains in pupils’ progress in their short time at the school and very high staff morale, means the school’s capacity to improve further is good. Staff and pupils are rightly proud to be members of this community.

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

Inspection of Lightmoor Village Primary School , Telford , TF4 3EG

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

Thank you for the lovely welcome you gave me when I recently visited your school. It was a most enjoyable two days meeting with you and seeing your school. Your school is a good school, and you should be proud of it. These are some of the things I found out about your school.

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

 You make good progress through the school and achieve well. Those pupils in Year 6 are attaining similar results to those in most other schools. This shows the good teaching you get and how hard you all work.  Everyone at the school take good care of you, and you told me how safe and happy you are to be in Lightmoor Village Primary School.  Your headteacher and staff know how to make sure that your school continues to improve.  Your behaviour is good and you care about one another.

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

To help the school improve further I have asked those who lead and manage the school to do three things.

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

 Make sure that more of you, especially the more able, are able to access work that will enable you to reach your potential.  Give opportunities for you to learn things on your own.  To help the governors learn new ways of making your school even better.

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

I hope you will help them achieve this, and support your teachers by helping new pupils to settle into the school quickly.

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

Keith Shannon 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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