Pauntley Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection dates 20–21 March 2012 Inspection number 379112 Pauntley Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 115643 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 379112 Inspection dates 20–21 March 2012 Lead inspector John Eadie

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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 41 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sean Hamill Executive Headteacher Gary Law Date of previous school inspection 8 October 2008 School address Pool Hill Newent GL18 1LL Telephone number 01531 820053 Fax number 01531 820053 Email address admin@pauntley.gloucs.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspector visited 12 lessons, four of these paired observations with the headteacher, and observed both teachers. He met informally with parents and carers and had meetings with pupils, staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the school’s website in planning the inspection. The inspector observed the school’s work, and looked at the school’s self-evaluation, policies and procedures, particularly those relevant to keeping pupils safe. The inspector scrutinised the school’s information on the progress that pupils are making. Questionnaires returned by parents and carers of 38 pupils were analysed, as were those completed by pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. A very large majority of the pupils are White British, with almost all others coming from Other White heritages. Far fewer pupils than average speak English as an additional language. No pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is broadly average. Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. The Early Years Foundation Stage provision is in a mixed Reception/Key Stage 1 class. The school meets the current floor standard, whereby the government sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. In the recent past, the leadership and management of the school have been turbulent as the governing body explored a number of possible leadership models after the departure of the headteacher in 2009. This has resulted in six different headteachers over the last three years. The current executive headteacher,

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Information about the school

who also leads another small school locally, was appointed on a permanent contract in September 2011 with a four day-a-week commitment to this school. 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 satisfactory school. Pupils’ behaviour and safety have remained a strength of the school through a turbulent period of staffing uncertainty and weaker teaching, during which pupils’ achievement declined. However, there is strong evidence of secure and significant improvement, but the school is not yet good because teaching is not leading to pupils’ consistently good achievement.  Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. Pupils make good progress in reading so that their attainment in this subject by the time they leave is above average. Progress is satisfactory and attainment is average in writing and mathematics. It is not good because insufficient attention is given to ensuring a good basic foundation on which to build skills in these subjects.  The key reason for pupils’ better recent progress is the improvement in the quality of teaching. It has a satisfactory impact on learning overall but this

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Key findings

impact is increasing at a good rate. Several lessons observed were good, but there are times when work provided does not match pupils’ needs sufficiently well and lessons lack pace. This sometimes curtails the opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning on individual tasks.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are good. As a parent accurately noted, ‘The school develops a wonderful sense of care and tolerance.’ Pupils are enthusiastic learners. They say that all types of bullying are rare, minor, and dealt with very well when they occur.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. The leadership of teaching has been a key driver of the improved pupils’ progress and a good range of focused staff training has been undertaken, identified through systematic checks on staff performance. There is a shared determination, between the headteacher, all staff and governors, to drive improvement but a recognition that this is work

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Key findings

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

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics by implementing a rigorous plan to develop pupils’ skills and understanding of basic number work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in writing by ensuring that the basic skills of writing are developed through a rigorous and systematic approach, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to good or better by January 2013 by:  ensuring that all pupils are always given work that precisely matches their needs and abilities  increasing the pace so that all lessons move briskly and maintain pupils’ engagement  giving pupils more opportunities to work on individual tasks so that they take more responsibility for their own progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Children join the school with levels of skills and knowledge broadly in line with those expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where they are often separately taught as a small, age-specific group. They enter Year 1 with average attainment. Pupils leave Year 6 with average attainment overall. The school has recently changed the way the youngest pupils are taught to link sounds and letters but the new system is taught to groups of pupils with widely differing abilities, limiting progress for some. However, pupils in Year 6 are currently nearly a year ahead of the expectation for their age in reading. Pupils in Year 2 are about six months ahead in this subject. In discussions, pupils were able to talk about a wide range of books and they clearly enjoy reading.

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Achievement of pupils

All parents and carers who replied to the questionnaires believe their children are making good progress. Progress is good in reading but satisfactory in writing and mathematics. The main reason why pupils’ progress in mathematics is slower than in reading is that their understanding of how numbers link together and where hundreds, tens and units are written down in calculations is not particularly strong, whereas they can apply what skills they do have well. However, this weakness is being tackled well. Evidence shows that attainment in writing is improving well, although pupils’ weaker basic skills in sentence structure and spelling, particularly for younger pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, hold them back from even faster progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Lessons are typified by pupils’ industry and hard work, and their keenness and enthusiasm. Pupils work particularly well in pairs or small groups and interesting and valuable discussions in these groups extend their learning well. Pupils are enthused by the themed approach to the curriculum, younger pupils producing lively and 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

engaging poems based on the theme of space and older pupils conducting independent research and producing well-planned reports on the solar system in their literacy lessons.

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Achievement of pupils

The few pupils who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress in developing their spoken English, recognised by parents and carers who say such things as: ‘The school has done an amazing job of helping my boys learn English and school has made their transition to English life very enjoyable.’ Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are enabled to make the same progress as their classmates. Recent re-evaluations have ensured that the needs of each of these groups are identified precisely and good plans carried out to ensure future progress.

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Quality of teaching

All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire believe their children are taught well. Teaching has improved significantly. There are examples of good teaching but teaching overall is satisfactory. Teachers usually plan effectively to meet the needs of the wide range of ages in each class. However, there are times when tasks set are not precisely matched to the abilities of all pupils. The approach of using a theme, which is threaded through many subjects of the planned curriculum, works well and engages and interests pupils. For instance, in numeracy, younger pupils were using coins to pay for tickets to the various planets. Teaching plays a strong role in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are often expected to work in pairs and groups and they do this well, making a significant contribution to their social development. They are also encouraged to be

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Quality of teaching

reflective and think about the wider world.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers generally use questioning well to encourage pupils to think about their work. In less successful lessons, the pace can slacken when teachers continue with the same activity for too long; there are also times when tasks are too restrictive and do not give pupils opportunities for making their own decisions about how to set about their learning. Teaching assistants play a valuable role especially when supporting younger or older groups in the mixed-age classes. This enables the teaching to be well focused. Teachers use assessment well to keep track of pupils’ learning and help them to know what they need to learn next. They set pupils very specific targets for their next steps in learning and pupils appreciate these and say that they know clearly how well they are doing and how to improve their work.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

There was a very high response rate to the questionnaire for parents and carers and all respondents were as positive as their children about behaviour, safety and the way in which bullying is dealt with. Pupils behave well and are courteous and welcoming. They care very well for each other and playtimes are happy events with all ages playing together. Even young children show sensitivity and consideration for each other. On the rare occasions when this lapses, they are quick to apologise, without any prompting. Pupils said that the good behaviour observed during 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

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

inspection was typical. They were also very confident that bullying of all types is minor, rare, and dealt with very well when it happens. They could recall no instances of racial discrimination and had good awareness of cyber-bullying, indicating the posters beside their computers about this. Examination of records in school confirmed the minor nature of behavioural issues and the positive way that staff deal with behaviour. Pupils’ attendance has improved recently and is now above average, showing that pupils are happy to come to school and feel safe there. They also have a good awareness of potential risk and have sensible strategies for avoiding it. For example, they know how to stay safe when walking on the roads locally.

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Leadership and management

The many changes of leadership over recent years have had a major impact on staff morale and pupils’ progress. However, with the stability now evident, there is a very clear renewed sense of purpose and shared commitment. This is recognised by staff, one of whom said, ‘Staff morale is now very high and the staff, governing body and headteacher are working as a strong team to achieve our aims.’ This is also acknowledged by parents and carers, who made several similar comments such as, ‘With the recent changes I feel very excited about the future of the school.’ The governing body has been restructured. It is purposeful and focused on supporting the school in the drive to improve pupils’ progress. The improved quality of teaching and consequently pupils’ progress, and subsequent evidence of further improvement through the school, especially in reading, are clear evidence of the school’s capacity for improvement.

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Leadership and management

A key feature of the progress made has been the improvement in the quality of teaching. Regular, thorough monitoring and well-focused opportunities for professional development have improved teaching significantly, so it is now at least satisfactory and on a number of occasions good. The improvements have necessarily accelerated pupils’ progress, which is now at least satisfactory. The school provides a balanced curriculum which satisfactorily meets the needs of pupils and has been enhanced, more recently, with many visits or visitors. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision is good. This is because the orderly environment has clear structures which aid moral and social development. The Christian ethos and values are well promoted. Pupils of all ages presented the story of the Good Samaritan during an assembly and showed sensitive understanding of the issues. Cultural awareness is also promoted well, for example through art and music.

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Leadership and management

The school is very inclusive and leaders and staff do not tolerate any discrimination, as demonstrated by the lack of racist or other discriminatory incidents. Good arrangements are made for pupils who have to be away through illness or accident. For instance, work is provided for them to take into hospital. Arrangements that ensure that all groups of pupils have equal access to all the school offers, and make the same satisfactory progress as their peers, confirm that the school promotes equality of opportunity satisfactorily. Safeguarding arrangements are thorough and monitored regularly by the governing body and school leaders.

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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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1LL

Thank you so much for welcoming me so warmly when I visited your school recently. I really enjoyed talking with you and hearing you tell me how much you enjoy your school. Thank you, too, for responding to the questionnaire.

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1LL

You go to a satisfactory school. It has been through changes recently but these have now settled down. These are some of the things I found.

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1LL

 You are making satisfactory progress and you reach average standards in writing and mathematics by the time you leave. However, you are making good progress in your reading and reach above average standards.  Your progress has improved because the quality of teaching has improved.  You behave well and you all get on together well and care for each other. You told me that bullying is rare and minor and dealt with well. I agree!  Your headteacher, staff and governors have good plans to make your school better.

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1LL

I have asked the school to make three things better, which will help you to make faster progress.

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1LL

 I have asked that teachers help you to learn basic number facts more quickly.  I have asked that an earlier start is made in teaching you the basic structures of sentences and spelling.  I have asked for you to be always given work that makes you think and work hard, and that all lessons move at a fast pace to maintain your interest, and for you to be given more opportunities to find things out for yourselves and plan your learning on your own.

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1LL

You can help by continuing to work hard, for instance making a special effort to learn your number facts.

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1LL

John Eadie 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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