St Mary's Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 25–26 May 2011 Inspection number 356500 St Mary’s C of E Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 109212 Local Authority Bath and North East Somerset Inspection number 356500 Inspection dates 25–26 May 2011 Reporting inspector Mo Roberts HMI

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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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 80 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Frances Butt Headteacher Mrs Sue Jones Date of previous school inspection 8 May 2008 School address Old Road Writhlington Radstock BA3 3NG Telephone number 01761 434548 Email address stmaryswrithlington_pri@bathnes.gov.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’. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This pilot inspection was carried out by one of of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an additional inspector. They observed eight part lessons as well as groups working with teaching assistants; five teachers were observed and meetings were held with groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body and staff. They observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of school documentation, including the governing body minutes, child protection policy and the school development plan. Inspectors spoke informally with parents and carers before school and by phone and also analysed 24 parental questionnaires as well as those submitted by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

St Mary’s is smaller than the average sized primary school and currently works in collaboration with Farrington Gurney Primary School, under the leadership of an Executive Headteacher. The school also had a period of collaboration with a larger local primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is declining but is still above average. The school holds the Basic Skills Mark and has Eco and Healthy School Status. The government targets have been met during the past three years. There is an on-site pre-school with a separate inspection report; it is not currently run by the governing body, although this is subject to consultation. The Early Years Foundation Stage has links with the pre-school and has a new outdoor learning area. 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 2

Does the school adequately promote the pupils’ well-being? Yes Does the school adequately promote community cohesion? Yes Does the school provide value for money? Yes

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Key findings

 Pupils’ overall achievement is good because the school is a thriving educational community with good support for pupils of all levels of ability.  There have been significant improvements in all areas of the school over the last 18 months, due to the good leadership of the executive headteacher and her deputy.  Teaching is good overall, and two outstanding lessons were observed. Pupils make a really good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and older classes are successfully overcoming the legacy of past underachievement; especially in the quality of pupils’ writing.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and pupils are clear about what is acceptable and what will result in sanctions. They see the system as fair and are keen to be awarded their ‘golden time’ for doing their best.  The school’s safety procedures are good, including for child protection. Pupils reported feeling happy and safe at school and are clearly enjoying their

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Key findings

education as well as all the extra activities on offer.  The attractive sensory garden enhances the pupils’ appreciation of nature and their sense of awe and wonder. The school’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is strong overall.  The school’s systems for recording and analysing pupils’ attainment and progress lack precision.  The youngest pupils in the new mixed Year 1 and 2 class do not have quite enough activities that encourage them to learn through practical experience rather than by listening to explanations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

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?

 Improve the recording and analysis of the pupils’ progress data to ensure it is easier for all teachers and senior leaders to see:  where any individual pupil is falling behind  to identify any trends that need attention in any particular group  help the assessment leader to swiftly and easily identify patterns and issues at either school in the collaboration.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure younger pupils in Key Stage 1 have increased access to more active learning to help them make better progress.

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Main report

St Mary’s is a good school where a determined and enthusiastic staff team are tackling pupils’ past underachievement successfully. Every effort is made to ensure pupils learn to read fluently and with good understanding and improve their attainment rapidly in writing and mathematics. At the same time, they ensure pupils develop as rounded individuals. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is given a high priority. This results in pupils who not only behave well but know why it is important, in school and in our wider society, that they all participate and help.

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Main report

Teaching is good and pupils’ learning in all classes is good. For example, during the inspection, Years 5 and 6 were involved in a short drama presentation considering how their future teenage selves might be taunted by peers to start smoking. They then used scientific facts to write a letter to remind themselves of the dangers involved. This resulted in some very good persuasive writing. Throughout the school, pupils’ health is really well promoted. Year 1 enjoyed an active approach when searching around the school for cards with riddles to help them identify and find different fruit. This activity stimulated discussion and was more effective than when they listened to longer teacher introductions which slightly exceeded their maturity levels for listening. Good attention is given to the introduction of a lively phonics approach in the Early Years Foundation Stage and strong ongoing support is given to

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Main report

pupils in all classes where needed. Average reading levels when pupils are six years old are at the expected national level, but this is less securely so with their writing. Pupils reach the national average level in reading by the time they leave the school and this year pupils’ writing books have some pieces of written work at the advanced level in writing (Level 5), which is a significant improvement over past years. These results reflect the detailed assessment and focused work that teachers have undertaken throughout the school to improve pupils’ accuracy and skills. Their planning is very carefully matched to the needs of the different pupils in their classes. Mathematics is also consistently well taught and this is allowing pupils to close the gap with national expectations.

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Main report

It is clearly evident that all pupils are being well challenged and supported to achieve their potential, irrespective of their ability. Pupils know and use their targets for improvement well. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make 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 report

good and occasionally outstanding progress, due to the carefully tailored support and good monitoring they receive.

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Main report

The youngest pupils especially benefit from an attractive outdoor learning area and a wide range of stimulating activities both outside and indoors. Those that are below age-related expectations on entry begin to narrow the gap with their peers well. Their individual records of progress are a joy to read and show how activities are carefully structured to lead to rapid learning and high levels of enjoyment.

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Main report

The pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection was good and records show few problems or incidents in the last year. The behaviour management system works well. The school is a safe environment, with all required polices and procedures in place. Any staff training needs are identified and dealt with promptly. The governors have also been proactive and are effectively ensuring they keep up to date. The school has clear anti-bullying initiatives and both older and younger pupils know what to do if an issue arises and are confident that all adults in the school would help. Parents and carers are pleased with the improvements in behaviour and almost all have confidence in the school to attend to their children’s emotional needs as well as their safety. Pupils agreed that younger pupils may need an additional ‘easy way’ to alert staff to any potential bullying in that age group and they have some useful

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Main report

suggestions to discuss with the school council about this.

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Main report

Leaders and managers have effectively galvanised the school to address past weaknesses, hence the improved behaviour, consistently higher quality teaching and the accurate pupil targets. This is all helping all pupils’ rates of learning to improve and clearly supports their equal opportunities effectively. It has taken some time to resolve the leadership issues and gain a stable and sustainable arrangement but this is now established. Leadership skills are applied across both schools to good effect although the progress tracking system is a little unwieldy and does not yet integrate all the key data sufficiently well. The rapid development of the new Early Years Foundation Stage class and the outdoor provision for all pupils are just two ways in which the school demonstrates its strong capacity for further development. There is a real ambition and drive evident in the whole staff team and they know exactly how

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Main report

their school is doing and where to target further improvements. The governing body supports the school well. This united approach models good social behaviour for the pupils and staff strongly lead the Christian ethos of the school. They also ensure pupils have a good knowledge of other faiths and cultures. It is the extra things, including participating in cultural and sports events, such as singing in a festival in Bath, which pupils and their parents and carers especially appreciate. The small staff team works very hard to offer such a good variety of extra clubs and activities. These help develop confident and well-rounded young people ready for the next stage of their education.

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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 St Mary’s C of E 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 24 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 80 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % Q1 My child is happy at school 14 58 10 42 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q2 My child feels safe at school 11 46 12 50 1 4 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q3 The school helps my child to achieve as well as they can 15 63 8 33 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q4 The school meets my child’s particular needs 12 50 11 46 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q5 The school ensures my child is well looked after 13 54 10 42 1 4 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q6 Teaching at this school is good 15 63 9 38 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q7 There is a good standard of behaviour at this school 5 21 14 58 5 21 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q8 Lessons are not disrupted by bad behaviour 3 13 18 75 1 4 1 4

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q9 The school deals with any cases of bullying well 4 17 10 42 4 17 1 4

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q10 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 11 46 12 50 1 4 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q11 The school responds to my concerns and keeps me well informed 8 33 13 54 0 0 1 4

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q12 The school is well led and managed 11 46 10 42 0 0 1 4

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

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. 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 48 6 0 Primary schools 6 47 40 7 Secondary schools 12 39 38 11

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 13 42 41 3 Special schools 28 49 19 4 Pupil referral units 14 45 31 10

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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 2010 to 31 December 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 2010/11 was not representative of all schools 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:  The achievement of all pupils.  Behaviour and safety.  The quality of teaching.  The effectiveness of leadership and management. and taking into consideration  how well the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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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 St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Radstock BA3 3NG

Thank you for the warm welcome and the help you gave us when we visited your school. We enjoyed seeing all your activities. We also liked talking to you in class and when some of you came in groups to speak to us. Thank you for filling in the pupils’ questionnaire. It was good to find out how much you enjoy school. We agree with you that you go to a good school. These are some of the best things about your school.

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Inspection of St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Radstock BA3 3NG

 The youngest children get off to a good start in their learning especially with their letter sounds and in the new outdoor area.  Your school is a happy community because you behave well and you know how to keep fit and healthy and safe.  You all have good opportunities to do lots of exciting things because the lessons are exciting and there are lots of extra clubs and sports to help you enjoy school life.  Your reading is good.  You listen and learn well in your lessons because they are interesting and lively, and this means that you are making more progress than before and getting closer to the national standards in mathematics and writing.  Your executive headteacher and deputy headteacher, together with your teachers and the governing body, have really improved your school and are always looking for ways to do more.  All adults look after you well and bullying will not be tolerated.

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Inspection of St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Radstock BA3 3NG

So that your school gets even better, we have asked the teachers to do two things. First, to improve the way they track your progress; their computer program doesn’t do all the things that would help them. Second, we want them to check there are enough active things for Year 1 to do and explore so they have lots to write and talk about.

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Inspection of St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Radstock BA3 3NG

Please help by remembering to fill in your reading record books. I noticed some times you forget. Good luck with your vegetable gardens and when you sing for the other schools.

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Inspection of St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Radstock BA3 3NG

Mo Roberts Her Majesty's 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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