Silver Tree Primary School and Nursery

Silver Tree Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 12–13 October 2011 Inspection number 380640 Unique Reference Number 123350 Local authority Durham Inspection number 380640 Inspection dates 12–13 October 2011 Reporting inspector John Paddick

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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 162 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jimmy Jamieson Headteacher John Trueman Date of previous school inspection 11 March 2009 School address Durham Road Ushaw Moor Durham DH7 7LF Telephone number 0191 373 0622 Fax number 0191 373 0622 Email address p3519.admin@durhamlearning.net 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 rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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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.

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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They visited 10 lessons taught by seven teachers. Inspectors scrutinised a wide variety of pupils’ work, especially in writing, mathematics and science. They held meetings with the headteacher, the Early Years Foundation Stage leader, subject leaders and the Chair of the Governing Body. Inspectors also met with groups of pupils from Years 4 and 6. They observed the school’s work and looked at minutes of the governing body meetings, the school development plan, records of pupils’ progress and safeguarding documentation. Inspectors analysed 57 questionnaires from parents and carers, 81 from pupils in Years 3 to 6, and nine from members of staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Is attainment in English still rising towards average levels?  Are pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities making progress at the same rate as other pupils?  Does the school make adequate arrangements to cater for pupils who join at other than the usual time?  Does teaching cater equally well for all groups of pupils?

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than the average primary school. The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds and very few are from minority-ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make up around a third of the school roll. This is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The proportion of pupils who join the school part-way through the year is well above average.

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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

Silver Tree Primary School provides its pupils with a satisfactory and improving standard of education. It is a happy and welcoming school with many good features. For example, the good care, guidance and support enable all groups of pupils to do equally well and make at least satisfactory progress. This is a school which runs smoothly because teachers and classroom assistants manage pupils well and ensure that their behaviour is good. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and enjoy their education.

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Main findings

The school is characterised by a good atmosphere for learning and pupils who are keen to do well. Capacity for sustained improvement is satisfactory. Pupils’ attainment has risen since the previous inspection and their behaviour is much better. However, teaching is satisfactory as it was at the time of the previous inspection. Although there is some good teaching, there are still fundamental weaknesses in some lessons which restrict pupils’ overall progress to being satisfactory rather than good. A tendency for some teachers to take too much time with explanations and oral questioning means that the time available for pupils to develop and practise skills is often too limited. The good lessons proceed with a fast pace and the full engagement of pupils of all ability in a wide range of activities, but in the less successful, but nevertheless satisfactory, ones the expectation of pupils is lower and the pace of learning is much slower. In the Early Years Foundation Stage,

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Main findings

children are making satisfactory rather than good progress because the planning of activities does not consistently challenge them to extend fully their existing skills and knowledge.

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Main findings

School self-evaluation is thorough and accurate. The staff and governing body have a very clear idea about what the school does well and what still needs to improve. School development plans target areas for improvement but monitoring and review procedures are insufficiently rigorous. This is partly because the plans themselves contain insufficient clear or precise quantitative targets so it is difficult to gauge whether intended improvements have actually materialised. For example, there are no precise targets for the amount of progress that managers expect each class to make in English and mathematics each year.

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Main findings

Up to 40% of schools whose 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?

 Raise the quality of teaching to consistently good or better by: - reducing the amount of teacher-talk and oral questioning and increasing opportunities for pupils to be involved in more active learning - increasing pace and setting more challenging time targets for the completion of tasks.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, increase the pace of learning by improving the planning and organisation of activities to ensure that all children are fully challenged.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve school development planning by: - including easily measurable and precise targets for the quality of teaching and pupils’ attainment and progress - monitoring these targets rigorously so that the impact of improvements in provision can be firmly linked to outcomes.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour in lessons are generally good and pupils say that they enjoy school. They are polite, cooperative and enjoy productive relationships with the adults who work with them. These positive attitudes to learning have contributed to a rise in attainment since the last inspection. The school’s results in the National Curriculum tests in English and mathematics in Year 6 have improved, reaching broadly average levels in mathematics and just short of average in English. This represents satisfactory achievement because children join the Reception year with levels of development that are below those typical for their age. Classroom observations and scrutiny of pupils’ written work during the inspection confirm that improvements have been secured. Pupils’ written work in English, mathematics and science is of broadly average standard. It is extensive, logically set out and well presented. Across the school, pupils’ current rates of

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

progress are satisfactory and sometimes good. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who join the school part-way through the year also make satisfactory progress and sometimes do better than that.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and know why it is important to be involved in activities involving physical exercise. They engage enthusiastically in a wide range of activities offered to them, especially music, sport and visits. Their attendance has improved since the previous inspection and has reached average levels. The number of persistent absentees has fallen sharply. Pupils are eager to take responsibility and speak enthusiastically about the work of the school council and the way that the school enables them to become involved in activities in the local community. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory rather than good because their understanding and appreciation of other cultures and religions is relatively limited. These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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3

Pupils' attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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How effective is the provision?

The quality of teaching varies from year group to year group. It is satisfactory overall and enables all groups of pupils to make adequate progress in their seven years at the school. It is particularly strong in some classes for older pupils. Here the pace is brisk and pupils make good progress in reaching the level expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. In other classes, the pace of learning is much slower because teachers plan for pupils to do less in the time available. In the best lessons, teachers plan carefully for the full engagement of pupils of all abilities but, in others, there is evidence of some pupils not being adequately challenged. This is particularly evident in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Teachers mark pupils’ work well so pupils know what they need to do to improve it. The school tracks their progress well but the data are not being used routinely by teachers in the

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How effective is the provision?

preparation of lessons and in the evaluation of rates of pupils’ progress.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum provides pupils with a secure route towards making satisfactory progress in their basic skills. It provides particularly well for pupils who fall behind in their education and need extra help. A wide range of extra-curricular activities and visits strongly promotes pupils’ experience and personal development and helps pupils to gain confidence. Care, guidance and support for pupils are good. Pupils of all ages receive plenty of encouragement and support in terms of general welfare. Help and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities ensure that they make progress as quickly as other pupils, particularly in terms of their personal development. A very good reading recovery programme provided on a one- to-one basis enables pupils to make up lost ground quickly. The school looks after pupils who join part-way through their primary education particularly well. One

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How effective is the provision?

parent said, ‘My son started at this school just before the summer holidays. Members of staff have done everything possible to help him to settle in. Nothing is too much trouble for them.’ Good transition arrangements with the local secondary school mean that pupils are confident about moving to Year 7.

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above a verage; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low These are the grades for the quality of provision

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3

The use of assessment to support learning 3

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher and senior staff have been successful in making improvements since the previous inspection. They have had a particularly effective focus on raising standards and improving pupils’ attendance. Governance is satisfactory. Members of the governing body have a clear idea of the school’s strong features and know what still needs to be improved. They have a secure understanding of the way that the school operates on a day-to-day basis because many of them visit very regularly. They challenge and probe when appropriate but their overall effectiveness is somewhat restricted by the fact that their roles are unclear in monitoring and evaluating the impact of improvements set out in the school development plan. The school successfully promotes productive links with parents and carers. It goes to considerable lengths to involve them in their children’s education, for example, through providing regular reports on progress and explanations about the curriculum.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school promotes equal opportunities well and there is no evidence of discrimination of any description. Pupils from all backgrounds are equally valued and the school goes to great lengths to ensure that they succeed in their education. Since the previous inspection, a particularly strong focus on attainment has meant that the school has almost closed the gap between its own performance and national averages. Partnerships with a wide variety of agencies are very successful in ensuring that barriers to learning are reduced or eliminated. They often strongly underpin quite substantial improvements in pupils’ personal development and enable them to begin to learn. Safeguarding arrangements meet national requirements well and site security has a particularly high profile. All adults who work with children are thoroughly checked and procedures to ensure child protection are effectively managed. The school promotes community cohesion in a satisfactory manner rather

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How effective are leadership and management?

than well. Pupils are involved in many very productive activities which help to draw the local community together but arrangements to give them first-hand experience of the cultures and religions that make up the United Kingdom are somewhat limited. Links with other countries are also limited but increasing.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management

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3

The leadership and management of teaching and learning 3

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make satisfactory progress in Reception. Some children join the school with levels of development that are typical for their age but many do not. By the time they transfer to Year 1, the development of their knowledge and skills is still below that expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress because members of staff and helpers provide them with an adequate range of activities, both adult-led and those which the children can choose. Children cooperate well with the adults who work with them and trust them. Many are keen to show their work to visitors.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Satisfactory leadership and management mean that the provision is sufficiently varied and adults are suitably deployed. Relationships between adults and children are uniformly good and productive and all safeguarding requirements are fully met. Teaching is satisfactory rather than good because it does not always fully challenge the more-able children. Adults are often more concerned about children completing tasks rather than taking the opportunity to question them and develop their communication and language skills. The quality of display and the range of inviting equipment and toys are quite limited and restrict the potential to promote greater interest and enjoyment amongst the children. Members of staff care for the children well and have a positive and productive relationship with parents and carers.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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3

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Parents and carers have generally positive views of the school. Inspection findings very closely match these positive views. Almost all parents and carers who responded say that their children enjoy their education and that the school keeps them safe. The largest area of concern of a very small minority surrounds the way that the school deals with unacceptable behaviour. Inspectors looked into this carefully and found that members of staff do use appropriate methods for ensuring that pupils behave well.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Silver Tree 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 57 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 162 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 31 54 24 42 1 2 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 35 61 21 37 1 2 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 26 46 25 44 5 9 1 2 My child is making enough progress at this school 28 49 25 44 3 5 1 2 The teaching is good at this school 27 47 24 42 4 7 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 27 47 25 44 5 9 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 29 51 26 46 1 2 0 0 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) 24 42 28 49 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 24 42 29 51 3 5 1 2 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 21 37 25 44 7 12 2 4

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 22 39 27 47 4 7 3 5

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 29 51 21 37 4 7 1 2 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 34 60 18 32 4 7 1 2

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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. 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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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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.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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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Inspection of Silver Tree Primary School, Durham, DH7 7LF

Thank you for making me and my fellow inspectors welcome when we came to inspect your school recently. We were really impressed by your good behaviour and the way that you relate to visitors. A particular thank you goes to those of you who filled in our questionnaire or met with us at lunchtime to discuss your work and your school. Another thank you goes to those of you who were so keen to show us your work. We were very pleased to know that most of you are keen to work hard and that you really enjoy being at school.

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Inspection of Silver Tree Primary School, Durham, DH7 7LF

We found that your school is providing you with a satisfactory and improving quality of education. Most of you are making satisfactory progress and some are doing better than that. This is because teaching is usually at least satisfactory and often good and that the school goes to great lengths to care for you. We were pleased to know about the way that the school provides you with extra help if you fall behind.

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Inspection of Silver Tree Primary School, Durham, DH7 7LF

Your school can still improve further and we have asked the governing body, headteacher and staff to make some changes to help you all make faster progress and to raise your attainment. These are to:

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Inspection of Silver Tree Primary School, Durham, DH7 7LF

 ensure that all of you have good teaching all of the time by ensuring that all of your lessons move along at a fast enough pace  improve the planning of activities in Reception to ensure that they fully cater for children of all abilities  set clear targets for the rate of progress made in all classes each year.

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Inspection of Silver Tree Primary School, Durham, DH7 7LF

You can help by continuing to behave well and work hard.

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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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