Normanton-on-Soar Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 22–23 March 2012 Inspection number 380510 Normanton-on-Soar Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 122661 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 380510 Inspection dates 22–23 March 2012 Lead inspector Paul Edwards

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 71 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stuart Armstrong Headteacher Justine Roberts Date of previous school inspection 28–29 June 2007 School address Main Street Normanton-on-Soar Loughborough LE12 5HA Telephone number 01509 842326 Fax number 01509 842326 Email address office@normanton-on-soar.notts.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 surve y 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 12 lessons taught by four teachers, a number of these jointly with the headteacher. Meetings were held with the headteacher, subject leaders, teaching staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor. Discussions were held with a group of pupils and the inspector listened to a number of them reading. 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 governing body minutes, the systems for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress, safeguarding procedures, pupils’ work, and teachers’ planning and marking. The inspector took note of the questionnaires completed by 44 parents and carers and those completed by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

Normanton-on-Soar is a much smaller than average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage and there are none at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below that seen nationally. The percentage of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is broadly average. An extension to the school building, opened in September 2011, has extended the Early Years Foundation Stage provision. They are taught alongside children in the Reception class. The school meets the current floor standard, which sets the government’s minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The school has gained a number of awards including National Healthy Schools status, Dyslexia Friendly Kitemark and the Eco-Schools Silver Award. There has been a considerable turnover in staff over the past two years with core subject leaders taking up their posts in September 2011. 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. It is not yet good because there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching that have resulted in uneven progress across the school. There are, however, some considerable strengths and parents and carers are rightly overwhelmingly positive about the support afforded their children and the range of out-of-school learning opportunities.

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Key findings

 Achievement is satisfactory and pupils make satisfactory progress overall. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress, the result of effective provision provided by knowledgeable staff. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because of the extremely careful analysis of their needs and timely, well-targeted support and interventions.

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Key findings

 Teaching is satisfactory overall but it is consistently good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 5 and 6. There are also good features of teaching in other year groups but a few weaknesses inhibit pupils making better progress. For example, not all pupils are challenged sufficiently, particularly the more able, there are too few opportunities for pupils to find things out for themselves. Teachers occasionally spend too long explaining tasks and the over-use of commercial worksheets impinges upon pupils’ handwriting and presentation.

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Key findings

 Pupils feel safe and behaviour is consistently good, both in lessons and around the school. Pupils enjoy learning and concentrate well, particularly when tasks are challenging. They work well with one another and show considerable interest in their work.

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Key findings

 The headteacher provides good leadership and management. Inadequate teaching has been eradicated, the result of managing school performance and continuous mentoring and coaching for staff. Senior leaders have correctly identified the right priorities for development. Subject leaders are monitoring 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

subjects satisfactorily but, as yet, have not developed the skills in evaluating the impact of teaching or initiatives to improve pupils’ progress.

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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.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teaching is consistently good or better in order to accelerate pupils’ progress, particularly that of the more able pupils, by:  making more effective use of information about pupils’ prior learning to ensure that work is sufficiently challenging  improving the balance between the amount of time teachers spend on explaining what pupils are to do, providing them with greater opportunities to find things out for themselves and work independently  having higher expectations of pupils’ presentation of work and the quality of their handwriting  reducing the use of worksheets that provide too limited challenge to pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management by developing the skills of subject leaders so that they can identify the impact of new initiatives and have a greater influence on pupils’ progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Almost without exception, parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire felt their children were making good progress. The inspector found that most groups of pupils were making satisfactory progress overall and by the end of Year 6, their attainment is broadly average. However, pupils are now making consistently good progress in Years 5 and 6 so that the attainment of these two year groups is on track to be above average by the time they leave the school. There is no significant gap in the achievement of boys and girls. The attainment of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is better than their peers nationally. More able pupils occasionally make less progress than they should.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities similar to those expected for their age. As a result of strong leadership and continuous improvement to the provision, they achieve well so that their attainment is now above average on entry to Year 1. The children’s enthusiasm for learning is stimulated by a wide range of interesting activities such as making ‘toppings’ for biscuits, mixing coloured flavourings, and counting as they search for Easter eggs in the outside areas. There is a strong emphasis on teaching reading skills and the very 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

secure grounding children receive in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the understanding of letters and sounds (phonics) is built upon effectively. Pupils’ attainment in reading is, therefore, average by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils demonstrate increasing confidence in decoding unfamiliar words and sounds and they clearly enjoy reading for pleasure.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ writing skills develop satisfactorily with good opportunities to practise these in other subjects. For example, their topic on mountains promoted their formal letter writing skills when they wrote to Prince Harry and this resulted in a response from the ‘palace’ which they greatly appreciated. Handwriting and presentation skills are weak and the school has rightly embarked on a common approach to handwriting. Mathematical skills progress satisfactorily, pupils becoming competent in all aspects.

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Quality of teaching

All parents and carers responding to the questionnaire judged teaching to be good. The inspector found it to be satisfactory but there are elements of good teaching in all classes. Parents and carers are very pleased with the support their children receive and the enthusiasm generated by the teachers. The views of one are typical when commenting, ‘I have been very impressed by the school teaching of reading. The foundation unit worked with my child on letters and sounds so he has been able to make excellent progress with his reading.’ The good teaching of phonics in the Early Years Foundation Stage stimulates children’s enthusiasm for reading, providing a good basis for the development of future reading skills.

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Quality of teaching

In the best lessons, teachers motivate the pupils well and provide them with work that is well matched to their level of ability. For example, in a good Year 5 and 6 mathematics lesson, pupils were enthused to develop their understanding of perimeter and area as they ‘designed’ a skateboard park. Activities were well matched to the prior attainment of all groups and, consequently, they made good progress. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is good and identifies what they have done well and how they might improve their work. Teachers question the pupils well and encourage them to explain their thinking to their peers. Consequently, they become confident speakers, keen to engage in discussions.

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Quality of teaching

Where teaching is less effective, teachers spend too long explaining to pupils what they have to do and leave too little time for them to complete tasks. The school has amassed good, accurate data on how well pupils are achieving but not all teachers use the information to ensure work is always sufficiently challenging. As a result, more-able pupils do not consistently progress as well as they should. Particularly for these pupils, teachers provide too much information, limiting opportunities for independent learning. An occasional over-use of worksheets inhibits the opportunity for pupils to write at length and also spoils their presentation and handwriting skills.

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Quality of teaching

The planned curriculum supports teaching and learning effectively. There are many activities which help pupils to see the links between subjects and to develop and apply important skills, including teamwork and writing. For example, work on topics 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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Quality of teaching

such as the Second World War, the Titanic, conservation and recycling, and on other cultures and religions develops imagination, writing and research skills. In these cases, the impact of teaching on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Teaching assistants are well deployed and contribute effectively to lessons. They make a particularly strong contribution to the learning made by disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and help to ensure all groups of pupils take a full part in lessons.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy school, are very polite to adults and respectful of each other and their school surroundings. Their attendance is average although most pupils attend regularly and punctually. Most pupils behave well in lessons, around school and when at play. All parents and carers responding to the inspection questionnaire agree that overall behaviour is good. Good behaviour was evident in lessons observed during the inspection and discussions with pupils confirmed this was typical. Where teaching is less stimulating, pupils’ learning slows at times but behaviour does not disrupt the learning of others. Pupils feel that behaviour is good and is improving for the few pupils who find good behaviour difficult. They respond well to school rules and rewards and these help to promote self-discipline and a strong sense of right and wrong. Older pupils are keen to take on responsibility and they take great pride in

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

their garden area which provides vegetables and the chickens that provide a regular supply of fresh eggs for the school kitchen.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have a clear understanding of bullying in its different forms, including cyber- bullying and that involving mobile-phone texting. None could recall instances of bullying but were confident that it would be dealt with should it occur. Pupils are aware of their own and others’ safety and parents and carers agree with pupils’ views that they feel very safe in school.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher provides good leadership and has managed to provide stability during a period of several, unavoidable staff changes. Areas of weakness identified at the time of the previous inspection have been addressed so that parents and carers are much more aware of their children’s targets and progress being made towards them. The improvement in tracking of progress has had a significant impact on the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. This has enabled very focused support and guidance which has accelerated their progress. The introduction of opportunities for pupils to develop writing skills has had a good impact on reducing the attainment gap between boys and girls.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher takes a rigorous approach to checking the quality of teaching. Well- targeted professional development, including mentoring and coaching has successfully improved the quality of teaching is some areas, for example in the teaching of phonics and writing. However, subject leaders are insufficiently involved in determining the impact of new initiatives. The school monitors the progress of 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

pupils with precision and is using data purposefully to drive up achievement. These improvements demonstrate clearly the school’s capacity for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

Effective partnerships provide opportunities in music and sport. The governing body is supportive of the school, effectively manages the resources of this small school and challenges it effectively. The school has an excellent partnership with parents and carers and keeps them informed of their children’s progress, including through learning journals, reading diaries and regular reports.

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Leadership and management

There is a strong focus on developing basic skills in English and mathematics and pupils’ confidence in the use of information and communication technology. There are many interesting activities to develop reading and writing skills in subjects across the curriculum. Well-planned enrichment activities, including visits to a power station, residential centres and to museums, and visits from religious and theatre groups, help to develop pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures. Accordingly, this promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development well. There are many popular extra-curricular clubs which promote learning and enjoyment in sporting, arts and environmental activities. The governing body fulfils its statutory obligations for safeguarding. Its members effectively support and challenge the leadership team, in raising pupils’ standards. The school’s promotes equal opportunities by monitoring the attainment of different pupil groups and vigorously

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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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5HA

Thank you for the help you gave me when I visited your school. You made me feel very welcome. I enjoyed watching you work, talking to some of you and listening to you read. Yours is a satisfactory school. You are well behaved and are kind and considerate to each other. You take on responsibility well and I was pleased to see how you take care of your chickens and have great consideration for the environment.

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5HA

You told me how much you enjoyed coming to school and liked to go on trips and visits, particularly the residential journeys. In lessons, you try hard and your reading skills are good. You are making satisfactory progress in your writing and mathematics. Some of you could make even better progress, particularly those of you who find your work a little easy.

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5HA

You get a good start to school when you are in the Nursery and Reception classes. Your teachers take good care of you and the headteacher wants to make improvements to your education.

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5HA

I have asked your school to do the following:

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5HA

 to make sure that you all make faster progress by improving the teaching in some of your lessons and giving you opportunities to find things out for yourselves  to be sure that those in charge of subjects check more closely on your learning.

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5HA

You can help by trying to keep your work neat and trying hard with your handwriting.

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5HA

Paul Edwards 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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