Watermore Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 10–11 May 2012 Inspection number 382019 Watermore Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 136066 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 382019 Inspection dates 10–11 May 2012 Lead inspector Andrew Saunders

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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 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stuart Bryant Headteacher Janet Hoyle Date of previous school inspection N/A School address Lower Stone Close Frampton Cotterell BS36 2LE Telephone number 01454 867135 Fax number 01454 867137 Email address watermoreprimary.school@southglos.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’.

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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 inspectors observed 18 lessons taught by nine teachers. Observations totalled seven hours. The inspectors met with groups of pupils, teachers and members of the governing body and spoke to parents and carers informally. The inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at lesson plans, documents demonstrating the school’s self-evaluation, systems to track the progress of pupils, records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching, minutes from meetings, and the 176 inspection questionnaires completed by parents and carers, as well as those completed by pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This is an average sized primary school in a village location, resulting from the amalgamation of an infant and junior school in January 2010. The school occupies a split site, with Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 a few minutes walk apart. A new headteacher was appointed at that time. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Almost all pupils are from a White British heritage. There are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those on school action plus, is broadly average but that of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is above average. Their needs include moderate learning difficulties, speech and language difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, and behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The school meets the current floor standards which are the minimum standards expected by the

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Information about the school

government for attainment and progress. The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises a single Reception class. 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 an outstanding school because the achievement of pupils is outstanding. Since the amalgamation the headteacher has ensured that teaching is outstanding and has developed a widely-shared vision for ensuring the best possible outcomes for pupils.

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Key findings

 From their starting points pupils make outstanding progress to reach levels of attainment which are exceptionally high by the end of Year 6 in both English and mathematics.

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Key findings

 Teaching is outstanding. Accurate assessment is used well so that work is carefully planned, matches pupils’ needs and challenges them successfully. Teachers and teaching assistants give pupils helpful feedback so that they know how to improve. While pupils are usually good at applying this feedback, and therefore make rapid progress, there are missed opportunities to respond to the high quality comments teachers make in their books.

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Key findings

 Behaviour is good. The behaviour of most pupils is exemplary and they maintain excellent attitudes to learning when some pupils display challenging behaviour. However, while systems to manage the very challenging behaviour of a few pupils are well developed, pupils in the earlier part of Key Stage 2 find it more difficult to keep within the high expectations of the school. Very occasionally pupils become less well focused when agreed strategies are not implemented, and are less understanding of those who are different to themselves.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are outstanding. The staff have worked hard to establish a cohesive approach across the two sites. The professional development and performance management of all staff are given a high priority and there is a strong sense of teamwork. The curriculum is vibrant and reflects the interests of the pupils, helping them to become effective learners. Leaders and managers promote well the spiritual, moral and social development of the pupils. While music and sports are strong features in the school, cultural development in understanding the beliefs and lifestyles of others is less well established. 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?

 Ensure that pupils consolidate their progress by using every opportunity to respond to the high quality feedback of teachers in their books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that the behaviour of all pupils meets the high expectations of the school, by:  ensuring the agreed approaches to managing behaviour are consistently implemented in all lessons  increasing pupils’ understanding and tolerance of the beliefs and needs of those who are different to themselves.

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Achievement of pupils

During lessons observed, pupils typically made rapid progress; their work is of impressively high quality. Teachers have an excellent picture of the skills and knowledge of pupils and use their strong subject knowledge to provide work that is interesting and challenging for all groups of pupils. Lessons almost always proceed at an excellent pace and so pupils greatly enjoy their learning. For example, Year 5 pupils enjoyed using physical objects to develop ambitious vocabulary, and helped to identify the criteria to show they had succeeded in achieving the aims of the lesson. Writing is exceptional across the school; pupils demonstrate a great love of writing and delight in presenting work in different media. Mathematics, too, is impressively well organised and pupils take great delight in using their skills across the curriculum.

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Achievement of pupils

When they join the school children typically have skills and knowledge which are similar to other children their age. During the Early Years Foundation Stage, children quickly settle into the routines and opportunities available and become avid learners. The impressive outdoor area and well-chosen resources, as well as children’s readiness to learn, help them to make a brisk start to their learning journey. By the end of Year 2, pupils reach levels of attainment which are above average. Outstanding progress continues and, at the end of Year 6 in 2011, attainment was significantly above average in English and exceptionally so in mathematics. Very occasionally, in lessons where pupils are capable of even more than the teacher expects, progress slows. Parents and carers almost all agree that their children are making fast progress and inspectors agreed with them.

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Achievement of pupils

There is a systematic approach to teaching reading, through the linking of sounds and letters (phonics) which is increasingly consistent across the school. This gives pupils a good start to their reading and they are confident readers by the end of Year 2. The excellent resources and highly positive attitudes to reading mean that pupils have developed excellent skills by the end of Year 6.

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Achievement of pupils

Well-trained staff and close communication between teachers and leaders mean that 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

the needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are quickly and accurately identified. Excellent partnerships further support the development and learning of these pupils. The school analyses carefully the effectiveness of the support provided to such pupils and consequently they make outstanding progress. The few pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties are well supported; for example, with opportunities to discuss their concerns with a sympathetic adult during lunchtime. As they move through the school and become more independent in managing their behaviour, the pace of their progress increases significantly.

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Quality of teaching

The exceptional level of the work pupils do, during lessons seen and in their books, as well as the excitement about such challenging work confirm that teaching is outstanding over time. Teachers use the well-established systems to record and analyse data about how well pupils are doing, to ensure that they plan tasks which closely meet each pupil’s needs. Excellent subject knowledge and teamwork between adults mean that lessons are typically delivered with great enthusiasm. In the very best lessons, clear explanations and high expectations enthuse pupils to improve their work even further, usually with little prompting. Teachers and teaching assistants use probing questions to check pupils’ understanding, and readily adapt their explanations or the tasks given to pupils. For example, Year 2 pupils who were finding some mathematics work too easy were quickly challenged to a much greater level. Other pupils with special educational needs were able to tackle work which had

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Quality of teaching

been set for more able pupils because of the sensitive support they received. This demonstrates the excellent attitudes to learning generally seen, and the well- developed independence of pupils.

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Quality of teaching

A well-conceived curriculum ensures that skills are developed across a range of subjects, so that literacy, numeracy and communication skills are given realistic purpose. Teachers share their expertise and have organised the way English and mathematics are delivered to make the most of their skills. Pupils enjoy assessing each other’s work, identifying ‘two stars and a wish’ to help each other improve, and opportunities to reflect on their success promote their independence. Marking in books helps pupils to know precisely what it is they need to work on next. While pupils often take these comments on board, there are missed opportunities to make this more effective because pupils are not always expected to respond to the comments teachers make in their books. Parents and carers almost all agreed that teaching is very good, with many parents and carers commenting on the dedication of the staff.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

During the inspection, most pupils were extremely well behaved and showed excellent attitudes to learning. However, disruptions to staffing have unsettled some pupils and younger pupils in Key Stage 2 do not always find it easy to keep within the high expectations of the school. This becomes evident on the very few occasions when teaching is not as strong as it usually is, or where agreed strategies are not 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

implemented consistently. While most parents and carers agreed that behaviour is good, a few parents and carers did not agree and expressed concerns. Inspectors found that there have been a few incidents, which the school has managed well, but that these are not typical and behaviour over time is good. The school has good systems to help pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, and older pupils show that these have been effective in bringing about significant improvements.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils feel confident that they can raise any concerns they may have, for example through the ‘rainbow box’, and that these will be dealt with sensitively and promptly. They have a good grasp of how to keep themselves safe, and understand different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and what they can do to prevent it. Pupils said that any form of bullying is very rare, and that it would be quickly resolved by adults at the school. Many pupils said that they thoroughly enjoy school and are proud to be part of the community. This can be seen through their attendance, which is above average, and through the many ways they contribute to making the school an even better place to learn. For example, they enjoy running clubs for other pupils. The school has an innovative project to give Year 5 pupils opportunities to interact with those who have a different experience of life, including cultural

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

experiences. However, this wider understanding is not so evident for other pupils.

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Leadership and management

Since taking up post, the headteacher has been highly effective in focusing the work of the staff and governors on the key issues in merging the schools into a single community. Together they have tackled the difficulties presented by operating on two separate sites. While this constrains the amount of interaction for younger and older pupils, there is an admirable consistency in the vision for excellence across the staff. Excellent leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage means that this aspect is a strength of the school. Monitoring of teaching by senior leaders is robust and accurately identifies and promotes best practice so that these skills are shared. Where teaching is very occasionally not as effective as it could be, support is put in place to ensure it improves. Systems to gather and analyse data are now consistent and rigorously used to provide insight into the performance of different groups of

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Leadership and management

The excellent curriculum has been reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of pupils, and pupils themselves are increasingly able to contribute ideas about the topics they study. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is promoted well. While there are good opportunities for sports and music, limited opportunities for pupils to interact with pupils from a wider range of heritages constrain their understanding of different cultures. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are helped to participate fully in all aspects of school life and pupils are proud of each other’s successes.

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Leadership and management

School leaders and members of the governing body take seriously their responsibility to promote equality and tackle discrimination. Rigorous analysis of data ensures that 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

any group of pupils who are at risk of underachievement are quickly identified and supported to ensure their rate of progress increases. Together with the headteacher and all the staff, members of the governing body have made sure that arrangements for safeguarding are robust and meet statutory requirements. They provide unflinching challenge together with their considerable expertise and enthusiastic support of the school. The accurate self-evaluation by school leaders and the rapid development of a coherent and ambitious vision for the school, alongside the outstanding achievement of the pupils, confirm the exceptional capacity to maintain the trend of improvement.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 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 to 31 December 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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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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Inspection of Watermore Primary School, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2LE

Thank you for showing us your work and making us so welcome when we visited your school. We were impressed with the way you are so keen to work hard and were interested to hear what you think about your school. Many of you told us that you think it is a super school. We have judged that it is an outstanding school because the headteacher and other adults ensure that the school does so many things very well.

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Inspection of Watermore Primary School, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2LE

 Your progress across the school is outstanding, because the teaching is excellent. As a result, by the end of Year 6 you do much better than most pupils your age in English and mathematics.  Teachers keep a careful track of how well each of you is doing, and make sure that the work they give you is just hard enough to challenge you. Together with the teaching assistants, they are very good at asking you good questions, to check what you know.  The behaviour of most of you is excellent – you can be proud of how well you get along with one another. However, occasionally, a few pupils find this more difficult, and we could see that this means you do not make quite as fast progress at these times.

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Inspection of Watermore Primary School, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2LE

Although it is such an outstanding school, the headteacher and other staff want to make it even better. We have asked them to do two things to help you.

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Inspection of Watermore Primary School, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2LE

 Make sure that you always respond to the comments teachers give you in your books, so that you use every opportunity to improve your learning.  Help all pupils to behave as well as the best behaviour we saw, by making sure all teachers manage behaviour the same way, and by helping you to understand more about the beliefs and needs of those who are different to yourselves.

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Inspection of Watermore Primary School, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2LE

You should continue to be enthusiastic about your learning and help each other to do your very best work all the time.

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Inspection of Watermore Primary School, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2LE

Andrew Saunders 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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