Great Wilbraham CofE Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 14–15 June 2012 Inspection number 378170 Great Wilbraham CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 110789 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 378170 Inspection dates 14–15 June 2012 Lead inspector Vivienne McTiffen

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 77 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sally Ramus Headteacher Helen Darrell (Acting) Date of previous school inspection 17 June 2009 School address Church Street Great Wilbraham Cambridge CB21 5JQ Telephone number 01223 880408 Fax number 01223 882402 Email address head@greatwilbraham.cambs.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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

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

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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Nine lessons or parts of lessons and one assembly were observed. Four class teachers were seen teaching. The inspector spoke to pupils, looked at work and listened to pupils read. The inspector spoke to parents and carers at different intervals during the inspection. Meetings were held with pupils, staff and members of the governing body. The inspector observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation including development plans, information on pupils’ achievement, monitoring systems and safeguarding documentation. Questionnaire responses from 53 parents and carers, 41 pupils and 12 staff were analysed.

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Information about the school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. A very small minority of pupils are of minority ethnic heritage. Very few speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. The school’s performance meets current floor standards, which are minimum standards for pupils’ attainment and progress expected by the government. The school holds Artsmark and Eco- School awards.

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Information about the school

Since the last inspection there have been significant leadership and staffing changes. The senior teacher took up post as acting headteacher in September 2009. Since 2010, three new teachers have joined the school. There are currently 4 classes, 3 of which are mixed age.

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Information about the school

A privately run pre-school operates from a separate building on the school site. This provision is subject to a separate inspection as it is not managed by the school’s governing body. 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 good school. Pupils make good gains in academic and personal achievement and have a strong sense of belonging. The school is much valued by parents and carers. The school is not yet outstanding because although leaders have secured improvements to teaching and pupils’ progress these are currently no better than good.

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Key findings

 Attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics is above average. Pupils read fluently and write expressively for a wide range of purposes. They become competent in calculating, which is used well in problem-solving tasks. The use of writing and mathematics in other subjects is not consistently planned.

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Key findings

 Good teaching makes lessons interesting. Teachers inspire learning and encourage speaking and thinking skills well. Sometimes, teaching is too prescriptive, limiting chances for pupils to make their own choices or work collaboratively. Inconsistencies in teachers’ marking means pupils do not always know how well they are doing or how to improve.

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Key findings

 Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning and to each other, typified by this comment, ‘Everyone’s friendly and everyone gets along.’ They recognise individual differences and show high levels of tolerance towards those who find maintaining good behaviour difficult. Pupils say they feel safe.

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Key findings

 Leaders have managed performance well during a time of staffing uncertainty. The acting headteacher and governors have built a strong staff team with a common sense of purpose. There is clear focus on raising achievement and promoting good teaching. Systems to help staff improve their practice are insufficiently structured and are not closely enough linked to development planning. Parents and carers support their children’s achievement in various 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

ways, but not enough channels exist to consult with them and consider their views.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build upon existing good practice in teaching by:  ensuring a consistent approach to marking so pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve  giving pupils of all ages more chance to choose tasks and working methods for themselves and to work collaboratively in groups.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by:  creating more planned and consistent opportunities for the use of writing and mathematics in other subjects  linking the monitoring of teaching more closely to development planning and providing more structured feedback so staff are clear how to improve their practice  devising a wider range of ways to consult with parents and carers and seek their views.

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Achievement of pupils

Inspection findings that achievement and progress are good are endorsed by most parents and carers who returned questionnaires. The school has successfully raised pupils’ attainment from average levels in 2010. Systems to track how well pupils are achieving have improved since the last inspection so that, in mixed-age classes, individual progress is clearly mapped and underachievement identified.

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Achievement of pupils

Children of Reception age start school with attainment generally at age-related expectations, although low numbers of entrants result in variation between year groups. Some entrants struggle with reading and writing skills. Children make good progress, especially in these areas, to reach the levels expected for their age on entry to Year 1. By the end of Year 2, attainment in reading is average and the most recent analysis of data shows it is rising. Pupils say they like reading. They talk about stories and characters and understand simple texts. By the end of Year 6, attainment in reading is above average. Pupils’ work shows the ‘Reading Week’ inspires them to write book reviews and take an interest in various authors. They read fluently and with expression, describing plots and characters and forming opinions on storylines. Often reading inspires good writing. For example, during the inspection, Years 5 and

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Achievement of pupils

6 pupils based their work upon the play, The Tempest. They showed empathy in understanding characters’ feelings using vocabulary, such as ‘isolated’ and ‘dejected’, and conveyed their ideas clearly in descriptive writing. In mathematics, pupils have well-developed skills which they use for a range of calculations and problem-solving 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

Pupils talk proudly about their art work. High-quality displays show they achieve well, reflected by the school’s recent acquisition of the Artsmark award. Sports, music and performances enable pupils to develop skills and talents with confidence. They competently use computers for independent and creative work.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. The right level of support and clear identification of needs enable these pupils to build skills confidently and make small steps in their learning, in line with their abilities. Other groups, including those known to be eligible for free school meals and the very small number of ethnic minority heritage or who speak English as an additional language, make equally good progress.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is good and is directly responsible for pupils’ good achievement. Pupils say they learn a lot in lessons and parents and carers agree, typified by this comment, ‘My children are really happy at this school. They are progressing very well, learning a lot and thriving.’

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Quality of teaching

Teachers in all classes often provide practical tasks so pupils learn by doing. For example, in a mathematics lesson, Years 3 and 4 pupils made good progress in data handling. They tallied the frequency of vowels in text and compared their findings with each other before creating bar charts. In this lesson, pupils selected their own ways of working. There is not always enough opportunity provided for pupils of all ages to choose for themselves what they will do or how they will approach their work. Pupils say they like devising ways to work together. They independently form small groups of musicians and enjoy using their mathematical skills in their own mini- business enterprise, the ‘Station Tree’. Teachers do not always maximise opportunities for pupils to engage in collaborative work in small groups during lessons.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers encourage partner work, aiding social skills. They link subjects together in topics, promoting spiritual and cultural development well. As a result, pupils are keenly interested in new experiences and learning about past and present cultures. Teachers’ high expectations and consistent behaviour management have good effect on moral development, especially for those pupils who find maintaining good behaviour difficult. Support staff are well deployed to play an important role in working with disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, often on a one-to-one basis, when resources including computers are used effectively. Teachers skilfully pick up misconceptions during lessons and ensure pupils understand what they are learning, but marking in books does not always help pupils to understand how well they are doing or how to improve.

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Quality of teaching

Well-resourced reading areas promote an interest in reading and teachers often share their passion for books during lessons, helping pupils make the link between 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

reading and writing. Linking sounds to letters sessions and guided reading groups develop skills well. Good use is made of home/school reading records, enabling parents and carers to support their children’s achievement.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ good behaviour contributes strongly to their learning. They say they value their small-school community and talk with enthusiasm about what it offers. Reception-age children respond positively to staff’s expectations and good induction arrangements meet their needs well. Older pupils say they feel well prepared for the move to their next school. They show understanding towards those individuals who find conforming to the school’s expectations of good conduct difficult to achieve and why those pupils may need extra support. Although individual parents and carers expressed some concerns over disruptive behaviour in lessons, the inspection found that pupils with behavioural needs respond well to the school’s systems and are managed consistently and effectively by staff.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils agree that the school keeps them safe, a view supported by parents and carers, and ‘everyone is sensible’. They say the ‘Happy/Sad Club’, run in partnership with the church, lets them celebrate successes and discuss any worries. Pupils accept roles very willingly and carry them out responsibly. Members of the school and eco- councils recognise the difference they make to the smooth running of the school and, especially, to improving the school environment – resulting in the Eco-School award. Pupils are confident that staff solve any problems that may arise and say, ‘Teachers understand us so well.’ Pupils show a clear understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and cite examples of how the school helps them to deal with any concerns. Incidents of bullying are very rare but, if they do occur, they are carefully logged and followed up by the school. Often, issues are addressed

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

during personal and social education lessons. Pupils say they are happy to come to school and attendance is above average. Very few pupils are persistently absent or late.

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Leadership and management

The acting headteacher has systematically developed her leadership role and made good use of local partnerships to extend and share expertise. She and the strong staff team show determination in identifying priorities and making improvements. Leaders at all levels monitor provision. They have a sharp focus on raising achievement and improving teaching through clearly identified targets and well- defined plans. In this small school, communication between staff is very good but systems to help staff understand how to improve their practice are insufficiently structured or linked to development planning. The governing body plays a major role in maintaining consistency in provision during times of staff change. Governors support the school and staff well and understand the challenges the school faces. Many parents and carers express confidence in the school’s ability to manage change but some feel they are not kept sufficiently informed. The inspection found that the

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Leadership and management

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

school lacks enough ways to consult with parents and carers and gather their views.

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Leadership and management

Leaders provide an interesting curriculum, promoting pupils’ good academic achievement and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Trips, visits, sports and creative pursuits, often supplied through good partnerships, enhance provision. Strong pastoral care promotes pupils’ all-round, successful personal development. As a result, by the time pupils leave the school, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Performances, the ‘Reading Week’ and ‘Mathematics Challenge’ are popular and well supported by parents and carers. Although curriculum planning links subjects together in topics, leaders do not sufficiently ensure that writing and mathematics are consistently planned across all subjects.

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Leadership and management

The school community is highly cohesive. Discrimination is tackled and arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. Thorough systems check pupils’ progress and identify gaps in performance. For example, boys’ attainment in writing is improving due to engaging tasks. Work of Reception-age children is carefully compiled in ‘Learning Journeys’ which clearly show children’s development. These are good examples of how parents and carers are involved in supporting children’s achievement by providing contributions from home. Most are very positive about what the school does for their children. One comments, ‘Great Wilbraham is a small school where children are made to feel like part of a large family. My children are extremely happy here.’

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Leadership and management

Since the last inspection, in spite of staffing changes, the school has consolidated pupils’ good levels of achievement and made improvements in key areas such as the monitoring of pupils’ progress. Behaviour is good and well managed and pupils show positive attitudes to learning. These strengths, together with a continued focus on stability, indicate the school is in a good position to maintain 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 Great Wilbraham CofE Primary School, Cambridge CB21 5JQ

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school recently. I was impressed by your good behaviour and how well you all get on together. I enjoyed talking to you about your work and seeing some of your achievements, especially in music, art and using computers. Thank you for filling in the questionnaires. Your answers helped me a lot.

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Inspection of Great Wilbraham CofE Primary School, Cambridge CB21 5JQ

You attend a good school. You reach above-average standards in reading, writing and mathematics and do well in your personal development. Your teachers make lessons interesting and help you to do well. You say you learn a lot and showed me some good examples of how you like to work together. To help you all do even better, I have asked your school to make the following improvements:

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Inspection of Great Wilbraham CofE Primary School, Cambridge CB21 5JQ

 make sure teachers’ marking helps you to understand how well you are doing and how to improve  give all of you more chance to choose tasks and working methods for yourselves and work together in groups  make sure those in charge plan for you to use your writing and mathematics in other subjects  help staff understand how to improve their teaching even more in line with the school’s plans  find more ways to consult with your parents and carers to seek their views.

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Inspection of Great Wilbraham CofE Primary School, Cambridge CB21 5JQ

I hope these things will help your school to continue to improve. All of you can help by continuing to behave well and enjoy your learning.

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Inspection of Great Wilbraham CofE Primary School, Cambridge CB21 5JQ

Vivienne McTiffen 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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