St Edward's Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–10 Inspection date(s) 25–26 June 2012 Inspection number 379958 St Edward’s Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 120122 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 379958 Inspection dates 25–26 June 2012 Lead inspector Susan Hughes

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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 4–10 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 178 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jon Ibbotson Headteacher Mary Robinson Date of previous school inspection 10 December 2008 School address Dovecote Castle Donington Derby DE74 2LH Telephone number 01332 810231 Fax number 01332 810231 Email address office@stedwards-cd.leics.sch.uk

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Registered childcare provision EY271125, St Edwards Pre-School Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision 14 May 2008 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 after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2 005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not

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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 inspection team sampled 20 lessons taught by seven teachers, of which four were observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteachers. Meetings were held with parents and carers, groups of pupils, members of the governing body and staff. Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at monitoring information, improvement plans, analysis and tracking of pupils’ progress, and records of classroom observations. They also sampled pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and checked attendance. Inspectors analysed questionnaires submitted by 10 staff, 67 pupils and 115 parents and carers.

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Information about the school

St Edward’s Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average primary school. It has a smaller proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals than schools nationally. The percentages of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language are below national averages. The percentage of pupils who are supported on school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs is below average. The school provides for pupils up to Year 5 and has a pre-school, managed by the governing body, which takes children from age two to four years. The school has Healthy Schools status and is part of the Olympic Get Set network. 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 where pupils make good progress. It is not yet outstanding because the quality of teaching is not consistently high enough to secure outstanding achievement, or to ensure that attainment in writing is consistently above average in all year groups.

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Key findings

 Achievement is good. Children generally join the school with skills and understanding below the levels expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this accelerated progress continues throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, where pupils’ work is above average in reading and mathematics. In writing it is broadly average, and higher in some year groups than others. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because they are well supported.

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Key findings

 Teaching is good. Effective planning ensures that work is accurately matched to pupils’ needs. Lessons are stimulating and engaging. Staff have helped younger pupils to develop well their key skills in literacy through focused teaching of different ability groups but this is not the case for older pupils. Marking is very encouraging, but comments do not always explain to pupils how they could improve and they are not consistently directed to the next steps in their learning. This means that pupils are not always given the opportunity to respond to comments.

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Key findings

 Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils are courteous to adults and each other. In lessons the vast majority of pupils demonstrate good attitudes to learning and concentrate on their work. They are very aware of what constitutes safe and unsafe situations and know how to keep themselves safe.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are good. Effective leadership of teaching and management of performance have resulted in accelerated progress throughout the school and rising attainment in both reading and mathematics. The governing body effectively holds the school to account, providing both support 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?

 Raise the quality of teaching and learning so that more is outstanding, particularly in writing, by:  developing writing skills across the curriculum  extending the model of regular, ability-based teaching currently used for younger pupils to promote higher-level literacy skills across the whole school  ensuring that marking always contains clear and specific developmental comments  giving time for pupils to respond to the next steps in learning identified in their books.

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Achievement of pupils

An overwhelming majority of parents and carers rightly feel that their children make good progress and that their individual needs are met. Most pupils say they learn a lot in lessons and this was evident during the inspection, when all groups of pupils were seen to be achieving well during the large majority of lessons.

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Achievement of pupils

Children join the school with skills and understanding that are below the levels expected nationally for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because the wide range of activities excite them and stimulate learning, both in the classroom and outdoors. This means that they enter Key Stage 1 with broadly average attainment. Good teaching of the sounds that letters make (phonics) ensures that by the end of Year 1 pupils can read simple stories and build up recognisable words in their writing. Standards in reading and writing by the end of Key Stage 1 are broadly average but improving.

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Achievement of pupils

Progress is good in all Key Stage 2 classes. This means that attainment is rising, particularly in mathematics and reading where it is above average. The previous gap between the school’s standards in writing and other subjects is s now beginning to close. For example, in a good lesson seen some pupils in Year 5 were writing openings to a story using stunning language which gripped the reader and drew them into the story. However, this is not yet consistent for all pupils.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive well-targeted support and make good progress. Pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and those who speak English as an additional language are well supported both in class and through specific group interventions. This ensures that they make good progress in line with their classmates. 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

Teaching is typically good throughout the school. Some teaching is outstanding and in these lessons pupils learn from excellent modelling by their teachers and improve their work by evaluating their own work and that of others in the class. All teachers demonstrate a good understanding of the stage pupils have reached in their learning and carefully match work to their individual needs. In most lessons, teachers’ astute questioning is key to moving the learning on. For example, in a Year 4 lesson on persuasive writing, the teacher pressed for fuller answers to encourage pupils to develop their ideas more effectively. In Year 1, good questioning gave pupils the opportunity to use deduction skills in their work on chronology. Almost all parents and carers agree that their children are taught well and develop their skills well.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all pupils also say that teaching is good and that they enjoy their lessons. This is evident in most lessons, where practical activities and a good pace mean that pupils are absorbed in their learning. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage were excited about their role play as sea creatures in their ‘sea tunnel’ while Year 2 pupils enjoyed the challenge of working with negative numbers in mathematics.

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Quality of teaching

Reading skills are well developed through effective phonics teaching and guided reading lessons. Pupils in all year groups are happy to read and willingly discuss their books, demonstrating fluency and understanding of story lines. Older pupils are able to discuss inferences and suggest the author’s reason for specific use of words. Pupils’ writing skills, however, are not developed well enough in all classes to raise attainment in writing to the levels seen in reading and mathematics. This is because they are not always given enough opportunity or guidance to write in different areas of the curriculum and in different styles. Ability-based groups which mix pupils from different year groups have helped raise standards in phonics, reading and mathematics, but have not yet been used for older pupils or for developing wider literacy skills.

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Quality of teaching

Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported both in the classroom and in targeted groups. Well-briefed support staff work alongside teachers to help pupils in a sensitive and unobtrusive way. They mirror the good questioning techniques modelled by the class teacher to check understanding and develop learning.

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Quality of teaching

Marking in books is encouraging, and most pupils’ questionnaire responses say that adults explain how they can improve their work. However, guidance on how pupils can improve their work is not always clear. Sometimes, if guidance is given, it is too vague to be helpful. Where good ‘next steps’ are identified, pupils are not always given the opportunity to respond.

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Quality of teaching

Spiritual, social, moral and cultural education runs through all element of school life. In lessons teachers model effective social skills and talk pupils through appropriate behaviours and responses. They present opportunities for pupils to discuss moral 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

dilemmas and engender an enthusiasm for their learning and the world around them. For example, pupils in Year 4 were reading a story about elephants stranded on an island. They discussed whether money prioritised for a local community should be spent on rescuing the animals. In Year 3, pupils were sensitively looking at the differences and similarities between boys and girls.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are very polite and respectful to adults and to each other. They show good learning behaviour in lessons, as they are attentive and well focused on their learning. They readily share resources and will automatically offer helpful suggestions to each other about their work. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage work well together to build dens and investigate their secret garden while older pupils cooperate effectively with talk partners and in group activities.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have a clear view of right and wrong and understand about different types of bullying. Pupils from different backgrounds talk in a mature way about racist bullying. They cite examples of issues which have been effectively dealt with by staff. They understand about cyber bullying and know how to stay safe when using the internet.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

All parents and carers who completed the questionnaires say that their children feel safe in school. Almost all agree that behaviour is good in the school and most feel that bullying is dealt with well. Attendance has improved over the last three years, showing an upward trend from below average. The school has worked closely with parents and carers to achieve this, and now punctuality is good and attendance is average and rising.

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Leadership and management

The strong leadership of the school has ensured good progress throughout all year groups. The headteacher and senior leaders demonstrate a consistent drive for school improvement, supported by good professional development opportunities for staff. This means that the quality of teaching and attainment in reading and mathematics have risen considerably since the last inspection demonstrating the capacity to improve. Standards in writing are also improving, but not as significantly. The senior leadership team monitors progress and achievement through rigorous tracking of pupils’ performance, ensuring that all groups of pupils achieve well. The governing body has reviewed its monitoring strategy to secure a clearer focus on school improvement. The school’s leaders have ensured that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed and the arrangements for safeguarding comply fully with current requirements.

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Leadership and management

The well planned curriculum offers pupils exciting opportunities for investigation and practical learning, such as the science day looking at helicopters and visits by Shakespearean and Greek characters. However, there are inconsistent opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills across different curriculum areas. 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

The development of a spiritual understanding of the world through assemblies and activities such as designing the stained glass window supports the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education well. In lessons pupils are also given opportunities to experience emotional responses to situations. For example, the well- chosen video in Year 5 left the pupils gasping at the idea of living in a strange unpopulated world where friendships were impossible. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children welcomed new arrivals in an open and friendly way. They soon became immersed in imaginative play together and shared a fascination for learning about new experiences. Strong moral and social messages underpin all lessons as teachers encourage good behaviour and discuss dilemmas within class.

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Leadership and management

Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds say that they are given the opportunity to share their experiences in school. This is enthusiastically received by other pupils and forms a good basis for learning about different cultures. Music is a strength of the school and the children sing enthusiastically in assemblies.

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Leadership and management

A very large majority of parents and carers feel that the school responds well to their concerns and keeps them well informed. Most say that they would recommend the school to other parents and carers. 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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childcare provision

The pre-school is situated on the same site as the school and shares access to the playground and dining hall. Places, however, are open to any children in the area, some of whom move on to different schools at four years old. Approximately 90% of children from the pre-school continue their education St Edward’s Church of England Primary School.

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childcare provision

Children make good progress in the pre-school because activities are well planned for them to develop skills in different situations. For example, counting was involved in imaginative play in the sand tray while counting ‘ice cream’ scoops, in a game of skittles outside, and in a simple strategy game indoors.

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childcare provision

Planning is based on children’s own enthusiasms and ensures that although wide opportunities are offered, they are not overwhelming. This enables children to develop concentration skills and persevere with each activity they choose. For example some boys playing with large tubes cooperated in using them as telescopes, firemen’s hoses, and car runs over a sustained period of time. There is a good balance between outdoor and indoor learning but opportunities for developing early writing skills and reading are less developed in the outdoor learning area.

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childcare provision

The setting is led well and staffed by a caring and well-qualified team. Children’s progress is rigorously monitored and the pre-school leader views good home/school links as a priority, ensuring that parents and carers are well informed about their children’s activities and progress.

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childcare provision

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the registered childcare provision, inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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childcare provision

Overall effectiveness of the Ear ly Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the registered provision

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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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2LH

Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you about your learning and listening to you sing in assembly. Thank you also to those of you who told us your views through questionnaires. You were very considerate and polite, and your behaviour in and around school is good.

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2LH

Yours is a good school that is led well by Mrs Robinson and her team. Your teachers know you well. They are good at making sure that your work is just right to help you make good progress, but they are not always very clear about how you can do better when making comments in your books.

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2LH

Attainment is rising and in some subjects it is now above average. Your writing, however, is not quite as good as your reading and mathematics. To help improve this, we have asked your teachers to:

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2LH

 give you more opportunities to develop your writing skills across different subjects  help you develop particular literacy skills by working with different groups of pupils  make sure that they give you time to respond to comments in your books, to help you move on in your learning.

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2LH

You can play your part by continuing to do your best in lessons, and please follow your teachers’ guidance when they write in your books.

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2LH

Susan Hughes 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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