Uley Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection dates 2−3 July 2012 Inspection number 379115 Uley Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 115657 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 379115 Inspection dates 2–3 July 2012 Lead inspector John Eadie

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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 101 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Watson Headteacher Karl Joyce Date of previous school inspection 28 January 2009 School address Woodstock Terrace Uley Dursley GL11 5SW Telephone number 01453 860350 Fax number 01453 860350 Email address admin@uley.gloucs.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. The inspector visited 16 lessons, four of which were paired observations with the headteacher, and observed four teachers. He spent nearly 70% of the available time observing teaching and learning, and listened to some younger pupils read. He had meetings with pupils, staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey and information on the school’s website in planning the inspection. He observed the school’s work, and looked at its self- evaluation, policies and procedures, particularly those relevant to keeping pupils safe. The inspector evaluated the school’s information on the progress that pupils are making. Questionnaires returned by parents and carers of 40 pupils were analysed.

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. A very large majority of the pupils are White British, and none speaks English as an additional language. The school runs a breakfast and after-school club. In September 2009, the school was the first school in Gloucestershire to achieve the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award. The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress set by the government. 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. It is not yet outstanding because the quality of teaching is good rather than outstanding so pupils are making good progress. There have been marked improvements in areas identified as needing development in the previous inspection report; for example, pupils’ attainment in writing has now caught up that in reading. A further strength of the school is excellent provision for pupils’ social development. Parents and carers note that their children develop well into self-assured young people who are well prepared for their future.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ achievement is good and they make good progress in all year groups. Mathematics has been a recent focus for development, which has been very effective. Progress has improved to be good in all year groups and attainment in mathematics in Year 6 is well above average, in line with that in reading and writing

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Key findings

 The quality of teaching is good, although a few inconsistencies remain. Pupils say such things as ‘lessons are really fun and by the end of the lesson we have learnt something new’. There are a few occasions when activities are not sufficiently challenging, or pupils spend too long on one task or sit listening for too long, and this slows learning.

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Key findings

 Pupils behave well and are enthusiastic learners. They say that lessons are rarely disrupted by inappropriate behaviour and, on the rare occasions they are, this is for just a short time and is dealt with well. A notable feature of pupils’ behaviour is the way that all get on exceptionally well with each other.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are good. There is a real sense of teamwork between all staff and governors, ably led by the headteacher. There is effective management of performance and teaching. The latter has been a key priority in recent years and its success is seen in the improving quality of teaching and rising achievement by pupils. 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?

 Improve the quality of teaching to be consistently good or better by ensuring that:  learning activities are not allowed to go on for too long, so that once pupils have mastered a skill or new knowledge, they can quickly move on to new learning  time is always used well in lessons, for instance letting groups get on with a task rather than listening to instructions for other groups  consistently high levels of challenge are set for pupils of all ability levels in all lessons.

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Achievement of pupils

Children’s levels of skills and knowledge when they start school vary from year to year, as would be expected with relatively small cohorts. However, the underlying trend is downwards and skills are currently generally below those expected for their age, especially in aspects of literacy and number work. Pupils make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in their social skills, and this good progress continues in all year groups. Consequently, pupils leave school with attainment that is well above average in reading, writing and mathematics, and performance is remarkably similar across all three of these. Pupils are about a year ahead of expectations on average by the end of Year 6. Two particularly pleasing features are the improvements in attainment in writing and mathematics. The effectiveness of the teaching of the scheme for linking sounds and letters is shown in the above average attainment in reading at the end of Year 2 and the well above

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Achievement of pupils

average attainment in Year 6. Pupils read widely and are keen readers.

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Achievement of pupils

Lessons are typified by an excited buzz of learning. For instance, in the class for the youngest children, they thoroughly enjoyed searching in ‘dirty’ water or foam for words with the sounds that they were learning. In a class for older pupils, learning was good and pupils enthused as they created a Greek theatre and recorded their own retelling of a Greek myth as an animated video. In a science session for younger pupils, they enjoyed sorting pictures of items using their own criteria. They demonstrated good descriptive skills in this lesson. A mathematics lesson for older pupils contained significant levels of challenge for all groups, which they were relishing, and they retained high levels of concentration as they worked together to solve their problems.

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Achievement of pupils

The small number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make the same good progress as their classmates as they work to their own specific learning targets. All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire correctly regard their children as making good progress and a few who have children with special educational needs made comments on how well their child is doing. 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

All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire regard their children as being taught well, and the inspection confirms this view. There are many opportunities planned into lessons for pupils to work and discuss together and they are often given independence to make their own choices. As a pupil said, ‘We can often choose what we work on and teachers give us a voice.’ This shows that the school has addressed well the weakness relating to independent learning skills identified in the previous inspection. It also reflects how teachers contribute very significantly to pupils’ excellent social development. Pupils regard their lessons as being interesting and ‘fun’.

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Quality of teaching

Lessons are typified by well-planned opportunities for extending learning, with appropriate and often challenging tasks for different groups and ages. There are, however, a few occasions when tasks are too similar and so not sufficiently challenging for all groups. Time is also generally used well, such as when one group was sent off to start their tasks while the teacher dealt with others. However, sometimes pupils have to sit and listen to instructions for other groups, and learning slows when this happens. There are also occasions when pupils carry on with the same task for too long, when they have already mastered the skill or knowledge and could be extending their learning with a more difficult task. Teachers provide plentiful opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their literacy and numeracy skills in meaningful contexts across the curriculum. In particular, recent improvements mean that teachers consistently develop pupils’ writing skills for

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Quality of teaching

Teachers use assessment data well to ensure that pupils almost always have work that is matched well to their abilities and needs. This is particularly the case for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. These pupils’ needs are identified precisely, and good and specific plans are made for their future learning. Teachers also use marking well to set pupils clear targets and show them how they can improve their work.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour observed during the inspection was good, both in class and outside. A small minority of parents and carers did not agree with this in their questionnaires. However, pupils confirmed that what was observed was typical and said that lessons are rarely disturbed by inappropriate behaviour. Scrutiny of behavioural records also reflects good behaviour over time. As one parent commented from their experience, ‘There are a few children who exhibit challenging behaviour, but this is managed well.’ Another wrote, ‘The school has been extremely quick to respond to concerns about behavioural issues.’

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are very well aware of different types of bullying, explaining, for instance, the dangers of cyber-bullying to the inspector. They say that instances of bullying are rare and dealt with well, though a very small minority of parents and carers do 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

agree with this view. Evaluation of documentation in school shows that bullying is taken very seriously and dealt with assiduously, involving all parties and almost always their parents or carers.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils said that they feel safe in school and their responses on their questionnaires confirm this. Parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire were unanimous in saying that their child feels safe in school. Pupils also commented that they all get on well together, with younger pupils playing with older, for instance, and the inspection confirmed this.

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Leadership and management

There is a very clear sense of purpose and direction about the school. Self-evaluation is based on thorough monitoring and leads to well-designed plans for improvement, which are developed by all staff and governors. The effectiveness of leaders and managers is seen in the improvements in pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics. The monitoring of teaching is rigorous and staff say that their training needs are met well, both for them as individuals and to address whole-school issues. This is reflected in the consistently good quality of teaching. The governing body has a good range of experience and expertise and it is very supportive, while challenging appropriately. Leaders and managers and the governing body are effective in ensuring that the arrangements to keep pupils safe are rigorous. Risk assessments are particularly thorough and statutory requirements regarding safeguarding are met.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers have developed a broad and balanced curriculum, which makes good links between subjects so that pupils practise literacy and numeracy skills in any subjects. For example, the work being done in literacy is often based on the topics that pupils are studying in history or geography. The UNICEF Rights Respecting School award is very evident in the school and demonstrates a commitment to put the rights of each child at the heart of the school ethos and their strong commitment to equality of opportunity. The school is robust in tackling any form of discrimination. This contributes to the very harmonious community and is another factor in pupils’ excellent social development.

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Leadership and management

Good provision is made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school makes strenuous efforts to raise pupils’ awareness of different cultures. For instance, links have been established with schools in various parts of the world and Britain and a most successful Faith Week was held last year. This broadened pupils’ understanding as they listened to people of other faiths explaining their beliefs and practices.

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Leadership and management

Good links have been established with parents and carers, many making comments on their questionnaires such as: ‘Teachers and the headteacher are all very approachable and ready to discuss concerns.’ As a result of these links and responses to a questionnaire, a successful, well-organised and well-attended breakfast and after-school club is provided. There are also good links with the local community and 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

schools. For example, the school made the front page of the local paper when it was involved with planting a tree and burying a time capsule for the Jubilee. The Olympics is a current theme within the school and pupils are benefiting from the relevance of this topic. The school was also involved in a torch relay with a number of local schools, where they designed their torch, waited for a team to arrive over the fields from their school, and then thoroughly enjoyed the experience of carrying it some three miles to the next school in the relay.

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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 Uley Church of England Primary School, Dursley GL11 5SW

Thank you so much for welcoming me so warmly when I visited your school recently. I really enjoyed talking with you and hearing how much you enjoy school. Thank you particularly to the group of pupils I met with in the lunch hour; you were really helpful and gave me lots of information. I am not surprised that you enjoy your learning as you attend a good school.

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Inspection of Uley Church of England Primary School, Dursley GL11 5SW

 You are making good progress in all classes and reach well above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time you leave.  The main reason for this is that you are being taught well. You told me that your teachers are good and that they make your lessons fun and interesting.  You behave well and told me that lessons are not often disturbed by poor behaviour and that when they are, it is only for a very short while and that teachers deal with this well. You are developing well into sensible and responsible young people.  You also told me that bullying is rare and is dealt with promptly when it is reported.  Your headteacher, staff and governors have good plans to continue to make your school even better.

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Inspection of Uley Church of England Primary School, Dursley GL11 5SW

In order to ensure that teaching is consistently good or better, I have asked your teachers to consider the following:

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Inspection of Uley Church of England Primary School, Dursley GL11 5SW

 There are times in lessons when you do the same thing for too long when you have already shown that you have understood. You also sometimes have to sit and listen to instructions for other pupils when you could usefully be getting on with your work. In a few lessons, the work is not well matched to challenge all groups.

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Inspection of Uley Church of England Primary School, Dursley GL11 5SW

I am sure you will help your teachers by continuing to work hard. Best wishes for the future.

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Inspection of Uley Church of England Primary School, Dursley GL11 5SW

John Eadie 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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