Collingwood Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 5–6 July 2012 Inspection number 379058 Collingwood Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 115305 Local authority Essex Inspection number 379058 Inspection dates 5–6 July 2012 Lead inspector Tusha Chakraborti

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 278 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Ewers Headteacher Amanda Buckland-Garnett Date of previous school inspection 13 March 2008 School address Collingwood Road South Woodham Ferrers Chelmsford CM3 5YJ Telephone number 01245 322258 Fax number 01245 322449 Email address admin@collingwood.essex.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

Tusharkana Chakraborti Additional Inspector

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Introduction

Samuel Ofori-Kyereh Additional Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 16 lessons taught by nine teachers. They heard children reading, scrutinised pupils’ work, visited assemblies and undertook other activities in order to observe pupils’ learning. Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, staff, members of the governing body and groups of pupils. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at self-evaluation and development planning, safeguarding documentation and data on pupils’ progress. Responses from questionnaires completed by 142 parents and carers were analysed, as well as those from 123 pupils and 19 staff.

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Information about the school

This is a larger than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language and none are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. Several pupils join or leave the school part way through the academic year in Key Stage 2. The school has a high proportion of pupils with medical care plans. It meets the government’s current floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school holds national Healthy School status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. Its inclusive ethos encourages pupils to work well together and to enjoy school. The school is not good because there is not yet enough good teaching to ensure that all groups of pupils achieve as well as they could, especially in Years 3 to 6. In addition, leaders do not make full use of assessment information to raise achievement. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ attainment is above average by the end of Year 2. Attainment at the end of Year 6 dipped in 2010 and 2011, and is average. The school is working with the local authority to raise achievement, and the rate of progress in Years 3 to 6 has accelerated over the past year, indicating an improving trend.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour and safety are good. They are considerate and courteous to staff and each other and have good attitudes to learning. Attendance is consistently above average.

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Key findings

 The quality of teaching is satisfactory and there is some good teaching in Years 1 and 2. Nonetheless, not all lessons provide sufficient challenge for all groups of pupils, especially for higher attainers. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but pupils are not always given time to act upon the written guidance that they receive. In mathematics, pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to apply their skills to solve problems. Teachers do not have sufficient opportunity to improve their teaching through the observation of best practice.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are satisfactory. A stable leadership team is now in place and this has strengthened the system for the monitoring of teaching and the management of performance. However, leaders are not yet using assessment data rigorously and effectively enough to track pupils’ progress in order to raise achievement. The governing body, with its several new members, has begun to provide good support and challenge. 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?

 Increase the proportion of good or better teaching to raise standards of attainment further and to accelerate pupils’ progress in Years 3 to 6, particularly in mathematics by:  increasing opportunities for pupils to use and apply investigative skills to solve problems  ensuring that work set in lessons consistently challenges all pupils fully, especially the higher attainers  making sure that pupils are given time to act upon written guidance on what needs to improve  establishing a programme where teachers are able to improve their skills by observing best practice.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the capacity of leaders at all levels to raise pupils’ achievement in Key Stage 2 by ensuring that they develop a clearer understanding of assessment data and use it more rigorously to chart pupils’ progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Children start in the Reception classes with skills and abilities in line with those expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress during their stay in Reception and achieve average standards in all areas of learning by the time they move to Year 1. There is a clear emphasis on systematic teaching of letters and sounds and the rapid development of their communication and social skills. For example, children enjoy browsing through story books in pairs and groups and enjoy writing sentences using new words that they learn.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and attainment is above average by the end of Year 2. Attainment declined at the end of Year 6 in 2010 and 2011 from above average to average, especially in mathematics. The school’s own analysis of current performance and observations of learning in lessons show that progress has accelerated in the current Year 6 owing to a range of additional support strategies and more rigorous monitoring of pupils’ progress. Progress in Years 3 to 6 is now satisfactory. Pupils’ reading and writing skills are now much improved through the development of extended writing and cross-curricular topic work. This is successfully narrowing the gaps in pupils’ performance compared with all pupils nationally. It means, however, progress is now better in English than in mathematics. Attainment in reading is above average by the end of Year 2 and average when pupils leave the school in Year 6. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make

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Achievement of pupils

satisfactory progress as a result of the consistent and well-targeted support they receive from teachers and support staff. Most parents and carers are pleased with 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

their children’s progress and rightly feel that achievement is rising for pupils currently in the school.

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Achievement of pupils

Across the school, pupils develop a clear understanding of how to write effectively for different purposes and many are confident in analysing the events and characters from the books they read. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 demonstrate they have acquired good strategies to tackle unfamiliar words in their reading books and have gained a good level of independence in their reading. Pupils use their computer skills appropriately to support their learning in other subjects, such as the use of search engines to take virtual tours to find Olympic sites.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is satisfactory, with some good teaching. Where teaching is at its best, teachers plan for the learning needs of all pupils. They set a good pace and extend thinking through effective questioning. They ensure that learning is fun and work well with teaching assistants to provide good quality support for all groups of pupils. For instance, in a mixed-age mathematics lesson in Years 5 and 6, effective questioning and teamwork ensured that all groups of pupils had gained a clear understanding of the use of ratios in mathematical calculation. Teachers use interactive whiteboards effectively to explain clearly to pupils what they are expected to learn and how they will know if they have succeeded. Nevertheless, teachers often miss opportunities to provide tasks that are sufficiently challenging to extend the skills and understanding of higher attaining pupils. Similarly, in mathematics, pupils’

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Quality of teaching

understanding of the use of investigative skills to solve problems is not extended consistently. As a result, pupils do not develop these skills sufficiently to have a positive impact on their achievement.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers provide pupils with written guidance to explain how to improve but do not ensure that they follow up on their comments and correct their mistakes. Teachers have limited opportunities to improve their teaching skills further by observing best practice. The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is satisfactory. Teaching assistants provide effective support for these pupils through appropriate intervention programmes.

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Quality of teaching

In Reception, children are provided with a range of engaging activities that capture their imagination and move their learning on. Staff provide a welcoming environment where children feel safe and secure. They are confident in pursuing indoor and outdoor activities that match their own interests as well as those directed by adults. Regular teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) supports children’s reading skills well.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through group discussions in religious education and personal, social and health education lessons and assemblies. Reading is taught well throughout the school, resulting in confident readers of all ages. Most parents and carers express positive views and are satisfied with the quality of teaching their children receive. 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

The large majority of parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire stated that behaviour is good and almost all feel that their children are safe at school at all times. A very small minority of pupils have caused some disruption in lessons in the past year. The school has acted swiftly and resolved these issues successfully. The overwhelming majority of pupils feel very safe in school and know that they have someone to turn to should they have any concerns. They report that they are able to learn without disruption and any instances of disruptive behaviour are dealt with effectively by adults.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are considerate, respectful and courteous to staff and each other. This is reflected in the way they work together and support each other, particularly those with medical needs. Children in the Reception class demonstrate positive behaviour and support each other well. This was seen during the outdoor activities where a group of girls explained to each other how to use the musical instruments.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The anti-bullying and behaviour policy is reviewed and amended annually and pupils are consulted through surveys, assemblies and when events have occurred. Pupils develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. They have a good awareness of different forms of bullying and take active steps to prevent it from occurring. Pupils understand the risks they face in their everyday lives; for example, they are well aware of cyber-bullying and risks from fire, and know what to do if they should encounter them. They have a clear understanding of what is right or wrong and this has a positive impact on their behaviour and their attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils take on positions of responsibility and carry these out successfully. These are actively developed through their work as school council members, peer mediators and friendship club activities. Older pupils enjoy supporting the children from the Reception classes. Attendance is above average due to the school’s inclusive approach and rigorous procedures regarding absence.

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Leadership and management

The school has a satisfactory capacity for improvement, as illustrated by the improving trend in pupils’ attainment and progress over the past year. Several strategies have been introduced in the relatively short time since the local authority review, to raise pupils’ attainment and to close gaps between that of different groups of pupils. All recommendations are being acted upon and this is beginning to take effect.

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Leadership and management

The leadership team has been restructured to strengthen the monitoring of teaching and staff development so that teachers’ expertise is further developed to accelerate pupils’ progress. A systematic programme for the monitoring of teaching forms the basis for effective professional development and performance management. As a 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

result, teaching is improving. Nonetheless, leaders are not yet using assessment data effectively enough to ensure that all groups of pupils achieve as well as they could by the end of Year 6. Self-evaluation is generally accurate and forms a strong basis for the priorities in the current development plan. The governing body has gone through a period of extensive change in the past year and now has several new members. They are increasingly holding the school to account for pupils’ achievement and are starting to challenge senior leaders more in terms of increasing the school’s effectiveness.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum focuses strongly on developing literacy and numeracy skills and is beginning to promote effective cross-curricular links between literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology. This is having a positive impact, particularly on pupils’ writing. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues are promoted well in assemblies and religious education, supporting pupils in developing understanding of religious and cultural diversity. There is a good range of external visits and lunchtime and after-school clubs, including several sports clubs.

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Leadership and management

The school promotes equality of opportunity satisfactorily, in view of the issue about use of data and the need to raise achievement. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils fully meet statutory requirements. Policies and procedures to ensure the safeguarding and welfare of pupils are robust and these are monitored regularly. The school uses its website effectively to keep parents and carers up to date with what is happening in school.

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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 Collingwood Primary School, Chelmsford CM3 5YJ

Thank you all very much for welcoming us to your school and being so helpful. We were pleased to see how much you enjoy school. This is clearly reflected in your above-average rate of attendance. We found that your behaviour is good and are pleased to see how considerate you are to each other in lessons and around the school. We thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the work you do and the improvements in your school. Thank you also for the questionnaires that you filled in for the inspection and for sharing your views with us.

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Inspection of Collingwood Primary School, Chelmsford CM3 5YJ

You go to a satisfactory school. This means that the school does some things well and it needs to improve others. Your headteacher, staff and governors ensure that you are well cared for and want you to achieve the best you can.

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Inspection of Collingwood Primary School, Chelmsford CM3 5YJ

To improve your school further, we have asked them to:  provide you with more problem-solving activities in mathematics  make sure that the work provided for you is just a bit harder to move your learning forward as rapidly as possible, especially those of you who learn quickly  ensure that you are given time to respond to your teachers’ comments on how to improve your work  arrange for your teachers to have more opportunities to improve their teaching even further by observing some good and better teaching.

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Inspection of Collingwood Primary School, Chelmsford CM3 5YJ

All of you can help the school to improve by continuing to do your best at everything you do and behaving well.

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Inspection of Collingwood Primary School, Chelmsford CM3 5YJ

Tusha Chakraborti 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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