Wilmcote CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 12–13 July 2012 Inspection number 381110 Wilmcote CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 125696 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 381110 Inspection dates 12–13 July 2012 Lead inspector Jenny Batelen

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 82 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helen Yeomans Headteacher Liz Banyard (Acting Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 22 January 2009 School address Church Road Wilmcote Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 9XD Telephone number 01789 204395 Fax number 01789 204395 Email address admin3313@we-learn.com 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 spent three and a quarter hours watching nine lessons taught by five teachers. The inspector heard pupils from Years 2 and 6 read. She also held meetings with pupils and staff, as well as with members of the governing body. She observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation including school action plans, pupils’ work and records of their learning and progress. The inspector observed and discussed pupils’ behaviour and the school’s safeguarding procedures. She also analysed completed questionnaires from 41 parents and carers, as well as those completed by pupils and by members of staff.

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Information about the school

The school is very much smaller than the average-sized primary school. While most pupils are from White British backgrounds, a minority are of Gypsy/Roma heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average, but the proportion with a statement of special educational needs or supported by school action plus is below average. Pupils are organised in mixed- age classes. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school has achieved bronze level in the Primary Science Quality Mark.

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Information about the school

The governing body has agreed that the school will become part of a federation of local schools in September 2012. Recent changes of staffing mean an acting headteacher has been in post since January 2012. 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. It is not yet good because the quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school and, as a result, pupils make satisfactory progress from their starting points. The period of change in the school means that leaders are developing their skills and have not yet had time to secure consistently good progress for all pupils. 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 in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of the current Year 6. Achievement is no better than satisfactory because, although progress accelerates in Years 5 and 6, it varies with younger pupils in Years 1 to 4 and this means attainment is not as high as it could be.

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Key findings

 Teaching across the school is satisfactory and there is some good practice. Often there is not enough challenge in the tasks provided, particularly for more- able pupils, who are then less involved in the learning. Teachers do not always ensure pupils are clear about what they must do to improve their work or give pupils the opportunities to work independently and take responsibility for their own learning. Teaching assistants are not always deployed effectively to ensure all pupils are making good progress.

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Key findings

 Pupils are very polite and welcoming. They enjoy their learning and cooperate well. Pupils all feel very safe and well cared for.

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Key findings

 Leaders, including members of the governing body, are very clear about the improvements needed to ensure pupils make good and consistent progress. The leadership of teaching is secure and the management of teachers’ performance is now rigorously enforced. However, opportunities to lead the improvements required are not yet sufficiently developed, particularly for middle leaders. 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?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress throughout the school by ensuring that appropriately challenging tasks are always set for all pupils, especially the more able.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good by July 2013 by:  planning lessons to ensure that all pupils are actively engaged at all times and engrossed in their learning  clearly identifying what pupils need to do next to improve their work when giving oral and written feedback, and allowing time for pupils to respond  deploying teaching assistants more effectively, especially during whole class sessions, so that the needs of all pupils are met.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the leadership and management of the school so that middle leaders are able to contribute more effectively to school improvement.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter Early Years Foundation Stage with a range of skills and understanding that broadly match those that are typical for their age. They make at least satisfactory and often good progress throughout the Reception Year. Progress through Key Stages 1 and 2 is not yet consistently good and, as a result, pupils have left school in Year 6 with broadly average attainment in reading, writing and mathematics, although it has improved this year. Parents and carers feel that their children make good progress, but the inspection showed that progress is not yet good enough in all years and pupils do not always reach the standards of which they are capable. The recent analysis of individual pupils’ termly progress has shown accelerated progress and a better match of outcomes to pupils’ abilities. This was clearly demonstrated when a group of pupils in Year 1, arranging numbers in order, were challenged to find the patterns emerging and demonstrated their use and

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Achievement of pupils

understanding of the correct mathematical language. This level of challenge is not yet consistently found across the school and not all lessons enable pupils to make this rapid progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils read confidently, with expression and good understanding of the text, so that attainment in reading is above average in Years 2 and 6. Pupils in Year 6 spoke of their enjoyment of reading, of their favourite type of book and of how fiction allows them to ‘enter an imaginary world’ and also ‘helps them with their own writing’. The inspection agreed with the school’s evaluation that the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is not sufficiently strong to ensure that all pupils are able to make faster progress in the early stages of learning to read.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make progress which 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

is at least in line with that of their peers because appropriate planning and support is in place to ensure that the tasks set enable them to learn well. Gypsy/Roma pupils make at least satisfactory progress because the school works well with families and encourages attendance so that pupils are able to gain access to the full curriculum. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to their peers because they, and their families, are helped to develop their understanding of the nuances of the English language and to apply it confidently across the curriculum.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers plan well to link the different subjects of the curriculum so that pupils have a good understanding of why they are undertaking the particular task in each lesson. Pupils enjoy their lessons and parents and carers believe their children are taught well. Inspection evidence found that teaching is satisfactory and has led to satisfactory achievement over time. It is now improving and this is because teachers have a better understanding of how well each pupil is making progress. This understanding is not yet reflected consistently in teachers’ planning to meet individual needs, regardless of their year group. As a result pupils are not always sufficiently challenged and time may be wasted for more-able pupils, particularly in whole-class sessions, going over work they already know and understand. The skills of teaching assistants are not always effectively used to make these sessions more challenging by targeting their support to smaller groups working independently of

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Quality of teaching

the rest of the class. However teaching assistants give effective support to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, ensuring that they play a full part in the lesson.

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Quality of teaching

Where teaching is good a range of strategies are used to develop pupils’ thinking and understanding, including skilled and open questioning from all adults. This was clearly demonstrated when pupils in Year 5 and 6 used previous learning to discuss, in pairs and as a whole class, how images communicated messages. They used observational skills and high level language skills and demonstrated their well- developed sense of spiritual awareness in response to the image of the Weee Man at the Eden project. Individual pupils were encouraged to share their thoughts in a safe and supportive environment.

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Quality of teaching

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are currently taught alongside Year 1 pupils and this sometimes limits their access to independently chosen activities. They work well together, but their independence and ability to move their own learning on was clearly demonstrated when they chose from a range of resources in the well- resourced outside area to build a home for the three little pigs that was waterproof and safe from the wolf.

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Quality of teaching

Oral and written feedback sometimes gives clear guidance to pupils about how they can improve their work, but this is not consistent across all subjects and classes. Where it is used pupils are not always given enough time to respond to the comments. Pupils gain a greater understanding of their own progress when they 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

assess their own and each other’s work. The recent use of success criteria in every lesson helps pupils understand what they must do to be successful in their tasks. Homework is linked to the learning in school and so is relevant and understood to be useful.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils have opportunities to determine what they should learn in their curriculum topics through the ‘knowledge harvest’ at the start of each topic. They are enthusiastic when strong links are made across the curriculum as was demonstrated by pupils in the Year 3 and 4 class who linked information and communication technology, English and history as they learnt about Boudicca’s leading of the Celtic rebellion in Roman Britain.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour is good in lessons and around school. There is a very positive and caring atmosphere that creates a strong community, valued by parents and carers. Pupils show a positive attitude to learning and listen to their teachers and to each other with respect and interest. On occasions when pupils are not fully engaged in their learning there is no disruption as they understand the importance of not disturbing others. Pupils who may find it difficult to manage their own behaviour are well supported to manage classroom relationships and complete the tasks they are set. Pupils play well together in the playground. They show a respect for their surroundings so that, for instance, flower displays are not spoilt. The recent project ‘Singing Playgrounds’ has added a further dimension to the corporate activities available for pupils to take part in.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They understand the different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying and are confident that there is none in school. Inspection evidence confirms the parents’ and carers’ confidence that their children are safe in school and that if there was any bullying the school has effective systems to deal with it.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy coming to school and for the majority attendance is above average. The school works closely with families to encourage regular attendance and this is reflected in improved attendance for some individual pupils.

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Leadership and management

The knowledgeable and skilled governing body has been very active in securing the school’s future within the federation, and parents and carers value the way they are kept well informed. The acting headteacher, working with the governing body and the local authority, has identified key areas to improve. Training has focused on increasing staff understanding of the progress all pupils are making and how this can be improved, linked to the performance management process now in place. There is a clear understanding that progress for more-able pupils must match that of all other groups so that equality for all pupils is ensured. Developments in the teaching of writing have led to improvements, demonstrating the school’s capacity to make 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

further improvements, and leaders are constantly adapting the curriculum to improve this further. During the current period of changing leadership, the leadership of some subject areas is not yet as thorough as it could be, mainly because middle leaders do not always have sufficient skills or the time to give to this part of their role.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good because it provides memorable experiences that enthuse and motivate the pupils. Improved science provision is reflected in the quality mark award. Partnerships with other schools and providers enhance the opportunities in a range of subjects, such as sport and music. Cultural experiences are enhanced by links with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Ex Cathedra. Pupils’ understanding of the diversity of the world they live in is deepened by their work on rights and responsibilities and by teaching about different faiths and cultures. The school ensures any discrimination is tackled effectively. Music is a strength, with tuneful singing, the development of instrumental skills, and the instrumental players regularly playing in assemblies.

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Leadership and management

The school has effective procedures for safeguarding and risk assessments. These meet the government guidelines and include high quality checks on adults, including robust arrangements for vetting staff appointments.

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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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upon-Avon CV37 9XD

Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school recently. Thank you also to those of you who returned questionnaires about your school. I enjoyed visiting your lessons and assemblies, listening to the instrumentalists and the singing, talking with you and hearing you read. You told me how much you enjoy school.

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upon-Avon CV37 9XD

Your school helps you make satisfactory progress and teaching is satisfactory, too. Here are some of the things I found out about your school.

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upon-Avon CV37 9XD

 You behave very well and that helps you play and work well together and feel safe in school.  You sing very tunefully and those who play instruments do so very well.  You listen carefully to your teachers and usually work hard in your lessons.  All the adults in the school care a lot about you and make sure that you are safe and well supported.

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upon-Avon CV37 9XD

I have asked the school to do some things to make it better. These are to make sure:

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upon-Avon CV37 9XD

 the work you are given really challenges you all  teachers help you understand exactly what you need to do to improve your work, are clear about this when they mark your work, and give you time to make improvements  you are all busy learning at all times in the lesson  other adults in the classroom help pupils with learning all of the time  middle leaders in your school help make further improvements to how well you learn.

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upon-Avon CV37 9XD

All of you can help by working hard and making sure you know what to do and how to make it even better.

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upon-Avon CV37 9XD

Jenny Batelen 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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