Loxley CofE Community Primary School

Loxley CofE Community Primary School Loxley, Warwick, CV35 9JT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Leaders and managers have brought about consistent improvement in the school. This has led to improvements in teaching and in pupils’ achievement.  Teaching is good with an increasing number of outstanding lessons, particularly in Key Stage 2.  All pupils are making good or better progress across the school.  There are no significant differences between the achievement of groups of pupils, with all groups exceeding national expectations.  Pupils leave the school with standards in mathematics and English that are above national averages.  Behaviour is good and the school is a safe, caring and happy place.  Attendance is above average and improving.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy learning and feel as if they are active participants in their education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Writing is not as strong as other subjects in the school, as opportunities for extended writing are limited.  Occasionally in some lessons, communication between support staff and the teacher is not as clear as it should be, leading to a small number of pupils in the lesson not progressing as well as their peers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons covering over four hours, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector met with members of the senior leadership team, pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  The four responses from the online questionnaire (Parent View) and one letter from a parent were taken into consideration as part of the inspection.  The inspector reviewed a number of documents and other evidence related to the work of the school, such as the school’s self-evaluation form, records of the monitoring of teaching and learning, attendance and behaviour information and data on pupils’ progress.

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Inspection team

Ronald Hall, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 In September 2012 the school federated with two other local schools but at the time of the inspection still retains its own headteacher and the joint governing body has only recently been formed.  The school is a smaller-than-average primary school, set in a small rural village.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British origin.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for extra funding through the pupil premium is well below the national average.  The proportion of those pupils supported at school action is well below average. The proportion who are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs is higher than the national average.  Pupils are taught in mixed-aged classes.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in writing to match that of other subjects by providing greater opportunities for extended writing, particularly for boys in Key Stage 1.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement and improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by ensuring that teachers communicate learning expectations clearly to support staff who are assisting groups so that all pupils progress at the same rate.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils at Loxley Primary School achieve higher than their peers nationally. Pupils consistently leave with attainment that is above average and all pupils make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the school with skills that are broadly average for their age and make good progress across all areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They develop confidence, good communication skills and quickly become independent learners who clearly enjoy learning. ‘I love school,’ stated one child. ‘It’s fun and exciting.’

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading skills at both key stages are above age-expected levels and pupils routinely use a range of skills to help them to read difficult words and/or understand their reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although pupils’ attainment in English is above the national average, their skills in writing are not at the same level as those in reading. This is due to a lack of opportunity for pupils to write extended pieces and so practise their skills on a constant basis. In a good lesson related to developing poetry skills, pupils discussed a range of words and phrases they could use which clearly showed a high level of understanding, but were not given the opportunity to apply them practically. However, scrutiny of some books covering an aspect of history indicated that pupils do at times write extensively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in mathematics has risen sharply due to some outstanding teaching in this area. In one lesson, pupils were exploring aspects of algebra. The lesson was very well matched to the needs of all the pupils and there was excellent use of laptop computers to both support and enhance learning. The more able pupils were working completely independently at a very high level of understanding, working out the costs, sizes and other requirements of a garden path.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils use their well-developed skills in a range of subjects and are always eager to link their English and mathematical skills into other areas of study.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Equal opportunities for all permeate the whole school and so all pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress. Pupils at all levels exceed expectations against their peers nationally and this is especially so for those who are supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs. Those pupils for whom the school receives extra funding also make good progress both against their peers in school and against those nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the school is good, with an increasing number of outstanding lessons. Parents and carers and pupils agree with this judgement. ‘Our teachers are great and they make lessons fun,’ stated one pupil.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Since the last inspection, good progress has been made in improving teaching and especially in the way in which teachers effectively use assessment, recording and tracking information on their pupils to inform their planning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ questioning and subject knowledge are strong, which help to develop pupils’ learning effectively. In a good science lesson, pupils were exploring forces and groups worked independently. Through good questioning and dialogue, the teacher facilitated learning and extended the pupils’ understanding.  In a small number of lessons, however, teachers do not always fully ensure that support staff assisting groups are aware of the learning expectations and so progress for that group may not be as good as for the others in the class.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching which is good and increasingly outstanding is leading to good and sometimes outstanding progress for the children. This is especially so in developing their confidence, social and independent learning skills. In one outstanding reading lesson, the teacher totally engaged and enthused the children. The excellent use of actions, constant extension of language to explore both what had happened and to predict what they thought was going to happen, ensured that all the children made excellent progress. Discussion with the children later revealed just how much they had enjoyed the story as they explained how they were going on a similar journey on their imaginary train.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and carers, pupils and all the staff feel that behaviour is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe and are aware of the different forms of bullying. They have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe on the internet. ‘In school our computers are protected and I asked my parents to protect my computer at home,’ stated one older pupil.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are courteous and polite, both with each other and adults alike, and generally have a positive attitude to learning, which is demonstrated in their above-average attendance. However, in a small number of lessons where pace slows a little, some minor disruption occurs and/or pupils are not fully on task. In most lessons, though, pupils are fully engaged and eager to accept the challenges set by their teachers. They concentrate well and persevere with their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There have been no reported incidents of bullying, racial abuse or exclusions. Pupils have a good understanding of the various different forms of bullying and are adamant that this does not happen in their school.

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The leadership and management are good

 All members of the leadership and management team have led the school effectively through a turbulent period and have ensured that it has improved in all areas since the last inspection. Capacity to improve further is good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governors and senior leadership team have utilised the new federation arrangements well to ensure added curriculum opportunities for the pupils, as well as providing greater professional development for the staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has a very positive relationship with the local authority, which ensures accuracy of data and assists in the performance management arrangements of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders and managers have a good understanding of what makes good teaching and have managed this effectively; resulting in teaching that is consistently good.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle managers are now more effective and have clear responsibility for their subjects and key areas. They all use data on pupils’ progress to monitor performance and this has helped to raise standards.

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The leadership and management are good

 Performance management systems are used effectively to improve and challenge staff, which in turn is a key element in overall school improvement.  Although the school has only recently received its pupil premium funding for certain pupils, the plans for its use are robust. For example, some will be utilised to provide one-to-one support from specially trained support staff in key language skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is creative, imaginative and well matched to the pupils’ interests. Laptop computers are utilised well to both enhance and extend learning through programmes produced by the school itself for specific groups. This has the effect of providing greater accuracy of match to the pupils’ abilities as well as creating further enjoyment. As one pupil stated, ‘We do things that relate to our lives and that makes it more interesting and fun.’

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The leadership and management are good

 Although a small rural school, the pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding is good. This is due to the close links with the dioceses and other religious groups. Senior leaders and managers monitor the curriculum effectively to ensure that it enables pupils to make continuous progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  provides robust challenge and support for the school, based on accurate and well- scrutinised information  has provided strategic leadership during a turbulent period for the school  ensures procedures for child protection and safeguarding are all robust and members carry out their statutory duties well  makes certain that targets for the headteacher and school as a whole are challenging yet realistic, which helps support the school’s upward trend.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 125639 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 402342

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School details

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

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School details

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 47 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jeremy Chatwin Headteacher Janet Clough Date of previous school inspection 19 January 2010 Telephone number 01789 840211 Fax number 01789 840211 Email address head3040@we-learn.com guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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,

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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