Shepeau Stow Primary School

Shepeau Stow Primary School Dowsdale Bank, Shepeau Stow, Spalding, PE12 0TX

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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.  Good leadership from the headteacher has resulted in better teaching and learning since the last inspection.  Standards are rising and are now above average by the end of Year 6.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress because they are well taught and are keen to do well.  Teachers expect high standards of work and behaviour, and give pupils interesting and demanding activities in lessons.  Reception children make a good start to their education and the improved outdoor area is helping them to learn faster.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in and out of lessons. They feel safe in school, and pupils of all ages mix well.  The local authority has provided good support, which has made a strong contribution to the school’s improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not always make good progress because of some inconsistencies in teaching.  Teachers do not always provide pupils with clear enough guidance about what they need to do to improve their work.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in different subjects.  Not all pupils understand enough about how to use the internet safely.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited nine lessons.  He held discussions with pupils, teachers, the executive headteacher, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector examined a range of documents, including a summary of the school’s self- evaluation, school improvement plan, and policies aimed at keeping pupils safe.  The views of 18 parents and carers were analysed through the Parent View website. The inspector also spoke informally to parents and carers to seek their views about the school.  The views expressed by eight staff who returned questionnaires were considered.

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Inspection team

Keith Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  All of the pupils are from White British backgrounds and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at ‘school action’ is above the national average.  The proportion who are supported at ‘school action plus’ or have a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding provided to the school, is similar to that found in most schools.  The school entered a ‘hard’ federation with Gedney Hill CE Primary School in September 2012. This means that the executive headteacher leads both schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good or outstanding teaching and speed up pupils’ progress further by:  providing consistently clear feedback to pupils about how they can improve their work  giving younger pupils easily understood targets for their learning  keeping a more consistent check on pupils’ learning in lessons so that misunderstandings can be corrected  raising the profile of reading as a pleasurable activity  providing more opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills in different subjects  increasing pupils’ understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards are above average by the end of Year 6. This is higher than at the time of the last inspection. They are rising because pupils benefit from more good teaching than was previously the case.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is good. Across the school, most pupils made better than expected progress last year. Improved teaching this year is ironing out earlier dips in a few pupils’ progress and successfully closing the gap in standards.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well. Teachers make sure that work is planned carefully to meet their needs. These pupils also receive good support from the other adults who help them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils for whom the school receives extra government funding such as the pupil premium make good progress. They benefit from good support in lessons and around the school that promotes their learning and confidence.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress is good across a range of subjects. For example, high-quality specialist teaching in music enables pupils to read and perform pieces of music confidently and skilfully.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils learn to read at a good pace and reach above average standards by Year 6. This is because the teaching of early reading skills has improved through an increased emphasis on phonics (linking letters and sounds). While pupils access a wide range of materials in the course of lessons, they are not always encouraged sufficiently to read for pleasure.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils use their reading and writing skills well to help them learn in other subjects. For example, older pupils write persuasively about local environmental issues. Opportunities for pupils to use their mathematics skills in other subjects are more limited.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The oldest pupils benefit from consistently good teaching. As a result of this, Year 6 pupils last year achieved the school’s best results for a number of years. Pupils currently in Year 6 are on track to match this success.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Older pupils have a good understanding of the targets they are set by their teachers. Younger pupils are not so sure: this means that they are not always clear about the next steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Improvements to teaching are contributing to pupils’ better progress. Successful training has improved the accuracy and effectiveness of teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress, and the match of work to meet their needs. Teachers’ knowledge and confidence in teaching early reading skills have also improved.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. Rewards and sanctions are clear and are well understood by pupils. As a result, lessons run smoothly and learning is very rarely interrupted.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching in Reception means that children make good progress. The adults work well together to provide an interesting range of activities indoors and outside. The outdoor area, a weakness at the last inspection, is now used well, particularly to promote children’s social and physical development.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Across the school, teachers meet the challenge of planning for classes of mixed ages and abilities. They match the work well to pupils’ differing needs. As a result, more-able pupils are challenged well, and those who need extra help get it.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use a wide range of strategies, resources and groupings to make learning stimulating and interesting. Pupils are often encouraged to discuss their ideas with a partner, and this works well. Teachers make good use of interactive whiteboards to make their explanations clear.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All of the adults who support pupils’ learning work well together. Teaching assistants make a strong contribution, particularly to those pupils who find learning difficult. They provide sensitive and effective support in lessons and for groups withdrawn from the classroom.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers generally question well to gauge pupils’ understanding. Any misconceptions are dealt with quickly. On a few occasions, teachers do not keep a close enough check and pupils’ misunderstandings go unnoticed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The best marking is in the oldest class. Here, pupils are given a clear picture of how well they have done and what needs to improve. Elsewhere, although pupils’ success is celebrated, they are not always given enough information about how to take the next steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A very few parents and carers noted that they were not satisfied with the setting of homework. The school has acknowledged this. Appropriate steps are being taken to ensure that suitable work is set for pupils’ age and stage of development.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. This has been important in the school’s improvement. They enjoy everything the school offers and take part whole-heartedly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships are positive throughout the school. Pupils listen carefully to adults and to each other. Their enjoyment of school is reflected in above-average attendance levels.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school is calm and purposeful. The few pupils who present challenging behaviour are well managed by staff and there is very little disruption to learning. The parents and carers who offered views raised no concerns about pupils’ behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are punctual and break-times end promptly so that lessons start on time. During lessons, pupils usually move from one activity to another swiftly and sensibly. As a result, there is no wasted time.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Older pupils take their extra responsibilities very seriously. They enjoy helping younger children during assemblies and by acting as play leaders at lunchtime. The school council is influential and has raised considerable amounts of money for charities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe, and parents and carers agree. They appreciate the way that staff look after them and the steps taken to keep them safe, such as the new perimeter fencing. Pupils play energetically, but with a strong regard for each other’s safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides lessons on how to stay safe when out and about. As a result, pupils understand the dangers presented in a variety of situations. They are less sure about how to keep themselves safe when using the internet, and what to do if they discover something untoward.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In all other respects, pupils have a secure understanding of different forms bullying can take. They say that instances are very rare and they are confident that staff would deal well with any situations that arose. The school records these rare occurrences and the action taken conscientiously.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong leadership has been central to the school’s improvement. The success gained so far in improving teaching and learning shows that it is well placed to continue to improve. Staff and governors share the clear sense of direction and ambition of the executive headteacher.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s evaluation of its work is robust and frank. As a result, leaders know what needs to improve next. Areas for improvement are tackled rigorously and the impact of their work is measured regularly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s federation with another local school has started well, but it is too soon to judge any impact on pupils’ achievement. Staff are beginning to share their expertise across both schools. Plans are in hand to increase the leadership role of all staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 Support from the local authority has helped to improve learning. It has been particularly effective in improving provision in Reception and increasing the staff’s knowledge of the teaching of letters and sounds.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  has improved considerably since the last inspection and is now well placed to hold leaders to account for the school’s performance  ensures good use of finances such as the pupil premium  makes a strong contribution to the school’s development, including the inception of the federation  uses its expertise well to help staff to improve the pupils’ education.

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The leadership and management are good

 A close check is kept on pupils’ progress. Any pupil at risk of underachieving is given the support necessary to catch up. As a result, almost all pupils made at least the expected progress last year, and a good proportion made better than expected progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders recognise that there are still inconsistencies in teaching and learning to be ironed out. Nevertheless, they manage the performance of teachers well. All adults in school are held to account for pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents and carers support the school’s work, and many pointed to its improvement. They find staff approachable and are confident that any concerns will be listened to and acted upon. A very few feel that they sometimes receive notice of school events too late.  The school provides a broad range of interesting and enjoyable topics. There are good opportunities for pupils to use their literacy skills in a range of different subjects, but fewer opportunities to use their mathematical skills. Music is a particularly strong subject, and makes good use of specialists to encourage high standards.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are able to join in with a good range of activities beyond lessons. This contributes positively to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Good steps are taken to ensure that all groups of pupils are fully included.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets requirements for safeguarding. The school is in the process of updating its website to include information for parents and carers about how it is using the extra government funding it receives through the pupil premium.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 120422 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 401935

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 68 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Goose Headteacher Alison Buddle Date of previous school inspection 24 June 2010 Telephone number 01406 330395 Fax number 01406 330395 Email address enquiries@shepeaustow.lincs.sch.uk 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, please

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School details

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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