Robert Arkenstall Primary School

Robert Arkenstall Primary School Camping Close, High Street, Ely, CB6 3UA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  Teaching is almost always good, and occasionally outstanding. Teachers are highly enthusiastic and dedicated. They plan lessons well and use their good knowledge to make sure that the tasks pupils do are interesting.  Most pupils make good progress, especially in reading and writing, and they reach above- average standards.  The support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good and sometimes outstanding. This means they are helped to play a full part in all aspects of school life and they, too, make good progress.  Handwriting is a strong feature throughout the school and the work in pupils’ books is a pleasure to read because of the excellent presentation.  Relationships are good and pupils like their teachers. They behave well and feel safe in school.  Senior leaders and the governors work well together to check how well pupils are doing, and have given teachers good training to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improve their teaching. As a result standards are rising.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in mathematics is not quite as strong as in reading and writing.  In lessons, pupils are not always moved on to new work as soon as they are ready to do so.  Teachers are only just starting to observe each other’s lessons, and are not always clear about what makes teaching outstanding.  Not enough more-able pupils reach the very highest levels they are capable of, because their work is not always hard enough.  The way senior leaders check the quality of teaching does not always take enough account of the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 29 lessons taught by 13 teachers. Some of these observations were done together with senior leaders from the school. Inspectors also observed parts of sessions to support disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Meetings were held with senior leaders and subject leaders, governors and groups of pupils. There was a telephone discussion with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the work pupils were doing in lessons and looked at the work they have done over time, in their books and their learning logs. Pupils read to inspectors and explained how their targets help them to make progress.  During free time and at the start of the day, pupils spoke informally to inspectors. Parents also gave their views at the start and end of the school day and 82 had responded to the online survey for Ofsted, Parent View; these responses were also considered.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors reviewed and evaluated a range of school documentation, including safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection team

Andrew Saunders, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sherry Gladwin Additional Inspector Margaret Louisy Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized school that has some mixed-age classes in all year groups.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs varies between year groups, and in some it is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above average. The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is below average. This includes those who have been eligible for free school meals, children looked after by the local authority, and those with a parent who serves in the armed forces.  Most pupils are White British. There are a very few pupils from a wide range of other ethnic heritages.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, by:  giving teachers more opportunities to share best practice and work together to give pupils consistently outstanding learning experiences  keeping the explanations at the start of all lessons short so that pupils have more time to do the tasks set for them.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve progress in mathematics, particularly for more-able pupils, by:  giving these pupils more demanding tasks, and encouraging them to get on with their own work as soon as they know what they need to do.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Making sure all teachers know what outstanding teaching looks like, and what they need to do to reach this level, by:  refining the way teaching and learning are checked and followed up, so it is always closely focused on the progress that pupils make and linked to the key areas leaders have identified to improve the whole school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By the end of Year 6, pupils reach levels of attainment which are above average, particularly in reading and writing. While attainment in mathematics is also above average, it is not as strong. The proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding the expected levels compares favourably with national figures. From their starting points, this represents good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join the school in Reception with skills and knowledge which are broadly at the levels expected for their age. The excellent routines, well-trained staff and high-quality resources mean that children quickly develop their enthusiasm for learning and make a good start in developing their skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 During lessons, pupils typically make good progress because they are given work that is just hard enough for them, and their positive attitudes mean they are keen to get on with it. Occasionally some of the more-able pupils find the work too easy and finish it quickly, so they do not make as much progress as they are capable of. These pupils are given special opportunities to tackle very demanding problems during theme days or trips, which they greatly enjoy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The work in pupils’ books shows that many make outstanding progress in reading and writing, but progress in mathematics is not always as good. The school has taken action to improve the quality of teaching in mathematics by looking at how it is taught particularly well in other schools. The focus on making sure all teachers use the same approaches and parents are helped to understanding them, as well as purchasing new resources, is helping to improve progress in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The previous gap in the performance of boys and girls has been tackled and is closing quickly. Teachers still miss some opportunities to ensure that boys are as fully involved in some lessons, to maximise their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are helped and guided by teaching assistants who are very well trained in understanding their particular needs and encouraging them to be as independent as possible. Consequently they make good progress in developing their skills in communicating, reading, writing and mathematics. Helpful resources are provided wherever possible to keep them interested and involved in learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium benefit from additional adult support, enrichment activities such as educational visits and ‘booster’ groups to support their personal development. This helps them to develop their confidence and make good progress so their attainment is above the levels reached nationally by this group.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Almost all teaching is at least good, and some is outstanding. Teachers have an excellent rapport with the pupils, expect high levels of work and behaviour, and use their good knowledge of the subjects they are teaching to carefully plan lessons. Teachers are keen to share ideas, but are not always confident about what makes teaching outstanding because they have only recently started to observe each other’s lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants use probing questions to check how well pupils understand what they have been learning, and increasingly use the results to adapt their explanations and set appropriate targets for pupils. There is a strong sense of purpose in lessons because adults help pupils to be as independent as possible, and expect them to try things for themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There are some occasions when teachers’ explanations go on for too long. This particularly affects the more-able pupils, who are quite often ready to get on with the work planned for them with only a brief explanation, but do not have enough time to complete it.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers all follow the same effective approach to the teaching of how to link sounds and letters (phonics). As a result, pupils quickly become confident readers and use these skills well to help them learn. The teaching of handwriting is a passion of the staff, and is exemplary. Consequently pupils’ writing in their class books and learning logs is highly impressive. Another strength is the teaching of music, which develops a love of singing for the pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking of books is also of a very high quality across the school. Teachers make sure that pupils are encouraged by recognising what they have achieved, and know what they need to do next. Pupils are now in the habit of responding to this marking, and appreciate that the teachers notice this and follow it up with a further comment. Pupils also help to decide when they have reached their targets.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils love choosing the work they want to do for their learning logs. These books, where pupils record the work they do at home or in their own time, show that pupils are confident using a wide range of skills including writing, reading, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The gap between boys and girls, particularly in writing, is being tackled by a range of initiatives including new, exciting experiences to start some of the topics. Teachers also focus on getting pupils to talk about their ideas before writing them down, a strategy that boys say helps them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in lessons is typically good, and is outstanding at times because pupils enjoy being at school, like the work the teachers give them to do, and work together cooperatively. They readily do what is asked of them and are keen to get their work right. They are very proud of their handwriting, with good reason.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is not yet outstanding because pupils do not always maintain this for themselves during free times, when they can become boisterous. Occasionally their games can become too lively. These issues are quickly dealt with by the adults supervising them, but a few pupils do not always think about the consequences of their actions without being reminded.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very reflective about their work whenever they are given the opportunity, and during an assembly they enthusiastically celebrated the excellent work some pupils had done. This is also evident in their thoughtful responses to the comments in teachers’ marking. However, in class pupils do not always have enough opportunities to give each other feedback about their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average. Many parents said they do not have any problem getting their children to school and that they get plenty of information about how well their children are doing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils show great care for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, or anyone who is finding things difficult. They are kind and help with special arrangements to support disabled pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, particularly because of their visit to Ely Fire Station, where they thought about a wide range of emergencies and dangerous situations, and what was the best thing to do in these circumstances. They also know what to do to keep themselves safe on the internet, and to stop or prevent cyber-bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils said that bullying does not usually happen at their school, although they know a lot about it because of the work the school has done. They are aware of different forms of bullying, and feel confident that if any does happen and they tell an adult about it, it will be dealt with quickly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have made sure that teachers share the vision for the school, and have brought about significant improvements in the performance of boys and girls and those supported at school action and school action plus. They keep a close eye on how well pupils are doing, and discuss this with teachers so that all pupils are helped to make the good progress they should.

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The leadership and management are good

 Agreed approaches to specific issues, such as teaching phonics or mental mathematics, are carefully explained, put in place and then followed up. This means there is impressive consistency in areas that have been tackled, including the development of handwriting and the marking of books across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have accurate views about the quality of teaching because they monitor it and discuss their findings regularly. The results inform their decisions about teachers’ pay, to ensure that finances provide good value for money. However, their feedback to teachers following lesson observations is not always linked to the issues facing the school or overall development plans. At times, observations focus too much on what is being taught and the techniques used, rather than the impact these have on pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have tackled the previous decline in attainment in mathematics successfully by buying new resources and practical equipment for pupils to use to explore mathematical ideas. They have explored the approaches used to teach mathematics elsewhere, and have encouraged teachers to try out these new ideas.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers are given good opportunities to go on training courses or visit other schools with particularly effective approaches. This means they think carefully about how they teach and look for ways to improve what they do. They are beginning to observe each other teaching but this is at an early stage.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils study different subjects in interesting ‘topics’ so that the skills they are learning are quickly used in a range of contexts. The school is beginning to ask the pupils to give ideas about how they can do this even more.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has worked well with the school to identify best practice in other schools, particularly in mathematics, and to help pupils who have speech and language difficulties. It tracks the school’s performance and provides appropriate training courses.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear, accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, including how well it performs against similar schools nationally, because they ask probing questions and have had training to develop their understanding of the available data. They support the senior leaders in making sure that finances are used well, particularly to reward teachers with responsibilities and encourage the best teaching, and that the pupil premium funding has an impact on the achievement of the pupils it is intended for. Together with senior staff, the governors make sure that all the requirements to keep pupils safe are met and that staff are well trained to know what they can do to ensure this is so.

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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 110635 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 403126

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 265 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Fiona Brampton Headteacher Dominic Sharp Date of previous school inspection 7 February 2008 Telephone number 01353 740253 Fax number 01353 749556 Email address office@robertarkenstall.cambs.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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