Corby Glen Community Primary School

Corby Glen Community Primary School Station Road, Corby Glen, Grantham, NG33 4NW

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  This is a good and improving school. Pupils achieve well and leave Year 6 with standards well above those expected for their age.  Teaching is good overall and enables pupils of different abilities to make good progress from their starting points.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school and their behaviour and attitudes to learning are outstanding. Pupils also have a very good understanding of how to stay safe.  Staff care for pupils very well and relationships at all levels are warm, friendly and supportive.  Partnerships with families and the local community are strong.  The school offers a broad and varied range of learning experiences and activities, which excite and enthuse pupils and fully meet their needs.  Good leadership is having a positive impact on teaching quality and pupils’ achievement. The headteacher has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

monitors the performance of staff effectively.  The highly skilled and experienced governing body are committed to supporting the improvement of the school and offer a good level of challenge to school leaders.  Pupils’ attendance is well-above average and continues to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ achievement in writing in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is not strong enough.  Leaders’ plans to improve the school are not as sharply focused on improving pupils’ progress as they could be.  Although teaching is good, opportunities are missed to check how well pupils make progress in lessons. As a result, teaching is not always adjusted to fully meet individual pupils’ needs.  Not all teachers receive enough training to help their practice to become outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons, taught by five teachers, two of which were held jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also made short visits to several classes to observe phonics (the sounds that letters make) being taught.  Discussions were held with the headteacher and other school leaders, two groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body, and a professional partner working on behalf of the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work, heard pupils read and scrutinised pupils’ work. He looked at a number of documents, including the school development plan, attendance data, safeguarding checks, minutes of the governing body meetings and school monitoring and assessment data.  The inspector took account of the 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). He also spoke to parents and carers on the school playground as they brought their children to

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Inspection team

Jeremy Spencer, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller school than others of the same type.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those from families in the armed forces) is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is broadly average, as is the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of one Reception class, which also includes some Year 1 pupils. The other classes in the school are a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class, a mixed Year 3 and Year 4 class, a mixed Year 4 and Year 5 class and a mixed Year 5 and Year 6 class.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  No pupils are taught in alternative provision.  A breakfast and after-school club operate privately on the school site but are subject to separate inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ progress, particularly in writing in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, and improve the quality of teaching by:  ensuring that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have more frequent opportunities to develop early writing skills  ensuring that pupils are given more frequent opportunities to write at length in different subjects and topics  introducing short, sharply focused lessons to develop pupils’ grammar and punctuation skills  improving the quality of teachers’ assessments of how well pupils are learning in lessons, so that teaching activities can be better adapted to meet the needs of individuals.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by:  ensuring that all actions in school improvement plans are linked more closely to the impact they are intended to make on pupils’ learning and progress  ensuring that arrangements to check the impact of the leaders’ actions on pupils’ learning and progress are monitored more closely by the governing body  ensuring that there are more frequent opportunities for staff to undertake appropriate professional development activities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children currently in the Reception class demonstrate knowledge and skills above those normally expected for their age. However, children’s knowledge and skills upon entry to the school vary considerably from year to year. Children make good progress during their time in the Reception class but the progress they have made in developing writing skills in recent years has been much weaker than in other areas of learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make very good progress in developing reading and mathematics skills during Years 1 and 2. However, the development of their writing skills continues to be less strong. Between Years 3 and 6, pupils make excellent progress in developing reading, writing and mathematics skills. They leave Year 6 with standards well above those expected for their age and are well-prepared for the next phase of their education. This constitutes good progress from their starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 During the inspection, pupils were observed making good progress in their learning, due to good teaching. Pupils’ strong enjoyment of learning underpins the good progress they make. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils were observed making good progress in developing their understanding of journalistic writing styles. They thoroughly enjoyed interviewing and challenging each other, using a ‘hot-seat’ technique.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 ‘The school has turned my child’s world around.’ These were the words of a parent whose child has special educational needs. The parent rightly recognises the effective support the school provides to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, which enables them to make good progress in learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils supported through the pupil premium also make good progress because staff ensure that their needs are well met through timely intervention and guidance.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils are usually challenged well by staff, and, as a result, some make outstanding progress, particularly in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in developing other key skills. For example, they demonstrate very good social skills and also an appreciation of different cultures and faiths. Pupils enjoyed telling the inspector about their recent visits from an ‘African drumming expert.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 The large majority of parents and carers, who responded to the inspection questionnaire, believe that the quality of teaching is good and inspection evidence supports this view. Good teaching over time has enabled pupils to make good progress from their starting points. Most parents and carers also believe that the staff communicate with them well, and forge good partnerships.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, there are currently too few opportunities for pupils to develop mark-making and early writing skills outdoors.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers question pupils well during lessons and this successfully extends their thinking. However, teachers sometimes talk for too long at the beginning of lessons and rely too much on individual pupils to volunteer answers to their questions. This means that some pupils can, on occasion, become passive learners. Sometimes teachers do not check pupils’ work frequently enough during lessons, to make sure that the level of challenge in learning activities is just right for each individual.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers consistently ensure that they plan exciting and engaging learning activities for pupils. They use information and communication technology (ICT) to good effect, and ensure that a stimulating range of computer programmes, games and websites bring learning to life for pupils. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 were observed enjoying and making good progress in an ICT lesson where they used digital cameras and animation software to simulate the earth’s movement around the sun.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers mark pupils’ books to a high standard and include helpful comments to support pupils’ understanding of the next steps in learning they need to take. Inspectors found that most pupils take notice of their teachers’ comments and improve their work as a result. Older pupils know the levels they are working at in reading, writing and mathematics and also know what they need to focus on as a target to achieve the next level.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers do not always plan enough opportunities for pupils to write at length in different topics and subjects, in order to consolidate their writing skills. Neither is enough time spent developing pupils’ grammar and punctuation skills, particularly for younger pupils. This slows the progress pupils make in developing writing skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils demonstrate impeccable manners and behaviour around different areas of the school. This is because staff have very high expectations of pupils and because the school successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Their attitudes to learning in lessons are excellent, with only very occasional dips in concentration occurring when teachers talk for too long at the beginning of lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are extremely proud to play their part in helping the school to run smoothly, for example through their work as ‘playground leaders’ and through their contributions to the pupil council.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Staff ensure that pupils are frequently reminded about the importance of safety. Consequently, pupils understand very well how to keep themselves safe in a broad range of contexts. Older pupils have an excellent understanding of the safe use of ICT and the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and also have a very well-developed understanding of the different types of bullying that can occur. They say that bullying very rarely takes place in the school, and that if it does ever occur, the staff resolve issues quickly, fairly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s strategies to promote good attendance, and pupils’ strong enjoyment of school life, successfully combine to ensure that attendance is above average and continues to improve strongly and securely.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads her staff effectively and has an accurate overview of the school’s performance. Her supportive and caring leadership style permeates through all areas of the school, right through to the pupils themselves, and this defines the school’s ethos. Resources are used efficiently and effectively in order to secure good outcomes for pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Other leaders in the school play an active role. However, they do not have as much impact on improving the school as they could do, because their improvement plans do not focus sufficiently on successful outcomes for pupils. This makes it difficult for other leaders, including the governing body, to accurately measure the success of their actions.

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The leadership and management are good

 There are not enough opportunities for some staff, particularly those who are less experienced, to undertake professional development to help them to improve their teaching to become outstanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum has been overhauled and improved since the last inspection. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to write at length in different topics or subjects. This slows the progress they make in practising and developing writing skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils appreciate the broad and varied range of learning topics, and also the excellent range of lunchtime and after-school clubs, including gymnastics, gardening, and American line dancing, that they are able to attend. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the school’s ‘Shine Week’, during which they are able to select from a range of activities, including golf, to try and find a new skill or talent. Good links are made with the local community, for example, through the school’s contributions to a parish magazine.

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The leadership and management are good

 Professional partners working on behalf of the local authority have provided ‘bought-in’ support for the school. They have supported the school’s leaders well, particularly in helping to refine the school’s systems to track the progress that pupils make.

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The leadership and management are good

 The good performance of different groups of pupils, including those in mixed-age classes, indicate that leaders promote equality of opportunity well. Discussions with pupils, and with parents and carers, indicate that there are no signs of any discrimination.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leaders have made good improvements since the last inspection, particularly in developing the curriculum, improving pupils’ behaviour and in raising pupils’ attendance. This indicates that the school has good capacity to continue to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Representatives of the governing body are highly skilled, enthusiastic and experienced, and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school very well. They make regular visits to the school for discussions with staff and to view the school’s work. They understand data and how the school is doing in relation to similar schools. Consequently, they are able to use their knowledge, skills and understanding to provide school leaders with a good level of challenge. They know about the quality of teaching and have a good overview of the school’s systems to manage the performance of staff, including what is being done to recognise and reward good teachers. They also understand and successfully hold the school to account for how it spends pupil premium funding to support targeted pupils. Governors ensure that they themselves receive high quality professional training to develop their roles further.

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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 120374 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 403434

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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 107 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Neil Greenfield Headteacher Vanessa Atter Date of previous school inspection 9 July 2008 Telephone number 01476 550260 Fax number 01476 550260 Email address enquiries@corbyglen.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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