Petersfield CofE Aided Primary School

Petersfield CofE Aided Primary School Hurdleditch Road, Orwell, Royston, SG8 5QG

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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.  Pupils’ achievement is good and most pupils, including those eligible for additional funding or who have special educational needs, make good progress.  Standards in English and mathematics are above average and have been consistently so in the last three years.  Reading is given high priority and is taught well. The youngest pupils quickly learn their letters and sounds and the oldest pupils become accomplished readers.  Most of the teaching is good and occasionally it is outstanding. There is a strong emphasis on pupils developing their communication, literacy and mathematical skills. Learning and progress are assessed regularly and tracked systematically.  Behaviour and safety are good and pupils get on well together. Pupils say they enjoy school and their attendance is above average.  The headteacher and senior staff lead and manage the school effectively. Teamwork among staff is good and all staff do their best

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to provide good quality care and support for pupils.  Good improvements have been made since the last inspection, particularly in the quality of provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in raising standards in mathematics.  The governing body keeps a check on how well the school is doing and is fully involved in planning for improvements.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Standards and progress in writing, although improving, are not as good as they are in reading and mathematics.  In some lessons the pace of work is not fast enough and teachers do not match work precisely enough to the different abilities of pupils in the class.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in each class and visited 12 lessons. Five observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector had meetings with staff, groups of pupils and three members of the governing body including the Chair of Governors. He also had a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a range of evidence including: the school’s self-evaluation and development plans; attainment and progress data; teachers’ planning; performance monitoring reports; and the school’s safeguarding arrangements. He also observed pupils’ behaviour and discussed this with pupils, looked at the work in pupils’ books and heard pupils from Years 1 and 2 reading.  The inspector took account of the 21 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the information on the views of parents provided by the school. He also met several parents informally at the end of the first day of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Rob McKeown, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average sized primary school, and pupils are taught in three single-age and two mixed-age classes.  Almost all pupils are White British.  Very few pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and pupils eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is about average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school holds the British Council International Schools award for its commitment to developing global partnerships.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen teaching further so that it is always good and a significant proportion of it is outstanding by:  speeding up the pace of learning and ensuring that tasks always match the abilities of every pupil in each class  teachers regularly checking the progress pupils make in lessons and ensuring the support provided by additional adults always meets the high level expected.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and boost achievement further in writing, so that results are in line with those in reading and mathematics, by:  going ahead with the planned changes to improve teaching and assessment in writing  speeding up the progress made by pupils in those year groups where writing standards are weaker  making sure that, in their monitoring of lessons, leaders focus on the teaching of writing and look at pupils’ books more regularly to check that progress is always good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills and abilities that are in line and sometimes above what might be expected, although this varies from year to year. The standards they reach by the time they leave in Year 6 represents good progress from their individual starting points. Most parents agree that their children are making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children get a good start in the Reception class. They learn quickly and make rapid progress in their early reading, writing and mathematics skills. They take part in a good range of stimulating activities across all the areas of learning expected of children of this age and gain the skills they need before they start in Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils continue to make good progress as they get older and the standards they reach at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics are above average. Pupils are well prepared for secondary school; last year pupils left Year 6 the equivalent of six months or more in front of where they should be, and a majority gained the higher Level 5 in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Last year’s results at the end of Year 6 and the school’s tracking data show that standards and progress in reading and mathematics are comparatively better than they are in writing. There is also some variability in progress in writing from year to year. This has prompted the school to take action to improve the teaching and assessment of writing to tackle any dips in progress and to raise standards further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is tracked thoroughly and shows that most make good progress, although there is some variability among older pupils. Well-constructed specific learning activities are provided for these pupils and are adjusted if progress slows down. The effective support provided for pupils with statements of special educational need enables them to enjoy school and learn successfully.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses its small amount of pupil premium funding to provide additional teaching support for pupils who need it. The very few pupils who qualify for additional funding make similar progress to all pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils leave the school with reading skills that are well above average. Reading is given high priority in all classes. The youngest children have a well-taught daily lesson, which focuses on learning phonics (the sounds that letters make). The oldest pupils say how much they enjoy reading, and are able to name their favourite authors and the types of books they prefer to read. There are also many opportunities in lessons for pupils to talk about their learning and this helps them to develop good oral communication skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils receive mostly good and occasionally outstanding teaching; this represents an improvement on the quality of teaching at the time of the last inspection. From lessons seen during the inspection and in the records from school and local authority observations, good teaching occurs in all classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers explain clearly to pupils what they are going to learn and how they can make their learning successful. Teachers’ lesson plans include their assessments of pupils’ work previously completed and learning activities organised for different ability groups. In Reception, there is a good balance of learning led by the teacher (for example mathematics work on doubling simple numbers) and opportunities for children to learn by themselves both indoors and outside, for example using their senses to investigate ice.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons, teachers ask probing questions to test pupils’ knowledge and understanding and give pupils the chance to explain their thinking. They also encourage pupils to discuss their ideas to help them to gather their thoughts before writing. For example, in Year 5 and 6 pupils used their discussions effectively to generate good ideas for writing speeches that would persuade an audience to adopt their point of view.

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The quality of teaching is good

 When teaching falls below good, it is because pupils are not learning fast enough or the work that they do is not at exactly the right level for them. There are occasions too, when teachers spend too long with one group and do not keep an eye on how much, or well, those working independently are doing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most lessons, the adults that are deployed to support pupils help to guide their learning successfully, although occasionally some pupils do not do enough for themselves. There is a clear system for recording the work the adults cover and this enables leaders to evaluate the success of their support. Pupils who receive full-time adult support are well served and learn successfully at the level appropriate for them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching across different subjects promotes pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils take their learning outside of school by visiting local places of interest. The additional teaching provided in mathematics in Key Stage 2 is successfully stretching the higher ability pupils and strengthening their calculation and problem solving skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking in pupils’ books follows the policy agreed by staff and teachers’ comments are helpful in letting pupils know what they have done well and how their work could be improved. More emphasis has been placed this year on sharpening the assessments made of pupils’ writing and evaluating the quality of writing across the different classes. Older pupils have helpful ‘learning- link books’ in which they record the homework they are to complete each week and their personal targets.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Year 6 pupils accurately describe behaviour as ‘generally good’ and most parents agree with this. Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning, and behave well in lessons. There are clear guidelines for staff for managing any behaviour that falls below the school’s expectations. These are applied well on the few occasions when individual pupils need reminding about what is expected.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils also behave well around the school. They move to and from assemblies in a quiet, orderly way and they listen attentively and sing together well. Pupils play energetically when outdoors and older pupils say that play has become more purposeful recently because they now have more equipment to play with.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe in school. In a discussion with Year 6 pupils, they were able to talk about their understanding of the different forms of bullying and how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They reported that bullying and any incidents of unacceptable behaviour are rare and they understand the code of conduct the school expects. The school records the very few incidents of poor behaviour or prejudice-based bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are expected to take responsibility and this they do well in the contributions they make around the school. Older pupils help to organise school activities, events and the music in assemblies. They show very positive attitudes when cooperating in class and caring attitudes when helping each other to learn.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Strong relationships between adults and pupils and good care and support are seen in all classes. The very good role models provided by members of staff in the Reception class help the youngest children to develop positive personal and social skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average and very few pupils have too much time away from school. The school keeps a close check on the attendance of individual pupils and follows up any incidents of prolonged or unexpected absence. It also sets challenging attendance targets and discusses pupils’ attendance with parents during progress meetings.

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The leadership and management are good

 The strength and resilience shown by the headteacher and other senior leaders have helped the school move forward well since its last inspection. Good improvements have been made in the quality of teaching, in standards in mathematics and in provision for children in Reception.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have an accurate understanding of how well the school is performing, and the priorities for improvement are identified in the current school improvement plan, including boosting achievement in writing. Pupils’ progress is tracked systematically through the collection of data and meetings are held each term with staff to discuss teachers’ assessments and to check if pupils are doing well enough.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher undertakes regular observations of teaching, which have helped to bring about improvements in the overall quality. Teachers have also benefited from opportunities to undertake training and work with leading practitioners from the local authority and other schools. This has enabled staff new to teaching to get off to a good start in their careers.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers are appraised for their performance and against targets, which include how much progress pupils make and the standards they reach. An appraisal of performance is also organised for the adults who work with teachers, but this does not include formally observing them at work with the pupils they support.

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The leadership and management are good

 The management of the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is well organised and systematic. Regular checks are made on how well these pupils are progressing. The part-time teacher responsible for managing this provision works closely with staff and parents to organise appropriate learning and support, although a very small minority of parents feel the school does not respond to their concerns quickly enough.

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The leadership and management are good

 All the adults at the school work well together in the best interest of the all the pupils. They promote equal opportunity and ensure that there is no discrimination. The safeguarding of pupils meets requirements and almost all parents believe that their children are safe at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Partnerships with most parents are good and the school’s improved website gives parents access to useful information on events, school policies, future plans and pupils’ achievements. There are also good links with other local schools and a strong partnership with the local authority, which has helped prompt the good improvements made since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body gives the headteacher and staff good support. It adopts a fair and rigorous approach to checking how well the school is doing and managing the performance of the headteacher. It oversees the appraisal of all other members of staff, including any changes in salary progression. Governors undertake training to improve their effectiveness. For example, training to broaden governors’ understanding of pupil progress data and how it compares with other schools. They keep a close check on the school’s finances, including how the school spends the money it gets for those pupils eligible for additional funding.

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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 110836 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 405306

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 116 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Colin Wilson Headteacher Amanda Tuck Date of previous school inspection 19 January 2011 Telephone number 01223 207382 Fax number 01223 208567 Email address head@petersfield.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

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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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