St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School

St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School Chester Street, Rugby, CV21 3NX

p.1

Overall effectiveness

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

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Not all pupils achieve well enough in mathematics because, until recently, they did not make enough progress.  In Year 6, pupils do not have mathematics lessons every day and this slows progress.  Although improvements in teaching are accelerating pupils’ progress, more-able pupils do not always make as much progress as they should when they are set work that is too easy, particularly at the beginning of Key Stage 2.  Not all teachers make sure that pupils, especially girls, are doing their best.  Although teachers’ marking has improved, especially in literacy, it is not consistent enough in mathematics.  Senior leaders and governors keep regular checks on the quality of teaching but do not always focus carefully enough on the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning.  Several subject leaders are new to their posts and do not yet have the skills to know whether progress is good enough in their subjects.  The school has the right priorities for raising

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

attainment but it does not measure their success precisely enough.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 because they are taught well.  Attainment in writing has improved because more is expected of pupils.  Attendance is much improved.  The school copes particularly well with pupils who arrive from overseas with little English.  Most pupils behave well, feel safe and treat each other with respect and care. Pupils’ personal development is a strength.  The headteacher has brought much needed stability and her strong leadership is the major driving force behind recent improvement.  Senior leaders and governors work together well to tackle weaknesses. Inspection report: St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, 13–14 December 2012 2 of 9

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with pupils, representatives of the governing body and local authority, and staff, including senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors took account of 10 responses to the online Parent View. They spoke with parents and carers informally, took note of the school’s parent questionnaire results and other written comments received during the inspection.  Inspectors observed the work of the school. They looked at a range of documentation, including information about pupils’ progress. They also looked at child protection and safeguarding procedures.

p.2

Inspection team

Kath Campbell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Pat Finegan Additional Inspector Jackie Pentlow Additional Inspector Inspection report: St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, 13–14 December 2012 3 of 9

p.2

Information about this school

 St Andrew Benn’s is an above average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including those who speak English as an additional language, is approximately twice the national average. An increasing number of pupils join the school from overseas at different times throughout the school year.  An above-average proportion of the pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action and at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2011.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency of teaching in Key Stage 2 and increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching by:  making sure that teachers check that all groups of pupils, especially girls, work as hard as they should  setting consistently demanding work, especially for the more-able pupils, and particularly at the beginning of Key Stage 2  sharing and learning from the good practice that exists within the school.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in mathematics, particularly in Key Stage 2, by making sure that:  teachers have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve  mathematics teaching in Year 6 is organised more effectively so that pupils make good progress  marking follows the good example set in literacy and is used more effectively to accelerate learning.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by making sure that:  senior leaders and governors check more precisely on the progress of different groups of pupils  more precise and timely targets are set for measuring how much of an impact the school’s priorities for improvement are having on pupils’ learning  subject leaders gain the skills they need to know whether standards are high enough in their subjects. Inspection report: St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, 13–14 December 2012 4 of 9

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2012, attainment in Year 6 was low, especially in mathematics, because pupils underachieved. The progress, particularly of girls, was slow. Expectations were not high enough and pupils did not produce enough work. Staffing disruption, combined with almost a third of the class being made up of pupils who joined the school late, contributed to the low standards.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The current picture is much improved. Better quality teaching and greater staffing stability have seen a rise in standards. Attainment in writing in Key Stage 1 has risen markedly to broadly average. Pupils have more opportunities to have a go at writing by themselves. Pupils in Key Stage 2 have gained greater confidence to write at length. Although many older pupils are still catching up, they are now working at below, rather than well below average levels.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment in reading is rising but is not yet at average levels. Reading is now a very important feature of school life, and pupils’ reading skills are developed systematically year on year. The teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) is effective and gives younger pupils the confidence to work out unfamiliar words. Children in the Nursery class love books. Older pupils recognise the importance of being able to read well and talk knowledgeably about, for example, The Lady of Shalott poem that they are working on in class.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Mathematics has taken a back seat while raising attainment in English was the main priority. It is the weakest subject in both key stages, particularly in Key Stage 2. In Year 6, gaps between lessons slow progress because pupils waste time recalling past work. The school has introduced many new ways to help pupils improve and has brought in experts to work alongside teachers. Although it is too early to see the full impact, current work shows encouraging signs that pupils now make better progress, although there is some way further to go before progress is good.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the Nursery with skills that are well below the levels expected nationally for their age. Several children have weak speech and language skills and many children newly arrived from overseas speak very little English. Through good teaching, all children achieve well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and move into Year 1 with skills that are below, rather than well below expected levels.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Good achievement continues in Key Stage 1 because pupils are taught well. The funding for pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium and those who are disabled or who have special educational needs is used effectively to accelerate learning in this key stage.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupil premium funding has also been used effectively in Key Stage 2 to maintain current staffing levels so that pupils in need of extra individual help do not fall behind. It allows these pupils to achieve as well as others and also helps pupils from overseas to settle quickly.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it is not consistent enough to make sure that progress is good. Its quality has improved over the past year, with much of the teaching seen during the inspection being judged good.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, particularly in Key Stage 2, were very clear when inspectors looked at pupils’ past and present work. All too often, teachers accepted careless mistakes and did not provide sufficient challenge for more-able pupils. Work in Year 3 did not Inspection report: St Andrew Benn’s CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School 13–14 December 2012 5 of 9

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

always build on what pupils had learnt in Year 2.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In lessons that require improvement, teachers do not always make the most effective use of adults who help pupils. They talk for too long to the whole class, leaving little time for pupils to practise skills independently. More-able pupils waste time doing work that is too easy before moving on to harder activities. These weaknesses are most noticeable in mathematics lessons.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers use targets more effectively than in the past to help pupils improve. Most pupils know the level they are expected to reach by the end of the academic year. Marking in English is of good quality and pupils know exactly what they need to do to improve. Marking is not as effective in mathematics because it does not always help pupils to move their learning forward.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is consistently good in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Adults work together well as a team and provide the right level of help so that children make good gains in their learning.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Where teaching is at its strongest, the pace of lessons is brisk and no time is wasted moving between activities. Year 2 pupils were seen totally engrossed in their work when using coins to make up amounts of money. They made rapid progress because they enjoyed the practical nature of the activities.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Extra funding has been used well to increase staffing levels so that pupils who are in danger of falling behind receive highly effective individual help. There is good evidence to show that this extra support is beginning to narrow the gap between the attainment of these pupils and others. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning English make rapid progress because they receive high-quality individual attention.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is good in lessons and around school. Pupils of all ages care a great deal about each other. Playtimes are harmonious social occasions.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage recognise the importance of developing children’s personal and social skills. They do this very well and make sure that, right from the start, children learn how to work and play together amicably.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes towards their work and are very proud of their school. They enjoy each other’s success and know that they are part of a very caring community. The Nativity play was a particularly good example of how well pupils join together to show the school at its best.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Adults manage behaviour well and handle the few pupils whose behaviour is challenging with a good level of consistency. Families appreciate the help that they receive and value the way in which the school nurtures pupils who are at risk of not doing well.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Incidents of racism and bullying are very rare. In discussion, pupils are very clear that any inappropriate behaviour is dealt with swiftly and effectively. Pupils show a secure understanding of how to stay safe, including when using computers and the internet. Safeguarding procedures meet government requirements.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is currently close to average. There has been a significant improvement since the previous inspection. Exclusions have also reduced dramatically, thanks chiefly to the effective work of the learning mentor and family support worker. Inspection report: St Andrew Benn’s CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School 13–14 December 2012 6 of 9

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The appointment of a new headteacher in 2011 brought stability after a period of considerable staffing turmoil, particularly at senior level. Staffing disruptions had an adverse impact on standards and did not allow the school to move forward at a fast enough pace.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The ways in which the school measures the progress of pupils are improving but do not always focus enough on whether individual pupils are doing as well as they should. Similarly, monitoring sometimes focuses too much on the features of teaching and not enough on learning. Success is not always measured precisely enough by how much pupils’ attainment has risen.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school is in the process of developing the skills of subject leaders new to their posts so that they have a clearer view of progress in their subjects. The checks on the quality of learning for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are good.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The relatively new senior leadership team is now moving the school on at a faster rate. Staff morale is high and everyone is working with a sense of urgency to raise attainment. The school values adults and pupils as individuals and is becoming increasingly effective in removing barriers to learning so that all pupils have an equal chance of success.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Teachers have far greater responsibility than in the past for the standards pupils achieve. The ways in which the school checks teachers’ performance are more rigorous and are the main reason for the rise in the quality of teaching. These arrangements have been strengthened by the governing body so that staff are not rewarded unless they are successful in helping pupils to make at least good progress.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school provides a suitable range of activities that motivates pupils well. The opportunities on offer add greatly to pupils’ enjoyment of school. Extra activities, ranging from looking after the school chickens to taking part in a high-profile concert at the indoor arena in Birmingham, contribute much to pupils’ good spiritual, social, moral and cultural development.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority knows the school well and reviews its quality regularly. The good-quality help it has given, combined with invaluable support from headteachers of partner schools and other agencies, has resulted in, for example, the rise in attainment in writing.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  As a relatively new team working together, the governing body has made a good start in its efforts to make sure that pupils do as well as they should. The governing body is strongly led and well organised. The Chair of the Governing Body has a very secure grasp of what needs to be done. Governors are careful that they keep up-to-date with training requirements on important matters such as child protection and safeguarding. They have a monitoring programme and the recent ‘Challenge and Support Plan’ provides a good framework for greater governor involvement. However, ways of checking are new and it is too soon to measure their impact on pupils’ learning. The governing body has made sure that pupil premium is used wisely by, for example, employing a family support worker to help pupils at risk of not doing well. Inspection report: St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, 13–14 December 2012 7 of 9

p.6

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

p.7

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. Inspection report: St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, 13–14 December 2012 8 of 9

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 130877 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 406385

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 292 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Farnell Headteacher Abigail Huggins Date of previous school inspection 29 September 2010 Telephone number 01788 574697 Fax number 01788 574697 Email address admin3591@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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9