Studley Green Primary School

Studley Green Primary School Westfield Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 9JQ

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 Pupils make good progress. As they enter school, their attainment is very low. Many face significant barriers to learning. Consistently good teaching across the school ensures pupils learn well.  Lessons are thoroughly planned to help all groups of pupils learn. They are well paced and enjoyable and pupils participate enthusiastically in their learning.  The needs of pupils facing barriers to learning, such as those in the resource base, are well understood and met by the committed staff.  Pupils’ behaviour is excellent; there is a calm, purposeful atmosphere throughout the school. Bullying is very rare and thoroughly dealt with when it happens.  The school is improving under the rigorous leadership of the headteacher; she leads a team of committed staff who share her ideals to provide every pupil with good opportunities to grow and learn.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 While teaching has improved, not enough teaching is outstanding.  Pupils do not clearly understand the quality of their work or how to improve it.  The governing body does not undertake enough independent checks on the school; this limits its ability to offer a robust challenge to leaders about how well it is doing.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at the school website and a range of documents including its policies and assessment records.  Inspectors observed 18 lessons taught by 15 teachers over seven hours. Meetings were held with staff, pupils and members of the governing body. An inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 14 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

John Carnaghan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Margaret Faull Additional Inspector Joseph Skivington Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Studley Green is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average and the school has a high proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding).  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average. Over a quarter of pupils are supported on action plus or have a statement of special educational needs. This is well above average and is because the school incorporates two centres for pupils with special educational needs. One centre specialises in supporting pupils with speech and language difficulties, the other is for pupils with a range of other complex needs.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  None of the school’s pupils are taught elsewhere.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  making sure lessons focus on learning throughout so pupils make rapid progress at all times  providing information for pupils about the levels they are working at and the next steps in their learning.  Ensure that the governing body checks up on how the school is doing more systematically so that it has all the information it needs to challenge leaders more effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Studley Green with skills and aptitudes well below those expected for their age. The school has a high proportion of pupils who face numerous barriers to learning. This lowers overall attainment; it is below average at the end of Year 6, but rising.  Children settle well into the Early Years Foundation Stage, quickly adopting good learning routines, such as working together to solve problems. Effective teaching and well planned, varied activities ensure the Reception class is a lively, happy place. Parents and carers are welcomed and encouraged to participate in their children’s learning.  Pupils in the resource base make good progress. They are well taught in small classes by adults who fully understand each one’s individual learning needs. Staff fully involve pupils in their own learning, whatever barriers they face, and effective marking of work helps these pupils learn well. Many who start in the resource base happily transfer to the main school in the course of

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The achievement of pupils is good

their time at Studley Green.  A large proportion of pupils attract additional financial support from the government. These funds have a positive impact on their progress and, while this group’s attainment is a little lower than their peers nationally, the gap is closing. Their progress is good.  Reading is well taught and the school environment is rich in books. Pupils read frequently in groups and to adults, quickly gaining a familiarity with all kinds of books. Accurate assessments mean those who find difficulty reading are quickly identified and given help to improve.  Progress in the main school is good. Improvements in teaching since the previous inspection are reflected in rising progress across the school, although the attainment of some older pupils is limited because they did not make enough progress when they were younger.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Regular, rigorous checks by leaders ensure teaching continues to improve. Planning is thorough and work is well adapted to the needs of the various groups in each class.  The activities of teaching assistants are meticulously planned so these adults work very well alongside teachers supporting learning. Many have been well trained so have considerable skills in, for example, teaching sounds and letters (phonics). Teaching assistants contribute very well to teaching of small groups requiring additional help.  All adults demonstrate a good understanding of literacy and numeracy. The teaching of these subjects by the cohesive teams led by the class teacher is effective, contributing to good progress in English and mathematics.  Lessons are managed well to run at a brisk pace. The subtle management of pupils’ behaviour contributes to the excellent atmosphere for learning that is the norm. Relationships are very

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The quality of teaching is good

positive and pupils relish the encouragement and praise they earn through their efforts.  Pupils are carefully questioned to check understanding and teachers use the answers to modify lessons if it is clear pupils have made faster or slower progress than anticipated. Pupils understand this, one commenting, ‘Thumbs up means I understand, but thumbs down means I need a lot of help.’  Most pupils’ work is carefully marked. However, teachers do not regularly tell pupils the level at which they are working. While there is some advice in teachers’ comments, pupils have a limited understanding of their targets and the precise steps to take to improve their work.  School leaders expect teachers to share the learning goals for each lesson with the pupils so that they are clear about what they are learning. Their positive attitudes to learning ensure that progress in most lessons is at least good. In some cases learning is excellent.

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The quality of teaching is good

 For example, in a Year 6 lesson on organising paragraphs, pupils were continuously reminded of the teacher’s expectations and the deadline so they made every effort to reach their goals. The closing session exemplified good work and encouraged pupils to assess different pieces of work, deepening their understanding of the task. Occasionally, where lessons are less than good, teachers lose their focus on learning aims and the pace of activities slows down.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour, both in and out of lessons, is excellent. Pupils show a great enthusiasm for learning, working confidently independently, in pairs and in groups.  Staff go out of their way to promote a positive atmosphere; they treat pupils with great respect and courtesy but also insist on the highest standards of politeness.  Pupils work hard to meet these challenging expectations. They value the calm and good organisation of school life and are confident in their staff, one reporting, ‘Teachers care about us.’ Parents, carers and staff are extremely positive about behaviour and the positive influence it has on pupils’ learning.  Regular briefings from staff and visitors, for example from the emergency services, keep pupils fully aware of how to stay safe. They have clear ideas about how to stay secure on the busy local roads. Pupils often look out for one another, for example keeping an eye on the youngest

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

ones at playtimes.  Bullying in all its forms is very unusual; pupils understand the various kinds, including cyber bullying, reporting that on the rare occasions when bullying happens staff deal with it quickly and effectively.  Staff go out of their way to include all pupils, whatever their backgrounds or needs, in the daily life of the school. For example, pupils from the resource base attend all assemblies and participate fully. They are respected as equals by adults and pupils alike and rightly feel an integral part of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has improved since the previous inspection. The headteacher, strongly supported by her staff, has rigorously tackled areas of concern. It has addressed issues raised in the previous inspection by raising achievement, improving teaching and learning and involving a wider range of staff in leadership and management. The school has benefited from consistent support from the local authority. The school has the capacity to bring about further improvement.  Regular, systematic checks by leaders have ensured a greater understanding of the school. Frequent checks on teaching promote improved classroom practice. Where there have been weaknesses the school has challenged and supported staff appropriately, so concerns have been largely eliminated. Rigorous management of teachers’ performance linking teachers’ pay to pupils’ progress has supported a firmer focus on learning and driven up teaching standards.

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The leadership and management are good

 Frequent assessments and close analysis of the results pupils achieve in national tests have also promoted improvements. Where under achievement is developing, this is now quickly identified. After careful discussion between relevant staff, action is taken. This often involves providing extra support for individual pupils, selected from a menu of possible extra help that is on offer.  The value of this support is regularly evaluated by checking the rate of individuals’ progress and adjustments are made. These factors ensure progress is remarkably consistent for all groups. They ensure the school fully promotes equality of opportunity and that there is no discrimination.  The school has developed the range of subjects and activities to suit the needs and interests of its pupils. This provides stimulating learning opportunities as teachers use their areas of interest and expertise to engage pupils, who report lessons are fun and interesting. The questions that

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The leadership and management are good

form the title of many of the topics studied, such as ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’, stimulate a sense of enquiry and promote independent learning.  Visits and visitors linked to topics, including a visit to a post office and a visit from a postman to explain his work, enrich learning opportunities. Pupils in the resource base also benefit from this approach. Topics to meet their needs and tastes, such as the recent study of chocolate, have proved equally successful in firing enthusiasm.  The positive, inclusive atmosphere in the school is good evidence of pupils’ strong moral and social development. Plans carefully promote these areas as well as spiritual and cultural development.  Assemblies involve all pupils, celebrating achievement and encouraging reflection on the fate of the less fortunate. For example, pupils from the Makaton club (learning to communicate through sign language) demonstrated their signing skills to the school by signing to ‘A Wonderful Life’,

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The leadership and management are good

and were avidly watched and warmly applauded. This promoted an understanding of the relevance of these skills to some disadvantaged pupils at the school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is developing a fuller understanding of the school and identifying training to help achieve this. Governors ask relevant questions of school leaders. They have a good grasp of how additional funds awarded under the pupil premium are spent and confirm this spending has improved results for pupils, reducing gaps in attainment with pupils nationally. Governors’ links to classes provide insights into school life and the quality of teaching. However, the governing body is too reliant on leaders for other information, such as pupil progress, so cannot challenge the school as robustly as it would like. For example, in some cases, governors are not proactive enough in seeking information when discussing how

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The leadership and management are good

management of teachers’ performance is closely linked to pupils’ progress, when rewarding good teachers and tackling underperformance. The governing body checks up thoroughly on pupils’ safety and ensures the school fully meets the safeguarding requirements.

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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 126480 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 402400

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 183 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Lauder Headteacher Julie Larter Date of previous school inspection 8–9 December 2009 Telephone number 01225 752713 Fax number 01225 774199 Email address admin@studleygreen.wilts.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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