Cookham Rise Primary School

School report Cookham Rise Primary School High Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL69JF

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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.  Standards in English and mathematics are above average. Pupils make good progress in reading and mathematics and achieve well.  More pupils reach the higher levels in mathematics than is found nationally.  Pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Their behaviour is good both in lessons and around the school. They appreciate everything that the school offers them and feel very safe in school.  Good quality spiritual, moral, social and cultural education provides pupils with a wide range of learning experiences.  Teachers are very well supported by trained teaching assistants who make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning.  Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has ensured that her vision for on-going improvement is understood and shared by staff, pupils and parents.  Governors are very knowledgeable about the school. They hold staff to account for the quality of teaching and the results achieved by

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils.  Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved the quality of teaching so that pupils’ achievement continues to rise. As a result, teaching is now good.  Parents are extremely positive about the school. They recognise the improvements that have been made in the past three years and appreciate the care that the school provides.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although teaching is good overall it is not yet good enough to bring about outstanding achievement. Also, it does not always stretch more able pupils sufficiently.  Opportunities to apply writing skills in other subjects are not as yet sufficiently developed.  The quality of feedback given to pupils through marking in books does not always give them sufficient indication of how they can improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, of which two were jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors listened to pupils read.  Inspectors also observed the headteacher reporting back to teachers about the quality of their teaching.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school improvement plan, the school’s own records of pupils’ progress, minutes of the governing body meetings, documentation relating to safeguarding and records relating to behaviour and attendance.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, other staff including senior leaders, two groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 54 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and met some parents informally at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Adam Hewett, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Linda Rowley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than–average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average, as is the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority, for whom the school receives additional income (the pupil premium) is below average.  Most pupils are White British.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve further the rate of pupils’ progress through increasing the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring: – there is a better balance in all lessons between the time pupils spend listening to teachers and the time available to them to work on their own – teachers’ written feedback to pupils gives sufficient indication of how they can improve their work – more able pupils are sufficiently stretched to achieve their best by matching work more closely to their needs.  Improve the teaching of writing so that standards are as high as in mathematics by:  increasing the opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills by producing longer pieces of writing in all subject areas.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills typically expected for their age. They respond well to the care and support they receive in the Reception class and settle quickly. They make good use of the opportunities available to them both inside and outdoors. All pupils make similar progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 to that found nationally.  Pupils are making good progress in early reading. The systematic teaching of the sounds letters make (phonics) is very effective. This is reflected in the high proportion of pupils aged six who achieved, and exceeded, the national average in the phonic screening assessment. While results at the end of Key Stage 1 are broadly average, not enough pupils reach the higher levels. By the time pupils reach Year 6, standards are above average, particularly in mathematics which are well above those found nationally. This represents good progress and pupils are well prepared

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The achievement of pupils is good

for the move to secondary school.  Although pupils’ attainment and progress exceed that seen nationally, they are weaker in writing. This is because, while teaching is good overall, pupils are not provided with sufficient opportunities to apply writing skills in other subjects or to produce longer pieces of writing.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs do as well as other pupils and make good progress. This is because teachers plan well for their particular needs and good support is provided by teaching assistants.  Pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium make as least as much progress as their peers. In national tests and assessments, the average point scores between these pupils and others in school are less than that seen nationally. The school has effectively used its funding to employ additional staff and to provide these pupils with effective individual support and small group

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection. Close monitoring by the headteacher has led to training for staff which has developed their skills. The majority of teaching is now good and a small proportion is outstanding.  In the best lessons pupils learn quickly due to teachers applying very good subject knowledge and having high expectations of the pupils. Questioning is used well to challenge different groups of pupils and to assess their understanding. Pupils are given opportunities to apply their learning and to work on their own. In a Year 5 lesson, for example, pupils were taught how to use a protractor to measure angles and were given a range of meaningful opportunities to apply the skill. They were guided by the school’s steps to success approach and fully understood what they were learning and why.  Lessons are generally well planned and work is usually well matched to the needs of most

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils. However, sometimes the more able pupils are not sufficiently stretched, particularly in Years 3 and 4, and this slows their pace of learning. A small minority of teachers spends too long talking to the whole class at the beginning of a lesson before giving the pupils the chance to work independently on the main task.  In Key Stage 1, teaching is well planned to ensure that there are good links between the subjects and this engages pupils’ interest and helps pupils to produce work of a good standard. In some subjects pupils are given good opportunities to write more extended pieces about something that they have learnt, for example in geography or history, and this improves the quality of their work.  The teaching of science has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Pupils are now given a good range of opportunities to plan and carry out scientific investigations, to make predictions and to draw conclusions from what they have learnt. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils were

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The quality of teaching is good

investigating which materials might be magnetic and recognising that not all metals were attracted to magnets. They were able to sensibly discuss the reasons for this and to identify how this could be used to help in recycling.  Other adults are used very well to support pupils and to promote good achievement, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They work closely with class teachers and use questioning well to stimulate thinking.  Marking is variable across the school. Some marking does not help pupils improve as much as it should and this slows the pace of learning for some pupils. The best marking gives a clear indication of how pupils can improve their work and relates very clearly to what has been taught in a particular lesson.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school places a high emphasis on creating a caring, supportive environment that encourages all members of the community to show respect for each other. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and this is reflected in their very positive comments about the school and everything it offers them.  Pupils are well behaved, courteous and welcoming. They work together well and are supportive of each other. They respond very sensibly to opportunities to work either individually or in groups.  Pupils’ behaviour was good in almost all lessons observed. Pupils listen well to teachers and show respect for the views of others. They respond very positively to the reward system that the school has put in place. Behaviour at break and lunch times was also good, with pupils playing sensibly with each other.  Pupils have a strong sense of what is right and wrong. They take responsibility for each other and older pupils act as mentors for younger children.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and carers who responded to the Parent View questionnaire were overwhelmingly positive about the behaviour of the pupils and felt that staff deal promptly with any issues about behaviour or safety. Pupils had a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and understood how to use the internet safely.  Pupils know about different types of bullying and felt that instances were extremely rare and when they did occur they were well dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with that generally seen in primary schools nationally. The school works closely with parents to ensure good attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and provides strong leadership. Her determination to raise standards and achievement has been a driving force in securing the improvements that have occurred since the last inspection. All the issues at the last inspection have been dealt with successfully. The quality of teaching has improved and is now good. Parents and pupils are aware of the positive way that the school is moving forward.  Senior leaders in school have an accurate view of what the priorities are and work well to improve the achievement of pupils. Regular meetings are held with all teachers to track the progress of all pupils and this is helping to ensure that the school quickly identifies any pupils who are falling behind and provides appropriate support. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported well as a result.  The checking of the school’s performance of teachers is accurate and is closely linked to

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The leadership and management are good

establishing clear improvement plans. Salary progression for staff is firmly linked to their success in helping pupils make good progress in their learning. Staff training has been used very well to develop specific aspects of teaching, including the teaching of early reading.  The school is developing a curriculum that engages pupils’ interest and enthusiasm and extends their understanding, knowledge and skills. This is at the early stages of development but is already having an impact on the quality of pupils’ writing in Key Stage 1. Trips, visits and visitors are all used well to make learning relevant.  The school is very effective in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Very good use is made of representatives of different faith groups who come into school to extend pupils’ understanding of different religions and their appreciation of the multicultural society they are growing up in.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has been successful in building the confidence of parents and carers. There are good means of communication in place and these are recognised and appreciated by parents.  The local authority provides effective support for the school. This support has made a positive contribution towards improving teaching and the attainment and progress of pupils.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a very clear understanding of the strengths of the school and of the areas for improvement. They effectively challenge the school’s leaders to ensure that there is an on- going focus on improvement. Governors visit classrooms regularly and know about the quality of teaching. They have a good understanding of the information about pupils’ progress and are able to compare how well the school is doing with other schools locally and nationally. Governors are fully aware of their responsibilities regarding teachers’ pay and performance

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The leadership and management are good

and ensure that this is used to tackle any areas of underperformance. They have undertaken training and have good levels of professional expertise which they use to make sure the school uses its resources, including the pupil premium, to secure on-going improvement and help pupils achieve well. The governing body makes sure that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory 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 109856 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 401084

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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 205 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gaynor Sprules Headteacher Helen Daniels Date of previous school inspection 26–27 May 2010 Telephone number 01628 520961 Fax number 01628 532536 Email address cookhamrise@rbwm.org 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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