Bishop Hooper Church of England Primary School

Bishop Hooper Church of England Primary Ashford Carbonel, Ludlow, SY8 4BX

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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.  Although there are variations from year to year due to the small numbers in each year group, children make good progress from the start of the Early Years Foundation Stage and continue to achieve well throughout the school.  There has been a steady improvement in the quality of teaching.  Nearly all pupils behave well. Teachers manage behaviour effectively so that low- level disruption in lessons is uncommon.  Pupils feel safe and well supported by school staff. Attendance is above average.  Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences, and these promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively.  The direction and pace of change are set by the headteacher, whose determination and ambition have taken the school forward since the last inspection. She has received enthusiastic support from other leaders, managers and governors.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not do as well in mathematics as in reading and writing.  Although teaching is good, opportunities are missed to adjust activities in order to accelerate pupils’ progress during lessons.  Marking does not consistently show pupils the next steps they need to take in developing their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in all parts of the school and observed 11 lessons, including two of which were shared observations with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of short visits to support sessions and attended assembly.  Discussions were held with staff, governors, pupils, parents and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 12 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as the eight responses to staff questionnaires.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on the pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

David Evans, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools.  Most pupils are White British. There are few pupils from ethnic minority groups. The school caters for a small number of pupils from the Traveller community.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives additional income (the pupil premium) is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs is above average.  All pupils are educated on site. The school does not use alternative provision to support any of its pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school was formed in September 2009, when two very small schools amalgamated. From

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Information about this school

2009 to 2011 it was temporarily housed in one of the old school buildings and, in November 2011, it moved into the new purpose-built school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ attainment in mathematics by further developing their knowledge and understanding of calculation and problem-solving skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by ensuring that:  all lessons proceed consistently at a challenging pace  teachers consistently provide guidance to pupils on the next steps needed to reach their targets.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children make a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They join the school with skills that are generally typical for their age and they make good progress, especially in learning the sounds that letters make. As a result, they are well prepared for Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All pupils, including Travellers, make good progress from their different starting points. Standards in Key Stage 1 are improving, and attainment in the Year 1 national phonics screening check was above average. This is the result of better teaching and improved support for those pupils identified as not making the progress they should.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Over the last year pupils’ progress throughout Key Stage 2 has improved considerably. As a result, attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is rising sharply and is now above average in reading and writing. Pupils’ progress in mathematics has been slower because of the weaknesses in calculation and problem-solving skills. Attainment in mathematics is average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in reading and many read widely. They say that they enjoy reading in school. Many read at home and older pupils, in particular, make good use of the library.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses data on pupils’ progress effectively. Teachers assess and record pupils’ progress regularly and pupils who fall behind in their learning are identified quickly. They are given carefully targeted support which enables them to catch up.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Those pupils eligible for extra funding through the pupil premium make good progress. Funds are used well to support their academic and social skills, helping them to develop greater confidence in their learning. The progress of those eligible for free school meals is carefully checked and, in 2012, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with the national average for all pupils, and so notably better than similar pupils in other schools. The pupil premium funding is used to provide a range of stimulating support such as additional staff and specialist literacy and numeracy resources.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout the school, boys and girls from all groups make good progress, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Their progress is carefully checked and school data and test results show that their attainment is better than similar pupils nationally in reading and writing, although they are behind in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Improvements to teaching are contributing to pupils’ better progress. Successful training has improved the accuracy and effectiveness of teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress, and the match of work to meet pupils’ needs. Teachers’ knowledge and confidence in teaching early reading skills have also improved.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Across the school, teachers meet the challenge of planning for classes of mixed ages and abilities. They match the work well to pupils’ differing needs. As a result, more-able pupils are usually challenged well, and those who need extra help receive it.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use a wide range of strategies, resources and groupings to make learning stimulating and interesting. Pupils are often encouraged to discuss their ideas with a partner, and this works well. Teachers make good use of interactive whiteboards to make their explanations clear.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All of the adults who support pupils’ learning work well together. Teaching assistants make a strong contribution, particularly to those pupils who find learning difficult. They provide sensitive and effective support in lessons and for groups withdrawn from the classroom.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Skilful questioning allows pupils to develop their thinking and ideas and enables teachers to check pupils’ understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Assessment is generally accurate and effective. Marking is regular and the best marking gives suggestions for improvement or identifies the next steps in pupils’ learning. However, this is not consistent and ‘next steps’ comments in pupils’ books do not always link to targets and National Curriculum levels for pupils to aspire to.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers devote considerable time and energy to ensuring that learning is interesting but, in some lessons, the pace of learning slows because teachers do not adjust tasks during the lessons and opportunities are missed to use questions precisely enough to challenge pupils and increase their rate of progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and have positive attitudes to learning. This is reflected in their above- average attendance. They are proud of their school and of their successes and treat the resources, the environment and their new school building with respect.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The proactive and caring nature of the school has resulted in barriers to learning being overcome for pupils who find school life difficult. Individual support for pupils’ pastoral and academic needs helps pupils learn well, and enables them to understand and control their emotional responses.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils from all groups are fully included in school activities and the new school building makes it easy for all pupils, including those with disabilities, to access all parts of the school so that no pupil is disadvantaged.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils pay attention in lessons and are keen to answer questions. Instances of them becoming distracted or distracting others are uncommon.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour management is good and all staff display a consistent expectation of good behaviour. As a result, pupils quickly learn what is and what is not acceptable. They reflect the standards that adults model for them, show care and concern for others. There have been very few exclusions in the recent past; they have dropped significantly and are now rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Older pupils take their responsibilities very seriously. They enjoy helping younger children and participate actively in assemblies. The school council is influential and pupils say that their views are listened to.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents say that they know that their children are safe in school and all would recommend the school to other parents. Pupils know about different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying. They confirm that bullying is very unusual and is dealt with effectively.

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The leadership and management are good

 The sustained improvement since the last inspection reflects the vision and dynamism of leadership to create an effective school. The headteacher provides strong leadership, which has been central to the school’s improvement. The success gained so far shows that it is well placed to continue to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 High expectations are communicated to and shared by all staff and there is a good sense of teamwork. Effective procedures to manage teachers’ performance and good-quality training have improved teaching from satisfactory to good. Teachers are set clear targets linked to pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching is frequently monitored.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s evaluation of its work is frank and honest. As a result, leaders know what needs to improve next. Areas for improvement are tackled with determination and the impact of the school’s work is measured regularly. For example, through careful evaluation of data and pupils’ workbooks, the school correctly identified that calculation and problem-solving skills needed to be developed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has established beneficial links with the nursery which is situated on the school site, other primary schools in the area, a school in Birmingham and various other agencies. The links with parents are strong and the headteacher ensures effective communication exists between homes and school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has designated this school as one causing no concern and, as such, offers a low level of supervision. Support from the local authority has helped to improve various aspects and it has been particularly effective in improving provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The leadership and management are good

 The range of subjects and activities taught is broad, well balanced, and has a richness and variety of learning experiences. There is a wide variety of school clubs, visits and residential experiences. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is nurtured effectively through music, French, arts and visits to different places of religious worship.

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The leadership and management are good

 Statutory duties are met. At the time of the inspection, safeguarding of pupils fully met current government requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Following the last inspection, members of the governing body undertook a range of training to sharpen their skills. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Their increased understanding of the data linked to pupils’ achievement enables them to explore the information and raise questions relating to the progress of groups of pupils. Members of the governing body make regular visits to the school to monitor teaching and other aspects of provision. They have a good understanding of the way the pupil premium is used to improve pupils’ progress and they regularly check on the impact of this funding on pupils’ achievement. The governing body ensures that there are rigorous systems to check on the performance of staff, including the headteacher.

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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 135790 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 406633

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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 75 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rosalind Booth (Acting Chair) Headteacher Kerri Phelps Date of previous school inspection 9 June 2011 Telephone number 01584 831110 Fax number 01584 831451 Email address admin.bishophooper@shropshirelg.net 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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