Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Taylor Hill, Cawthorne, Barnsley, S75 4HB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  High quality teaching, a stimulating and creative curriculum and extensive care and support are at the heart of the excellent education pupils receive.  Pupils take full advantage of all the school offers them and show exemplary attitudes to their work. As a result, they make continuous and rapid progress and achieve extremely well.  High attainment in a wide range of subjects combined with extensive personal development ensures that, by the end of Year 6, pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent. Teachers have very high expectations and motivate pupils to learn by giving them the confidence that they can and will achieve.  Carefully chosen and well-resourced activities in the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure children make a good start to school, although activities out-of-doors do not always

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

have as clear a purpose as those in doors.  The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. They show respect for adults and each other and are polite and well mannered at all times.  Pupils demonstrate a very strong sense of social responsibility and take great pleasure in helping others.  Leadership and management are highly effective. All aspects of the school’s work are checked systematically and the information is used decisively to plan further improvements.  Despite the school’s very strong performance there is no complacency and staff and governors are working closely together to ensure its continuing success.  Systems for evaluating and improving the quality of teaching are very effective. Staff are set clear targets and provided with regular training. Lessons are observed regularly and very constructive feedback given to teachers. However, this is carried out exclusively by the headteacher and opportunities are missed to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

involve other senior members of staff in this important process. 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine lessons, of which one was a joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector heard pupils from Years 1, 2 and 6 read.  Meetings were held with pupils from Years 2 to 6, the Chair of the Governing Body, a representative from the local authority and school staff with management responsibilities.  The inspector took account of the 29 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), a letter received from a parent and the 13 staff questionnaires in planning the inspection.  He observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records in relation to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Keith Bardon, Lead inspector Additional Inspector 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 Cawthorne is smaller than the average sized primary school.  A very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which is mainly for the benefit of those eligible for free school meals) is well below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is well below average. The majority of these pupils experience moderate learning difficulties.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Maximise opportunities for children’s learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage by ensuring activities out-of-doors always have a clear purpose for learning.  Widen the involvement of senior staff in the observation of lessons and evaluation of teaching. 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most children enter school with the skills and abilities that are typical for their age. They make good progress while in the Early Years Foundation Stage, although they learn more indoors than out because activities in the classroom provide more purposeful learning.  Teachers build on this secure foundation very successfully and pupils make outstanding progress as they move through Key Stages 1 and 2. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is well above average, and a high proportion produce work of a quality that exceeds expectations for their age. Consequently, when they take the national assessments in Year 6, pupils often perform extremely well. This has been the pattern for some time and the high quality work that pupils in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are currently producing shows that it is set to continue.  Because they are taught sounds and letters (phonics) very well and given plenty of opportunities

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

to use and practise what they have learned, pupils in Years 1 and 2 read with confidence and understanding. A small minority of Year 1 pupils lack a little fluency but sound out new words confidently and use picture clues well to confirm their meaning. By Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading is above expectations for their age and many skilfully vary the way they read to reflect the punctuation.  Older pupils read regularly for pleasure and show an excellent understanding of different styles of text. By Year 6, pupils’ attainment in reading is often well above average and this holds them in very good stead for the future.  Pupils write to a high standard in a wide range of subjects. Year 6 pupils, for example, composed harrowing accounts in diary form of what life was like for Spanish sailors aboard the ships of the Armada. Their enjoyment of writing comes through very clearly and excellent handwriting makes

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

their accounts a pleasure to read.  High achievement in mathematics matches that in English. By Year 6, many pupils are accurately solving complex problems using a combination of calculation strategies and applying formulae correctly when calculating the dimensions of different geometric shapes.  Early identification, excellent support and careful monitoring ensure that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make excellent progress in their learning.  The school spends pupil premium funding effectively and pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals often achieve or exceed the nationally expected standards for their age. Occasionally, additional factors such as learning difficulties cause the attainment of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals to differ to that of other pupils but they receive the additional help they need and make quick progress relative to their starting points.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 A wide range of indicators, including the school’s own records, the fast pace of pupils’ progress, work in pupils’ books and observations during the inspection confirm that teaching is highly effective and provides excellent motivation for learning.  Lessons in sounds and letters for younger pupils are very well organised and precise. Teachers use the strategy ‘my turn / your turn’ to excellent effect, demonstrating correct pronunciation clearly and careful listening when pupils practise what they have heard. Any mispronunciations are picked up quickly and the process repeated until the teacher is completely sure all are blending the letters correctly.  Teachers make excellent use of assessments to match work precisely to pupils’ individual needs and to provide them with clear targets for improvement. These often take the form of target cards in reading, writing and mathematics, which show pupils exactly what they need to do to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

achieve the next level of attainment. Pupils use teachers’ verbal evaluations and detailed marking of their work to record when individual elements have been achieved. This excellent 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

practice, not only provides teachers and pupils with a detailed picture of the progress being made, but instils in pupils the importance of regular self-assessment.  Modern technologies, particularly computers, are used frequently and very effectively by both teachers and pupils to enhance learning. Teachers recognise the high levels of skill many pupils possess and build on it very successfully. In a lesson for Year 2/3 in which pupils were to construct a slide presentation, many for the first time, the teacher kept instruction to the minimum and challenged the pupils to investigate the possibilities. Supported by the teacher and teaching assistant when they needed to be, pupils set about the task with a will and gained excellent understanding of the options available to them.  Teachers have comprehensive knowledge of different subjects and teach English and mathematics with skill and expertise. Opportunities to extend and promote pupils’ literacy and

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

numeracy in different subjects are utilised extremely well. In a science lesson in Year 3/4, a framework of very well structured questions carefully modified for pupils’ differing abilities prompted pupils to write a very detailed plan of how they would construct new equipment for a mountain rescue team.  While the activities Early Years Foundation Stage children can choose for themselves in the classroom are well planned and have clear objectives, those out-of-doors are not always as well organised. As a result, some of the children’s play in the outdoor area lacks purpose and opportunities to develop their learning are missed.  Because they enjoy excellent relationships with their teachers, pupils readily ask questions when they need help or clarification. This ensures that pupils know exactly what they have to do at all times and are completely clear about what they are expected to learn by the end of the lesson.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils show excellent attitudes to school and to their work. They describe the considerable fun they have learning and welcome the fact that ‘the school makes you want to try hard each lesson’. Staff frequently comment on the pleasure they get from teaching such well-behaved and conscientious pupils.  Pupils attend regularly, participate fully in lessons and take considerable pride in what they and others are able to achieve. They follow instructions meticulously and share their thoughts and ideas sensibly and very productively when working in pairs or small groups. They give considerable thought to questions teachers put to them and try very hard to give full and detailed answers.  Pupils have a very strong sense of well-being. ‘We are safe because we trust the teachers and everyone looks after you well.’ They have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, describing in detail the dangers the internet might present and how they would counter

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

them by switching off immediately and telling an adult.  They understand fully what constitutes bullying but regard it as a very rare occurrence at their school. They say this is because the school teaches them to ‘treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself’.  The contribution pupils make to school is excellent. ‘Everyone helps each other in school’. Members of the school council take on many responsibilities, including organising play equipment at break times and older pupils lead team games to make lunchtimes enjoyable for younger ones. They show considerable concern for the welfare of others, willingly raising money for different charities to help those less fortunate than themselves.  Although a small number of the parents who recorded their views on the Parent View website expressed some concerns about the way the school deals with incidents of bullying, all agreed and many strongly agreed that their children are happy at school, feel safe and are well looked

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

after. They also agreed that the school makes sure pupils are well behaved and, without exception, that they would recommend the school to others.  Teachers make their high expectations of pupils’ behaviour very clear and it is very rare for a 6 of 9

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

lesson to be interrupted in any way. The school is at all times calm and orderly and the atmosphere pleasant and welcoming.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Ambitious and determined leadership by the headteacher supported fully by the enthusiastic and conscientious staff has enabled the school to build successfully on the strengths identified at the last inspection and to develop from good to outstanding.  Even though the school is doing very well, leaders and managers are constantly looking for ways in which improvements can be made. The headteacher observes lessons frequently and promotes improvements in teaching extremely well. Many staff with management responsibilities are very experienced but have insufficient opportunities to observe lessons in different classes and to add their evaluations of the quality of teaching to those of the headteacher. Teachers are set sharp and clear targets for their work which have to be met before a rise in salary can be considered.  While taking great care to ensure the school retains its own character and uniqueness, leaders

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and managers utilise opportunities to work with other schools and organisations extremely effectively. This broadens experiences for both pupils and staff and ensures that despite its small size the school provides a very wide range of opportunities for all those who work and learn there.  The curriculum is outstanding. English, mathematics and information and communication technology are strong elements but all subjects receive the correct attention. Pupils are provided with a creative and very well-balanced programme of work which they find highly engaging and stimulating. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development features prominently and runs as a common thread through all of the pupils’ work. For example, as part of their ‘Alien Life Forms’ topic Year 2/3 pupils considered the importance of ‘being a friend’ and ‘respect for difference’. This close and very careful attention ensures that pupils make excellent progress in

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The leadership and management are outstanding

their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ progress is monitored closely and a very careful watch is kept over each pupil’s learning and development. This ensures all pupils have equal opportunities to learn and that none are discriminated against.  The local authority provides appropriate light touch support for this highly effective school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body plays a full and active part in the management of the school. As well as supporting the school’s work, governors ask challenging questions to stimulate development and check the quality of teaching pupils are receiving very carefully. They visit the school regularly and provide detailed reports of what they have found. Their visits often focus on key areas of development such as how the funding provided for phonics teaching is being spent and what effect it is having on pupils’ achievement. Governors are fully aware and supportive

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The leadership and management are outstanding

of the way the school uses pupil premium funding and regularly check how well these pupils are progressing. The health and safety governor makes regular checks of the school site and current safeguarding requirements are securely met. 7 of 9

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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. 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 106627 Local authority Barnsley Inspection number 403022

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 137 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr A V Kent Headteacher Miss E Pursley Date of previous school inspection 15 November 2007 Telephone number 01226 790447 Fax number 01226 792848 Email address cawthorne.primary@barnsley.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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