Wolston St Margaret's CofE Primary School

Wolston St Margaret's CofE Primary School Brookside, Main Street, Coventry, CV8 3HH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ attainment is consistently above average. Their achievement in reading and writing is at least good.  From their varied starting points, pupils make good and, often, outstanding rates of progress across the school.  The quality of teaching has improved and teaching is good. A particular strength is the use of skilled additional adults to support pupils’ learning.  Systems to check pupils’ progress make sure that teachers are always aware of how well pupils are doing.  Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those receiving extra money from the pupil premium make outstanding progress because teachers are adept at setting work at precisely the right level for all these pupils.  Pupils’ behaviour and enthusiasm for learning are outstanding. They care for each other and there is no bullying. They know how to stay safe. Pupils attend regularly and their spiritual,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

moral, social and cultural values are well promoted by the school.  School leaders and governors are ambitious for pupils to achieve their best, and have taken effective steps to improve the school. Teachers’ performance is managed effectively and additional resources, such as the pupil premium, are excellently used.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although the quality of teaching is good, there is not enough outstanding teaching.  Pupils are not always given time to improve their work using the guidance provided by their teachers and, consequently, their progress slows and they do not achieve as well as they could.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 15 lessons taught by eight teachers; seven were joint observations with the headteacher.  Inspectors observed and spoke to pupils during lessons and at lunch and break times. They met formally with a group of pupils and heard pupils of different ages and abilities read.  Meetings were held with senior leaders and managers, three members of the governing body and a telephone conversation also took place with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including arrangements for safeguarding, the management of teachers’ performance, pupils’ attendance, information about pupils’ attainment and progress, and analysed the quality of work in pupils’ books.  They took into account of the 30 responses from parents shown on Parent View (the online questionnaire), and responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Ronald Hall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Anthony Green Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This primary school is of smaller-than-average size and serves local and surrounding villages and the Anglican community in the Wolston area of Warwickshire.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is average but the proportion who are supported by school action plus or with statements of special educational needs is above average. These pupils have a range of physical disabilities or learning difficulties.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is average. (The pupil premium provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed services.) In Year 6 in 2012, there were no looked after children or children from forces families in the school.  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?

 Raise the quality of teaching to be consistently outstanding by:  making sure that teachers do not spend too much time talking to pupils at the beginning of lessons and delay, unnecessarily, pupils getting on with learning for themselves  making sure that learning in all lessons is well paced to allow pupils to progress quicker.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement to be consistently outstanding by making sure that all teachers provide enough opportunities for pupils to respond to the guidance given in the marking of work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills and knowledge that are broadly typical for their age. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, they make excellent progress, especially in developing their communication and social skills. By the end of Year 2 they can read and write confidently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils gained above-average scores in the 2012 national screening check in Year 1 for phonics (linking letters and sounds). During the inspection, pupils were observed effectively using their good phonics knowledge to help them read and learn new words.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are now making equally good progress in both mathematics and English. By the end of Year 6, they have skills above those typical for their ages. In 2012, pupils’ attainment by the end of Key Stage 2 was above average. Pupils currently in Year 6 are working at well-above average levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress across the school is good, with some pupils making outstanding progress. However, progress and achievement are not consistently outstanding, including in Key Stage 2, due to too much variation in the pace of learning in some lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Evidence from pupils’ work and study of their individual progress show that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make outstanding progress from their starting points. Boys and girls achieve equally well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The pupils eligible for free school meals make outstanding progress in both English and mathematics. In 2012, they attained standards in both subjects above those of similar pupils, nationally, and very close to those of others in the school. The difference in attainment between them and others in the school has narrowed and they are achieving exceptionally well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils have excellent skills when learning independently and in groups. They routinely help each other, for example, Year 6 pupils were observed supporting each other’s learning in both mathematics and English lessons. They offered advice and constructive criticism to help others improve their work but they are not always provided with the time to improve their work following guidance from their teachers and so they do not always make as much progress as they could.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Across the school, teaching is typically good with some examples of outstanding teaching where pupils are constantly challenged by exciting activities closely matched to their individual abilities. For example, outstanding English teaching of older pupils made imaginative use of a range of teaching strategies and resources, such as the interactive whiteboard, to provide both visual and auditory stimulus to assist pupils’ learning. Consequently, pupils made rapid gains in their understanding of the power of persuasion and used this knowledge effectively in their own persuasive writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pace of learning is usually rapid because lessons are interesting, fun and well timed. However, practice across the school is not always of the quality. In some lessons, the pace of learning slows and this, in turn, slows the rates of pupils’ progress.  Teachers have good questioning skills and often engage pupils well in discussion to help develop their thinking and abilities. However, in some lessons, there is too much talk from the teacher and not enough opportunity for pupils to get on with their work by themselves when they are capable of doing so very well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the school has improved in recent years due to rigorous monitoring by the headteacher and other leaders and managers. Excellent guidance is given to staff on how to make learning in their lessons even better. Teaching in both English and mathematics has improved and is consistently good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking of pupils’ work is generally good and, sometimes, outstanding, but pupils are not always given opportunities to respond to the guidance given. This results in some pupils not making the progress they could as they do not have time to improve their work for themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The other adults support very effectively the learning of disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those eligible for the pupil premium. These staff are highly trained and motivated. This is a crucial reason for the rapid progress made by these pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils, staff and parents all say that pupils are exceptionally safe in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are particularly caring, thoughtful and supportive of each other, saying that, ‘We are all happy, friendly and caring here.’ This was confirmed across the whole school and at all times of the day, as older pupils took responsibility for and care of the younger children in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 All pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe and healthy. Their awareness of potential dangers on the internet is exceptional. They are fully aware of the different types of bullying and feel confident they can talk to others when needed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have an excellent attitude to school, as shown by the rapid improvement in attendance, which is above average. All pupils spoken to stated they ‘loved’ school as they felt it was ‘fun’ and ‘really enjoyable’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 In all lessons pupils had a desire to learn and challenged themselves to do better.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 There is a strong moral and social code which permeates the school, with self-esteem and respect for all being paramount. This is the result of the excellent example of care and respect for others provided by all the staff in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 For their age, pupils show concern for others and a wide knowledge of the world. For example, during a discussion in assembly, pupils carefully and sympathetically commented on ways to resolve a moral dilemma. As part of their work in lessons, pupils often compared their lives and beliefs to those of others. Their mature approach to learning supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides the school with creative and expert leadership. She has created an active and effective leadership team, which shows much initiative, and which is strongly supported and held to account by the governing body. There is a clear focus and determination to continually improve the school. This approach has secured rapid improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders understand the link between high-quality teaching and high levels of achievement. They manage the performance of teachers well and make sure there is a good match between how much teachers are paid and how well pupils learn. Staff work together well and share a common belief that they, and the school, can improve still further. Leaders make sure that teachers receive training and support which meet all professional needs and strengthen the drive for improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ progress is assessed regularly and the resulting data help teachers plan learning accurately for pupils of all abilities. All leaders and managers use this information to make sure that demanding targets are set for pupils and school performance is monitored effectively. Additional support is provided for those pupils who need it, including those who are disabled or have special educational needs and those who receive pupil premium funding. The progress of these pupils is monitored closely to make sure that the additional provision is effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 The way in which subjects are taught has been revised and is still evolving, but pupils say it is exciting and creative. Learning is well planned and supported by a range of activities outside the normal timetable to enhance pupils’ learning experiences. A wide range of visits and visitors are also used to extend their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents are very supportive of the school and many take the opportunity to discuss their children’s learning and any difficulties each morning when they bring their children to school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders robustly manage all statutory requirements relating to safeguarding. The local authority, provides good support for the school through its training and advisory services and, correctly, recognises that this school only needs ‘light touch’ support as it is good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has a good range of skills and experience and is effective in challenging school leaders and holding them to account. Governors have a good understanding of teachers’ performance and are rightly linking this to their remuneration. They meet their responsibilities to ensure the safeguarding of pupils, for example by making improvements to the security of the building and site, and by undertaking training on safer recruitment. Governors have a good understanding of the data relating to pupils’ achievement and of how this relates to the national picture. They rigorously check the achievement of all groups of pupils, but particularly those known to be eligible for the pupil premium, to make sure that resources are used to allow these pupils to make the best possible progress.

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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 125676 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 403580

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 193 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Gadsby Headteacher Julia McLeod Date of previous school inspection 3 October 2007 Telephone number 024 76542212 Fax number N/A Email address admin3192@welearn365.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 .

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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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