Eastcombe Primary School

Eastcombe Primary School Dr Crouch's Road, Eastcombe, Stroud, GL6 7EA

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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 are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in all year groups in the school. This is an improvement since the last inspection when progress was more variable and pupils’ achievement was judged to be satisfactory. Pupils’ progress in mathematics is especially good. This reflects the considerable work done to raise standards in this subject, which was an area for improvement identified in the last inspection report.  Teaching is consistently good in all classes, with examples of outstanding practice. Teachers plan well for the range of ages and abilities in their classes, ensuring that all can make similar progress. Pupils say that the targets that they are set and teachers’ marking help them to know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. Teaching assistants are skilled and aid pupils’ learning well.  Pupils are extremely polite, thoughtful and caring. As a pupil put it, ‘Everyone is very

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This is a good school

friendly and knows and looks after each other.’ Pupils say that they feel extremely safe in school and their parents and carers and staff are unanimous in agreeing. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent; they work hard and are eager to do well.  The drive of the headteacher for continual improvement is shared very well by all staff and governors. Procedures to raise the quality of teaching are rigorous. A particular development since the last inspection is the ability of leaders and managers to analyse data to ensure that pupils are making the progress of which they are capable. Governors have good first-hand knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They support and challenge very well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although consistently good, insufficient teaching is yet outstanding.  Pupils’ achievement in writing, while still good, is not as good as that in reading or mathematics. Inspection report: Eastcombe Primary School , 12–13 March 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited nine lessons. Three of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector held meetings with leaders and managers, staff, pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and the Chair of the Governing Body’s standards committee and spoke on the telephone with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met informally with parents and carers at the beginning and end of the school days and analysed the results of the 27 responses to Parent View, the Ofsted online survey.  The inspector observed the school’s work, and looked at its self-evaluation, development planning and policies and procedures, particularly those relevant to keeping pupils safe.  The inspector evaluated the school’s information on the progress that pupils are making.

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Inspection team

John Eadie, Lead inspector Additional inspector Inspection report: Eastcombe Primary School , 12–13 March 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 Eastcombe Primary School is a much smaller than average-sized primary school. Pupils are grouped into three classes, one for Reception and Year 1, one for Years 2 and 3 and one for Years 4, 5 and 6.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families) is well below average. There are no looked after children and numbers in the other two groups are very small.  There is a below average proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and almost all speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils identified as disabled and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or who have statements of special educational needs is also below average.

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Information about this 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?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that much of it is outstanding by:  ensuring that teachers take every opportunity to extend pupils’ learning  ensuring that teachers always use time to best advantage to accelerate pupils’ learning.  Improve pupils’ achievement in writing so that it is nearer to that in their reading and mathematics by:  putting in place a clear structure to develop their grammatical and spelling skills  providing them with further opportunities for practising their writing skills in other subjects. Inspection report: Eastcombe Primary School , 12–13 March 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in all year groups make good progress and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Their progress in mathematics has accelerated particularly well due to very good initiatives to focus teaching on areas of identified weakness, which has improved their achievement in this subject.  Pupils’ progress in writing, while still good, is not as consistently good as that in reading or mathematics. This is because their grammatical and spelling skills are not as yet developed sufficiently consistently through the school. They also do not have enough time to develop their writing skills in other subjects.  An average proportion of pupils attained the expected standard in the 2012 national screening in Year 1 for phonics (linking letters and sounds). However, those that did not make the level expected did not miss it by much and several pupils exceeded the expected standard considerably.  Pupils use their phonic skills well and have good technical skills of reading. Older pupils enjoy

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading and were able to talk enthusiastically about books they have read. Standards in reading are above those expected for their age in all age groups in the school.  Children make good progress during their Reception Year. Provision for these children has improved and they make particularly good progress in linking sounds and letters due to the thorough programme of phonics that the school is using.  Pupils identified as disabled and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates as they have good plans made for their learning and are supported well.  The few pupils from minority ethnic groups make good progress. The very few who do not speak English at home are fully integrated and are making good progress in their acquisition of skills in English.  The very few pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium make progress that is at least as good as others’ and often better. There were no pupils eligible in Year 6 last year so it is

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The achievement of pupils is good

not possible to comment on their performance in national assessments compared to their peers. However, data show that their progress is accelerated and gaps are narrowing between their performance in English and mathematics and that of their peers due to the effective use of the funds provided to support their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching observed was of a consistently good quality with examples of outstanding practice. Evidence shows that this is typical of teaching over time in the school.  A particular strength is the way that teachers use questioning to establish the success of learning and then adapt their lessons to move learning on. A good example of this was seen with the younger pupils when the teacher, by her questioning, discovered that the pupils were learning more quickly than she expected. She quickly adapted her lesson and moved the pupils on further.  Teachers are good at setting appropriate levels of challenge. A pupil put this well, saying, ‘The work is challenging but not so difficult that we can’t do it.’  Teachers assess pupils’ learning thoroughly and this enables them to identify quickly those in danger of falling behind. Good initiatives are then used to help them catch up.  Pupils say that the targets that teachers set for their learning help them to know how well they

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The quality of teaching is good

are doing. They also appreciate the way that teachers’ marking gives them pointers for improvement.  Teaching assistants play a valuable role in aiding pupils’ learning, often, though not exclusively, for those pupils identified as disabled and those who have special educational needs.  Insufficient teaching is yet outstanding and in less successful lessons teachers do not always take opportunities to extend pupils’ learning. For instance, occasions were observed when a pupil’s answer could have led to interesting discussion, which would have enhanced learning, but the opportunity was not taken. There are also occasions when pupils’ learning could be accelerated by moving the lesson along at a livelier pace.  Relationships are very strong and, during observations, it was clear that pupils were therefore keen to do their best and work hard.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are extremely considerate and many instances were observed during the inspection when, for instance, older pupils helped younger ones. As a pupil put it, ‘Everyone is very kind and we always have friends around us.’  Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are excellent. They work hard and are very keen to do well. They work exceptionally well together in pairs and in groups and are given many opportunities to develop their skills in this way.  Staff, governors and almost all parents and carers agree that behaviour is outstanding. Pupils said that the excellent behaviour seen during the inspection is typical.  Although a very small minority of parents and carers expressed some concerns in the online questionnaire over bullying, pupils are extremely confident that bullying is rare, minor and extremely well dealt with when reported.  Pupils have very good knowledge of different types of bullying. For instance, they were able to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

talk in detail about the problem of racial and other discrimination, despite there being very few pupils from ethnic minorities in the school. They have a good awareness of the dangers of using the internet.  Pupils are extremely confident that they feel safe in school and parents and carers were unanimous in their support of this view.  Rates of attendance are above average, reflecting pupils’ enjoyment of school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, very ably supported by all staff and governors, has been the key driver behind the improvements noted since the last inspection.  The management of teachers’ performance has been used very well, alongside effective training, to support and extend teachers’ skills. However, this has not yet ensured that sufficient teaching is outstanding.  Although initiatives have been put in place to improve pupils’ achievement in writing, these have not yet had full effect.  At the heart of the school’s ethos is a determination to provide equality of opportunity and this is demonstrated in the way that pupils are prepared for the transition to the next stage of their education. A number of opportunities are provided for pupils to prepare for life in the wider world. For instance, during the inspection, pupils were enjoying ‘money week’, where not only were they learning how to budget, but each class was loaned money by the parents’ association,

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The leadership and management are good

which they were using as start-up funds for mini-enterprises to raise money for their classrooms.  The school has fostered very good relationships with parents and carers, who, as the online questionnaire revealed, are almost universally supportive and positive about all aspects of the school.  Funds are managed very carefully and this is demonstrated in the way that the funds provided for those pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium are very carefully used and focused on the needs of these pupils. This is effective in improving their progress.  The curriculum has been developed well and pupils say that they enjoy the wide range of experiences planned for them, particularly the many visits and visitors.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is extremely well catered for. They are developing into interested and thoughtful young people, who are keenly aware of their place in

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The leadership and management are good

society and their consequent responsibilities. For example, they enjoyed the recent opportunity to be involved in a mock trial competition in a local town. Their awareness of other cultures is enhanced by strong links and exchange visits with a more culturally diverse school and good links with a school in India.  Safeguarding procedures are thorough and pupils are kept safe.  The local authority regards this as a school that needs only light-touch support. However, their representative is impressed with the range and number of opportunities taken by the school to engage in training events and to ask for expertise when needed.  The governance of the school:  Governors support very well and their knowledge and expertise enables them to provide good levels of challenge. They have good knowledge of the strengths and areas for development for the school from their personal knowledge as they are regular visitors. A particular strength is

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The leadership and management are good

in the restructuring of their committees for greater efficiency. They subsequently sought external evaluation of their effectiveness and acted on these findings. They know how good teaching is and the effectiveness of the management of teachers’ performance, and they use this knowledge well to ratify teachers’ pay. They know how well pupils are doing compared to those nationally and locally, including those eligible for the pupil premium, and they receive and understand good information on the progress that pupils currently in the school are making. Inspection report: Eastcombe Primary School , 12–13 March 2013 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. Inspection report: Eastcombe Primary School , 12–13 March 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 115504 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 405584

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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 67 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gerry Moutrey Headteacher Angela Ayling Date of previous school inspection 1–2 December 2010 Telephone number 01452 770227 Fax number 01452 770942 Email address admin@eastcombe.gloucs.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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