Clunbury CofE Primary School

Clunbury CofE Primary School Clunbury, Craven Arms, SY7 0HE

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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.  The hard work and strong leadership of the headteacher, well supported by a much improved governing body and an effective staff team, has led to significant improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Teaching and learning are good across the school. Thanks to leaders’ thorough checks on teaching, followed up with effective training, teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and promote learning well.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 and by Year 6 are above those usually found nationally in English and mathematics.  Pupils’ good behaviour makes a strong contribution to the successful learning in all lessons. Pupils say they feel ‘very safe’ in school. They are aware of the different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying, how to avoid it and what to do should it occur.  The high-quality of care, coupled with good teaching and effective planning, ensures that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

children achieve well in the Early Years Foundation Stage Nursery and Reception classes. Children respond well to the stimulating activities provided, including regular ‘Forest School’ visits, and are inquisitive about the world around them.  Pupils enjoy a good variety of exciting additional activities throughout the school year, usually linked to their current topic focus. These include visits, visitors to the school and residential stays.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their above average rates of attendance and punctuality.  The school accurately evaluates how well it is doing and what needs to be done next in order to improve further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, the pace of learning in lessons slows after a brisk start, and pupils are not encouraged enough to develop the skill of learning independently without direction from adults.  Standards in writing, while improving, are not yet as high as in reading and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons, of which two were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings and discussions were held with governors, members of staff, a representative of the local authority and groups of pupils.  The inspection took into account the 17 responses to the online questionnaire for parents and carers (Parent View).  The inspector 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 relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Clive Lewis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most other primary schools.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is below average although the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above the national average.  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?

 Further raise the overall quality and consistency of teaching to be outstanding by ensuring that:  all learning in lessons proceeds at a brisk pace throughout  pupils are provided with more opportunities to develop their independent learning skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in writing by ensuring that pupils are provided with more opportunities to practise these skills in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Good teaching leads to good progress throughout the school for pupils from all backgrounds and abilities. This good progress was reflected in the good quality of learning in lessons observed during the inspection and confirmed by the work in pupils’ books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s experiences and skills on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage vary from year to year but are generally equivalent to those typically found for this age group. Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes and make good progress during their first years in school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, pupils quickly learn the sounds letters make to support their writing, as well as the mathematics skills they need to complete simple calculations. Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to build on these good achievements and, by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, attainment in English and mathematics is above the national average, although attainment in writing is not as high as it is in reading. The numbers of pupils who take the National Curriculum tests in Year 6 are very small each year. This means that comparisons with the national proportions who make and exceed the expected progress are unreliable.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make particularly good progress in developing their reading skills. This starts by teaching younger pupils to read by linking letters to the sounds that they make (phonics). The teaching of reading, through daily phonics lessons and regular guided reading activities, continues through all age groups. As a result, pupils throughout the school read confidently and well, and older pupils read fluently and with a good understanding of their texts.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The small number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium make at least as good progress as their peers. Their needs are fully identified and the school uses the funding very well to provide carefully matched additional support, for example, through frequent small-group or one-to-one work. It also allocates extra resources to ensure that they can join in extra activities made available to all other pupils. The very small numbers in each Year 6 group mean that it is not possible to make meaningful comments about gaps in performance. For example, in 2011, none of the eight pupils was eligible for the pupil premium. In 2012, three out of eight were; two of these pupils, both on the special educational needs register, joined the school in Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. The good support provided by class teachers, teaching assistants and outside agencies ensures that work is set at the right level for them, enabling them to make small but progressive steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Consistently good teaching enables pupils of all backgrounds and abilities to learn successfully. Lessons are well planned with clear learning goals that are shared with the pupils. Marking is regular and typically gives pupils good guidance about how to improve. Good use is made of resources, including technology, to motivate pupils and enhance their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In one good Year 5/6 mathematics lesson, focusing on improving pupils’ skills in finding solutions to problems by being methodical, the teacher set a very good pace, which was maintained throughout the lesson. Subject vocabulary and key facts were constantly reinforced and activities were changed frequently to maintain pupils’ interest. The teacher used questioning skills very effectively to gauge and guide pupils’ learning. Challenging tasks motivated and inspired pupils well so that enjoyment and learning were good throughout.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan lessons and subjects with imaginative activities that excite and interest pupils. Good links are made between different subjects and to previous learning. This helps to promote pupils’ confidence and enjoyment in learning as well as their spiritual and cultural development.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are very well supported by a strong team of teaching assistants, who provide good support for groups and individuals within classrooms and make a particularly effective contribution to the daily whole-school phonics activities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Strategies for managing the behaviour of pupils are very effective with the result that pupils work in a calm and orderly atmosphere. Pupils work hard and remain on task without the need for constant adult intervention.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching and planning in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. Good progress has been made in improving free access to the well-resourced and secure outdoor area. Children make good progress in all the areas of learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have a clear focus on teaching pupils to read. Regular phonics sessions and guided reading activities for all age groups further support the development of pupils’ reading skills and a love of books.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is checked rigorously and tracked as they move through the school. Termly meetings about pupils’ progress are held to discuss the information gained. These meetings ensure that teachers have a good understanding of how well pupils in their charge are doing and the action they should take to support and help them to reach their challenging targets.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is not yet outstanding overall. The best learning occurs when lessons go at a brisk pace that sustains pupils’ interest. However, in a small minority of lessons, the pace of learning slows after a brisk start to the lesson. Teachers are aware of the need to allow pupils more independence in lessons, and in the best lessons, they ensure that pupils are able to make choices and to work on their own. However, in a small number of lessons, pupils have limited opportunity to use their own initiative and rely too much on the teacher for direction.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, is typically good and a major factor in the good progress pupils make in lessons. At times, outstanding behaviour was observed, although pupils’ attention occasionally wanders when the pace of learning slows. The school has an effective system of rewards and sanctions which ensures that any poor behaviour is dealt with effectively and promptly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say learning is enjoyable and they are enthusiastic about their education. They talk animatedly about how their teachers make learning ‘fun’ and greatly appreciate the educational visits and broad range of after-school extra-curricular activities. They have a firm understanding of different types of bullying, including that which might be encountered through internet sites.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they enjoy coming to school and this is demonstrated in their consistently high levels of attendance. Year 6 pupils said they will be sorry to leave the school in the summer.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand the need for healthy lifestyles and exercise. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe, and say that they are confident that any issues they raise will be dealt with promptly. Through the school council, pupils demonstrate their pride in the school community and take their responsibilities very seriously.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and determined leadership and her high expectations are a significant factor in the good improvement made under her guidance. As a result of these improvements, most aspects of the school are now good and school self-evaluation has correctly identified appropriate areas for further development. Staff are well motivated and demonstrate a shared sense of responsibility and commitment to the school’s continued improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teaching is well led. As a result of regular monitoring and support, teaching is now consistently good across the school. Leaders are aware of the need for more teaching to be consistently outstanding. Together with careful tracking of pupils’ progress, the detailed information about teaching that comes from checks on teachers’ work ensures that planning for improvement is founded on good evidence and accurate data.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very effectively. The school’s promotion of equality of opportunity in all its work is outstanding. Leaders are constantly alert to any variation in achievement and searching for new ways to overcome any weaknesses.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has very good relationships with parents and carers and all who responded to the online Parent View questionnaire said they would recommend the school to others.

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The leadership and management are good

 Fully supported and monitored by the governing body, the school makes full and effective use of the money derived from the pupil premium to support frequent small-group and one-to-one work. This helps to ensure that eligible pupils make good progress in their time in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides high-quality care for its pupils. The small size of the school ensures that families and pupils are known very well by staff. The school’s positive relationships with parents and carers, and it’s very good links with a range of partners such as the behaviour support team, speech therapy services and family support services, contribute significantly to improvements in pupils’ wellbeing and achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff ensure that pupils benefit from a good balance of interesting and exciting activities. The recent strong focus on supporting literacy and mathematics across all subjects, tied in with imaginative links developed between different subjects, has had a positive effect on pupils’ progress, enthusiasm and ability to learn and work on their own. However, pupils do not always have enough opportunities to use in all subjects the writing skills they learn in English lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school carries out a thorough evaluation of its performance and produces an action plan to show how priorities, which accurately match the school’s needs, will be tackled. Effective leadership ensures that actions have a clear impact on progress and teaching and has led to an improved and improving school with good capacity to move forward.

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The leadership and management are good

 Local authority support has been helpful in supporting the school to improve since the last inspection. It has arranged training for both governors and leaders and assisted the school in checking that they are accurate in their measurement of standards.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body provides strong support and challenge for leaders and managers in order to ensure that the school continues to improve and move forward. Governors gather, check and discuss a wide range of reports about the school as well as visiting regularly to see for themselves how the school is operating and being led. As a result, they have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching. Governors are rigorous in checking that safeguarding systems are secure and that they meet all current regulatory requirements. The governing body has been effective in overseeing the arrangements for relating teachers’ pay to performance. It plays a fully active role in the school’s self-evaluation, monitoring and improvement planning processes. It understands the data on how well pupils do, and the comparative performance of the school in relation to similar schools. It asks probing questions,

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The leadership and management are good

knows what is happening in the school and is aware that provision is good.

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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 123541 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 402173

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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 aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 56 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Frank Morgan Headteacher Patricia Greenaway Date of previous school inspection 22 March 2010 Telephone number 01588 660207 Fax number 01588 660207 Email address admin.clunbury@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

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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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