Clehonger CofE Primary School

Clehonger CofE Primary School Gosmore Road, Clehonger, Hereford, HR2 9SN

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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.  Most groups of pupils achieve well because of good teaching, their very positive attitudes to learning and effective support.  Pupils’ progress is assessed frequently and carefully. The specific needs of pupils are identified and addressed well.  Behaviour is good. Almost all pupils behave well in and out of lessons. They are thoughtful, considerate and helpful.  Pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff and are enthusiastic about learning. Time is used well in lessons and activities run at a suitable pace.  Any rare occasions of inappropriate behaviour are managed well.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well. Pupils learn about different countries and enjoy songs from a range of cultural traditions.  Leaders have successfully driven improvements in teaching and achievement since the last inspection.  Parents are fully engaged in their children’s

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

learning, hearing them read, attending special events and helping support others at school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils, especially the more-able, are not always challenged to make as much progress as quickly as they could.  Pupils are not always given time to respond to, and learn from, teachers’ advice when marking their books.  Some aspects of outdoor provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage are jaded, which reduces the impact of the positive environment for learning found inside.  Early Years assessments do not cover all stages of development and therefore do not clearly show the good progress all the children are making.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 17 lessons and part lessons, taught by the headteacher, the five teachers who were working at the school during the inspection and three teaching assistants. Four of these observations were joint visits with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, governors, two representatives from the local authority, leaders, teachers and other staff, as well as parents  Inspectors considered the views of parents, from the 36 online responses to the Parent View website and informal discussions.  They considered seven responses to the staff questionnaire and the views of pupils, through both informal and pre-arranged discussions.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ current progress, pupils’ work, leaders’ reports on lesson observations, the school’s development plan, planning and monitoring documents, documents

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Information about this inspection

relating to safeguarding, and records relating to behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Jo Curd, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Clehonger CofE Primary School is smaller than most other primary schools. Some year groups of pupils are particularly small. The school is situated in a small village four miles west of Hereford.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is much lower than in most other schools.  A small, but growing, proportion of pupils are from elsewhere in Europe. A small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. Most of these pupils are at relatively early stages of understanding and speaking English.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (children who are looked after by the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed services), is smaller than in most other schools. None of the pupils are looked after by the local authority. Currently, most of those known to be eligible for free school

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Information about this school

meals or pupils from service families also have additional emotional or special educational needs.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is above average. Most of these have complex social, emotional or medical needs.  A higher proportion of pupils than in most other schools start or leave the school at times other than the beginning of the Reception year or the end of Year 6. This was particularly true a few years ago when the local authority was temporarily discussing the reorganisation of schools.  The majority of those leaving the school are more able. The majority of those who start after the Reception year have additional needs, such as special educational needs or are in the early stages of speaking and understanding English.

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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 in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise teaching and achievement to outstanding by:  making sure that all pupils, especially those who are more able, are appropriately challenged throughout the school  allowing time for pupils to respond to and learn from teachers’ comments in marking.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by:  improving the quality of resources and the environment in the outdoor area  extending assessments to clearly show the progress and attainment of all children.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The range of knowledge, skills and experience of children starting the Reception class is very broad. Usually about a quarter are above national expectations and about half are below. Overall these are slightly below, especially in language and social skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children achieve well in the Reception class, because they engage in a wide range of practical activities, develop good relationships and receive effective support from parents and carers, staff and volunteers. Attainment at the end of the Reception class is broadly average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Staff in the Reception class know children well. Achievement is evident in discussion and children’s work, even though current assessment records do not clearly show the attainment, as well as the progress, of children working at a developmental level below 40-60 months.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils continue to achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stages 1 and 2. The proportion of pupils making expected and above-expected rates of progress in each of these key stages, compares favourably with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment overall, at the end of Year 6, has been below the national average. This is because of the high proportion of pupils with complex needs and because a greater proportion of more- able pupils tends to leave part-way through the school and a greater proportion of pupils with additional needs join in Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 From a young age, pupils make sense of what they read and correct themselves if the text does not make sense. The proportion of pupils succeeding in the national check for six-year olds in phonics (the sounds which letters make) was below average last year. However, the proportion of pupils who reach expected levels in reading by the end of Year 2, is higher than in most other schools because pupils are taught well, keen to read and have frequent opportunities to do so.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, as well as pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language, achieve well because they are supported well by skilled teaching assistants in lessons and small withdrawal groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who arrive after the Reception class achieve well because they are welcomed warmly and given relevant and effective support. Although gaps between the low starting points of many of these pupils and others are closing, their attainment at the end of Year 6 often remains below average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Year 6 in 2012 there were too few pupils who were children of service families or known to be eligible for free school meals to report on their attainment and progress. Across the school, the needs of these pupils are met well because they are assessed carefully and appropriate support is identified and given. Pupil-premium funding is used well to finance the learning mentor and additional teaching assistants to help raise achievement and close gaps with those of other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 While more-able pupils generally achieve well, they are not always given sufficiently demanding work to make the maximum progress in all classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Effective teaching helps all pupils to achieve well and develop their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural awareness. In a Key Stage 2 English lesson, pupils achieved extremely well, writing a ‘letter from Iceland’. Pupils reflected on their own learning and explained this to others, made supportive but challenging comments about the work of fellow pupils and respectfully learned about a country and culture different from their own.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Time in lessons is used well for teaching and learning. Teachers and teaching assistants are well prepared, make good use of information and communication technology and successfully build on pupils’ positive attitudes, good behaviour and eagerness to learn.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage have successfully reorganised their classroom, providing spaces for children to learn on their own, with other children and alongside adults. Some areas and resources outside, such as a bucket of resources to use in sand and water, are tired and worn. Consequently they are not inspiring or suitable for sparking children’s enthusiasm.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well and included in a wide range of lessons. Phonics are effectively taught by the head teacher, teachers and teaching assistants, to groups of younger pupils organised by attainment rather than age. Older pupils often read. One Year 6 boy reported that he liked reading and that it always gave him something to do.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Assessments of pupils’ achievement are frequent and used well. They are used to improve teaching and target support for those who need it.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All pupils benefit from equality of opportunity through a wide range of experiences. For example, all the pupils in Year 6 were enthralled as a professional actor explained a Shakespeare play to them. All pupils borrowed books from the mobile library which visits the school and all pupils regularly read aloud at home or to staff or volunteers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Activities are relevant and prepare pupils well for the future. For example, pupils develop social enterprise and mathematical skills in the annual ‘maths fair’ week. All classes are given money to set up stalls for the school community and families and raise money to spend on equipment for their class.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is up-to-date and usually includes comments telling pupils how to improve their work. Sometimes pupils are not given the time to respond to teachers’ suggestions or learn from them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils, parents and carers and staff report that behaviour is good. They know that inappropriate behaviour is dealt with quickly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The learning mentor, employed through the pupil premium, skilfully and sensitively helps pupils and families whose circumstances make them more vulnerable than others. She successfully works with pupils individually, in ‘friendship groups’ and in families, successfully promoting skills and self-esteem. Pupils of all ages enjoy and value this greatly.  Pupils have a good understanding of a wide range of unacceptable behaviour, including verbal, physical and cyber bullying. They also know what to do, or who to tell, if such instances arise. They report that there are very few incidents of bullying and that these are dealt with quickly and effectively if they do occur.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are aware how serious racist name-calling and bullying is, value all people and are keen to combat discrimination and prejudice.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe because they learn to manage risks, such as playing with stilts and pogo sticks at lunch times. They know that friends will help them and have confidence that staff will always listen and support whenever necessary.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. Most spoken to said that they ‘love school’ and appreciate their teachers’ care and sense of humour. Parents report that their children run to school and are disappointed when it is closed in the holidays. More-able pupils continue to work hard, even when activities are not sufficiently challenging to bring the best out of them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are considerate, thoughtful and helpful, holding doors open for visitors and helping adults and other children. These attitudes help make the school a safe and positive environment for all.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is currently in line with the national average. The majority of absence is due to illness.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have successfully used their accurate understanding of the school and clear, well- focused development plan to improve assessments, teaching and achievement since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have successfully trained and equipped other leaders, such as subject coordinators, so that they contribute to school improvement and development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have improved the quality of teaching by monitoring it carefully and providing appropriate whole-school and individual training. They use staff appraisals and rewards well to raise teaching and outcomes for all pupils. Staff make good use of opportunities to observe others within and beyond the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers provide a broad range of activities and subjects, in lessons, assemblies and special events, which are suitable for all. These successfully help achievement, pupils’ personal development and preparation for later life and learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, including governors, work well with pupils, staff and parents and carers. Morale is high as all these groups are positive about the school and its improvement. Parents and carers spoken to feel very involved in the school and in their children’s learning. Attendance at special events is good and several parents and carers help out in the school each week.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders use good relationships with other groups and organisations, which extend pupils’ experiences, learning, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, a development officer from a national food business brought dried fruit and cereals to make a healthy breakfast with pupils, which helped achievement, interest and enjoyment.  Officers and advisers from the local authority have had a positive impact over recent years. They have been supportive and effective giving training to improve leadership, management and the quality of teaching. They have successfully made sure that effective systems and skills are in place, so that developments can continue and increase in the future.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good knowledge about the quality of teaching and how well pupils are doing, especially the achievement of groups in relation to all pupils nationally, financial management and the use and impact of the pupil premium. Systems for managing and improving the performance of all teaching staff are effective. Governors take full responsibility for managing the performance and salary of the head teacher. Their direct involvement in appraising the effectiveness of teachers is less well developed. They receive accurate and helpful information from the headteacher and visit classes to see teaching and learning in action. They ask searching questions and are fully involved in developing and improving the school. They know what the school is doing to reward good teaching and to quickly tackle any underperformance.

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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 116795 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 405666

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 116 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Hedges Headteacher Susan Jones Date of previous school inspection 25 May 2011 Telephone number 01981 250218 Email address admin@clehonger.hereford.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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