St Martin's CofE Primary & Nursery School

St Martin's C of E Primary and Nursery School Younghayes Road, Cranbrook, Exeter, EX5 7DT

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Progress is good and is improving quickly and securely following a period of turbulence. Pupils achieve well from their different starting points because teaching is good.  Leaders have ensured that teaching arrangements are adapted well to the rapidly changing nature of the school, due to the rising numbers of pupils. Pupils are treated as individuals and those new to the school are securely integrated.  Teachers and other staff provide a secure learning environment where pupils feel confident that they can ‘have a go’ and that their views and responses are respected.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning because activities are often interesting, and exploit links between subjects well.  Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful. They get on well with each other and readily express their views. They feel safe in school and are free from bullying.  Leaders have comprehensive arrangements to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

check the progress of individual pupils and this enables them to take rapid action to address any underperformance by pupils, including pupils new to the school.  The leadership of teaching is good. The headteacher has established a knowledgeable team of staff who work well together and understand how to promote effective learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, activities planned do not meet the needs of some groups of pupils sufficiently well.  There are not enough opportunities for pupils to set their own learning targets and to judge for themselves how well they have done, and this limits pupils’ independence.  Governors’ involvement in checking on decisions made about the salary progression of teachers is not fully developed.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons, all of which were joint observations with the headteacher. He also scrutinised samples of pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body, groups of pupils and with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 21 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Parents’ views were also gathered from informal conversations at the start of the school day.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at documents, including the school improvement plans, school checks on teaching, records relating to attendance, and the school’s data on pupils’ progress.

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Inspection team

Peter Clifton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Martin’s C of E Primary School opened on a new site in September 2012 to serve the new town of Cranbrook. It replaced Clyst Honiton C of E Primary School and started with 32 pupils.  Since moving to the new site, the number of pupils has increased rapidly and is set to increase further because of housing development. About 10 new houses are being occupied each week.  Although growing rapidly, this is a smaller than average primary school.  The pupils are taught in four classes but this is being adjusted as new children arrive on a daily basis.  Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is a little above average; the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional

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Information about this school

funding for children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families, is average. Currently, the school has no pupils who are in the care of the local authority and no children from service families.  There were not enough pupils in Year 6 in 2012 to make a judgement about whether the government’s current floor standards were met or not (these 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 outstanding by:  making sure that teachers’ planning for activities in lessons always fully meets the needs of all pupils in the class  giving pupils better opportunities to set their own targets and decide for themselves what they need to improve.  Strengthen leadership and management by:  making sure that governors are better involved in checking the decisions made about the salary progression of teaching staff.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s records of progress for pupils who have been in the school for more than just a short time show that different groups of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This includes disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding make progress in English and mathematics which is at least in line with, and sometimes better than, that of their classmates. Additional support to help these and other pupils develop their number skills, and to use letters and their sounds (phonics) to help with reading has been very effective in boosting progress.  Learning observed in different classes was good and reflects improvements that have been established. For example, pupils are helped to develop their writing skills through the use of talk and an emphasis on developing pupils’ understanding of number and place value is raising

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The achievement of pupils is good

attainment in mathematics.  The rapidly changing numbers in the school have led to an influx of children into the Early Years Foundation Stage over the past few months. Therefore, it is not possible to make any meaningful judgement about overall starting points.  Children in the Nursery play confidently in the outside area. They concentrate well, for example when they work with the teacher to complete a puzzle, talking about the different shapes and colours. Children enjoy using ‘tablets’ individually, for example to help them to write and learn the sounds of different letters. In Reception, children count beyond 20 and are developing their understanding about the worth of different coins and placing them in order of value.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use their knowledge of phonics well to help them to read. Older pupils are developing good reading habits. They give preferences for different authors and like being

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The achievement of pupils is good

able to choose from a broad range of e-books and books from the library.  In 2012, overall attainment in Year 2 was broadly average. Current attainment in Year 2 is higher; these pupils now in Year 2 have made good progress from their different starting points.  There were no pupils eligible for the pupil premium in Year 6 in 2012, and numbers of pupils were too small to make any meaningful judgements about attainment. However, this group of pupils did not make enough progress from their starting points in Year 3, a situation that has now been rectified.  Pupils’ attainment in the current Year 6 is broadly average and this includes some pupils who have joined the school fairly recently. These pupils are on course to make at least the progress expected, and a good proportion to do better than expected from their different starting points in Year 3.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good. Questioning by teachers probes pupils’ understanding well. Teachers expect pupils to contribute actively to lessons and there are frequent opportunities for pupils to discuss their ideas together. This means that learning in lessons is often lively.  There are some well-thought-out links between subjects which help the pupils to enjoy their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Years 4,5 and 6 have explored the concept of bigger and smaller linked to the story of Gulliver’s Travels, and in English, they write reports from research into rain forests.  Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Teachers manage pupils well and have established clear routines and expectations. This means that learning takes place in a calm and purposeful environment. Pupils comment that they are treated fairly by staff and get lots of praise for good work.  Reading, writing and calculation skills are taught well. Basic skills to help with reading and

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The quality of teaching is good

number are taught well in the lower part of the school and, as a result, pupils’ progress is accelerating. Older pupils are taught how to construct more complex sentences and this is helping them to improve their writing and reach the higher levels of attainment. In mathematics, they explored number sequences.  Teaching assistants provide valuable support, for example in the Early Years Foundation Stage to help groups of children develop in confidence or to investigate.  Marking is helpful and is developmental as it informs pupils about what they have done well and what must be improved. Pupils value the comments by teachers and use these comments to help them to improve their work.  Occasionally, learning in some parts of lessons is not strong enough because planned activities do not meet the needs of different group of pupils sufficiently well.  Although pupils have targets for improvement, they are not given sufficient opportunities to set

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The quality of teaching is good

their own targets, or judge for themselves how well they have done. They do not, for example, look at their work often enough to evaluate what they can do to move it to the next level.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. They say that they get on well with each other and welcome new children into the school, although they find it difficult to ‘keep up with the names’. Discrimination is not tolerated.  Pupils are well mannered, friendly and courteous in and around the school. They play together happily on the playground and enjoy a good range of activities although, on a few occasions, their play is boisterous.  Pupils confirm that they feel safe and secure in school and that there is an absence of bullying. They know about the different ways in which they could be bullied. They are aware of the potential dangers, for example, on roads and from using the internet. Forest school activities give pupils a keen sense of the possible dangers of lighting fires and the need to take care when using tools.  Parents, carers and staff confirm that pupils’ behaviour and safety are good. Incident logs show

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

that any misbehaviour is dealt with positively and that this leads to an improvement in behaviour for individual pupils.  In lessons, there are a few occasion when pupils’ learning slows because they lose concentration, particularly when working together in small groups. Some pupils have to be reminded more than once about listening and paying attention, when being taught as a whole class.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, with the support of governors, has maintained a strong focus on the quality of teaching. This has been successful in strengthening teaching and is shown in the good progress being made by the pupils currently in the school. This sharp focus on teaching has steered the school through a challenging period during which the achievement of some pupils faltered.  Good teamwork has been established. Staff have supported improvements introduced in English and mathematics and ensured that they are implemented effectively. Some pupils have made rapid improvement because additional support has been well targeted.  The progress of individuals and different groups of pupils is carefully tracked from the time they come into school. Good arrangements for induction mean that pupils’ progress does not stall, and sometimes it accelerates. This happens because additional help or support is quickly

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The leadership and management are good

provided when needed, and ensures pupils’ equality of opportunity.  Assemblies and topic work provide pupils with opportunities, for example to reflect on others who are not as fortunate as themselves and the importance of being kind and respectful of each other’s rights. This good attention to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development helps the pupils to settle quickly when they start in the school. The forest school activities promote teamwork and an appreciation of the environment.  The local authority has supported the school appropriately through a period of uncertainty and to help it move successfully to a new site.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a realistic and well-founded understanding about how well different groups of pupils are doing because of the clear information they receive from the headteacher. They understand how pupils’ performance relates to national averages and national expectations

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The leadership and management are good

about pupil progress. Governors have made sensible decisions about spending, including arrangements to meet the needs of rising numbers of pupils in the school, including taking on new staff as the year has progressed. They have tracked the effectiveness of the additional support provided using pupil premium funding and have followed up information about these pupils’ progress by making visits to the school. Governors ensure that the performance management of the headteacher is carried out. While they have information about pupils’ progress in different classes, they do not know enough about the decisions made on whether or not teachers should move up the salary scale. Individual governors have worked actively to welcome new parents and their children to the school. Governors make sure that they know and follow the required procedures about safeguarding children.

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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 113351 Local authority Devon Inspection number 411886

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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 120 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nick Pring Headteacher Tania Beard Date of previous school inspection 9 June 2010 Telephone number 01404 515409 Email address admin@stmartinscranbrook.devon.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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