Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School

Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School Fencott Road, Charlton-on-Otmoor, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 2UT

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Since the last inspection, the school leaders at all levels have worked successfully to improve the quality of teaching and the outcomes for the pupils.  The school has an accurate assessment of those areas that still need development, and is working well so that the school continues to improve.  Pupils make good progress from average starting points in the Nursery and Reception, so that by the end of Year 6 attainment is above national averages.  The teaching of reading in the school is very effective, consequently pupils read well, and they have made at least good or better progress by the end of Key Stage 2.  The behaviour of the pupils is excellent. They feel very safe in school and extremely well looked after by the adults around them.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Teachers do not always provide specific targets to pupils so they know exactly what they have to achieve in a lesson or group of lessons.  Teachers do not always provide enough guidance to pupils on how they can improve their work, and do not routinely give pupils sufficient opportunities to respond quickly to the feedback they are given.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in six lessons, one short part of a lesson and a whole-school assembly.  Meetings were held with a small group of children, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority. The inspector also met with senior and middle leaders, and other members of staff who were keen to highlight some wider aspects of the work of the school.  A wide range of documentation was reviewed, including planning and monitoring documentation, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  The inspector listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of the pupils’ work books.  Responses from 38 parents and carers to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were considered, along with one letter from a parent or carer as well as feedback from 13 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Dave Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary school. It draws its pupils, who are predominantly of White British heritage, from the surrounding villages. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, and currently there are no pupils attending who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils eligible for 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 children of service families) is well below the national average. There are no looked after pupils in the school.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is much lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is much higher than the national 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.  The school does not offer any alternative provision for its pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning by: - ensuring that all pupils have specific targets to work towards, which will give them a clear understanding of what they are expected to be learning, so helping them to improve their work in a lesson or sequence of lessons - ensuring that teachers consistently provide clear written feedback to pupils, giving them an opportunity to respond to teachers’ comments, and then the time to improve their work based on this guidance.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Generally children enter the Nursery with skill levels that are typical for their age, and effective teaching ensures they make good progress. Pupils’ achievement exceeds national expectations in all skill areas and pupils leave Reception very well placed to start Year 1.  Pupils’ attainment in external national assessments at the end of Year 6 has shown some degree of variation over time. This is linked to the small numbers in each year group and the wide range of abilities and needs of pupils in some years. Attainment has been consistently above national averages in English, while in mathematics attainment has dipped below the national average only once in recent years. The school’s own information shows a picture of continuing above- average overall attainment.  The progress pupils make in both English and mathematics has been variable over time, but the small numbers in each year group make any patterns unreliable. The information the school

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The achievement of pupils is good

holds on the progress different year groups are currently making in Key Stage 2 indicates that most pupils are making at least good progress across the different subjects.  Pupils’ progress is monitored closely in meetings between the headteacher and class teacher. This enables support to be provided to pupils if individuals are making slower progress. Discussions with the special educational needs coordinator identify that more specific support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs needs to be planned and delivered. Progress for this group of pupils has generally been good.  Reading is well taught at school and pupils make very good progress. Although pupils did not achieve well in the Year 1 screening check the school’s own data indicates that the current pupils should be more successful this year. That said younger pupils are able to use their knowledge of letters and sounds to good effect when tackling unfamiliar words and older pupils read fluently

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The achievement of pupils is good

with good intonation and characterisation.  Small-group work and additional classroom support for pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding have been very effective in helping them to close the comparative attainment gap in mathematics, and helping them to move about a term ahead of their peers in English.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection and is central to delivering better outcomes for pupils. Teachers are using assessment information to track pupils’ progress more closely and to identify the next steps in their learning. This has enabled teachers to plan more effectively for the different abilities within their groups and deliver work that is neither too easy nor too hard.  Teachers try to make sure that their pupils know what they are going to learn, however they do not always give pupils specific targets matched to their abilities. As a result pupils cannot routinely identify what they are working towards, and cannot always monitor how well they are doing themselves.  The quality of marking and feedback pupils receive varies between subject areas and classes. In English, older pupils are given guidance on how to improve their work, but this is less common

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The quality of teaching is good

in mathematics. In topic work there is little marking that provides a guide for pupils to improve their work, and pupils do not respond to the feedback quickly enough to make the necessary improvements.  Teaching assistants work very effectively supporting pupils within the classroom and in small- group or one-to-one sessions. This enables them to make similar progress to others in the class. Teaching assistants are given additional responsibilities and take a lead in providing wider learning opportunities, for example, in organising memory books and the ‘Young Leaders’ scheme.  The school uses new technologies well in lessons; iPods are used by pupils of all ages, including those in the Nursery and Reception class, to take photographs, and in Year 5 and Year 6 to make and edit short films for entry in a competition.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils are able to explore interesting activities indoors and

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The quality of teaching is good

in a well-equipped outdoor space. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to choose their own learning tasks as well as supporting the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills through effective small-group work that is well matched to the abilities of the pupils.  Pupils say lessons are fun and they enjoy the work they do. Most subject areas are someone’s favourite, but of particular note are the code-breaking and problem-solving activities Year 5 and Year 6 were working on linked to a murder mystery in mathematics.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils really enjoy school and are very enthusiastic about their lessons and what they are learning. In class they focus on tasks extremely well and are given opportunities to work in groups and discuss ideas which they enjoy. The working relationships within the classes are very positive between the adults and the pupils.  Some pupils have the role as ‘Young Leaders’ and act as play buddies to promote games and friendship at break and lunchtimes. This is very successful in encouraging the pupils to be active and ensuring they play well together.  Incidents of poor behaviour are said by pupils to be very rare and although pupils may fall out they quickly sort out the problems themselves, saying that adults help out if necessary. Pupils are well aware of issues around personal safety including safe use of the internet. On a trip to London, staff identified that pupils lacked confidence when crossing roads, and brought in

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

outside groups to help improve their road sense. A number of pupils are currently undergoing cycling proficiency training.  Attendance is high with little variation between groups of pupils. The school continues to work to raise attendance further, discouraging parents and carers from taking holidays during term time.  Although the Charlton is a very small school, sport is promoted and pupils are actively encouraged to take part. During the inspection Year 4 pupils put in a very creditable performance in an athletics tournament at another school, and the football team won their tournament in extra time to match the girls’ success in cricket.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for at school. Parents and carers echo their children’s view about the caring ethos of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection the headteacher and middle leaders have worked hard to improve the quality of teaching and the outcomes for the pupils. The school’s self-review processes accurately identify areas that require improvement, and appropriate action plans are in place to further develop them, indicating clear capacity to continue to improve.  The new systems to track pupils’ progress have enabled the school to monitor their progress more effectively, and have helped teachers to sharpen their planning. A programme of lesson observations, work scrutiny and pupil conferencing has assisted the headteacher and lead teacher in reviewing the quality of teaching and bringing about improvement. Innovative use of video has enabled teachers to review their own work and share good practice with others.  The monitoring of the quality of teaching is used to support the performance management of teachers and other staff. Robust systems ensure there are clear links between incentives for

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The leadership and management are good

teachers and outcomes for pupils.  The local authority has provided support to the school with staff development for middle leaders and training for governors and continues to do so.  The broad range of subjects provides a rich learning experience for the pupils and enables them to develop and build on their basic skills in English, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT). The school has extended its work in the gardening club which is now a key component within the subject areas. This thread of environmental understanding involves pupils growing plants for food and investigating the natural habitats in the school grounds, including a pond, so that an appreciation of the living world can be developed.  The school works hard to raise the pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity. Through lessons, visits to places of interest, as well as developing links with schools across Europe through the

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The leadership and management are good

Comenius Project, the school ensures that the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of its pupils is strong.  The school knows all its pupils very well and works closely with their families, some of whom have attended the school for three generations. The school is inclusive and successfully supports pupils with significant needs, and others who have struggled to settle into other schools. All pupils are treated equally, and there is no evidence of any discrimination. The work of the school is valued by parents and carers.  The governance of the school:  The effectiveness of the governing body has increased since the last inspection and the school is held to account more. The Chair of the Governing Body takes an active role in reviewing the school development plan with the headteacher. Governors are well informed as to the quality of teaching, and understand the link between pupils’ outcomes and salary progression for

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The leadership and management are good

staff. They are much more confident in reviewing data on the progress of pupils and undertake their responsibilities to review the effectiveness of the support provided to specific groups of pupils, for example, those eligible for additional funding from the pupil premium grant. The governing body has taken full advantage of training provided by the local authority. The range of expertise within the governing body enables close monitoring of the financial position of the school. Governors stringently review and audit the child protection and safeguarding arrangements to ensure they are fully in place. Governors are active in school and regularly visit classes. They have good links with the parent body and provide newsletters outlining their work.

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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 123100 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 402133

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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 110 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rachel Foord Headteacher Mike Wisbach Date of previous school inspection 10–11 February 2010 Telephone number 01865 331239 Email address office.3081@ocnmail.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

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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