Trowell CofE Primary School

Trowell CofE Primary School Derbyshire Avenue, Trowell, Nottingham, NG9 3QD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stages is consistently above national averages. Almost all pupils reach expected levels in English and mathematics and a significant proportion reach higher levels.  Teaching is usually good and some is outstanding. Pupils enjoy their lessons and make good progress in their learning.  Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. Teaching staff have a clear understanding of how young children learn and plan a range of learning activities that are well matched to their needs. As a result, children make outstanding progress.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils have exemplary attitudes to learning and their pride in the school is shown by their excellent conduct. They work together constructively and listen with respect to the views of others.  The promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is very strong. Pupils learn

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to live in a diverse society and they develop spiritual and moral awareness through a range of well-planned activities.  Leaders and managers know their pupils well and ensure that they are given the support they need to thrive. Appropriate actions are planned so that the school continues to maintain or improve standards.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In some lessons, teachers are not always clear about what they expect pupils to learn. As a result, the work pupils are given does not enable all of them to make rapid progress.  Although there are examples of excellent feedback to pupils, the quality of marking is inconsistent.  Leaders and managers do not always use the information available to them to set precise and challenging targets for improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 lessons, of which one was a joint observation with the headteacher. All teachers present in the school were observed twice. In addition, inspectors visited two assemblies and looked at pupils’ work around the school and in books.  Inspectors held discussions with pupils, members of the senior leadership team, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Parents’ responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were analysed. Inspectors also took account of the nine responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, monitoring documentation, records relating to performance management and safeguarding, the school’s self-evaluation and development planning.

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Inspection team

Susan Barkway, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Westall Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Trowell Church of England Primary School is smaller than most primary schools.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is lower than other schools, as is the percentage of pupils learning English as an additional language. The majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is much lower than the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are looked after by the local authority, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed services.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ learning and progress.  The proportion of pupils who leave or join the school at times other than the end of Year 6 or the beginning of Key Stage 1 is lower than in most schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the amount of outstanding teaching by:  making sure that teachers systematically and effectively check pupils’ understanding through lessons so that they consistently match the work well to pupils’ needs and ensure that all pupils make rapid progress in their learning  using the examples of outstanding practice in marking to ensure that all teachers provide constructive feedback which enables pupils to know what they need to do to improve and how they can move to the next step in their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management so that it is outstanding by ensuring that:  more effective use is made of data and analysis from monitoring activities to inform strategic planning  whole-school targets are precise and measurable to encourage rapid and sustained improvements in pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment is consistently above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are typically six months ahead of pupils nationally in English and a term ahead in mathematics. Unvalidated data for 2013 show that the proportion of pupils achieving higher levels in writing is particularly impressive.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although there was a dip at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2011 and 2012 from standards that were significantly above national levels, pupils continued to make good progress from their starting points. Unvalidated data for 2013 show that outcomes are back to their previous high levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils read well and often. Letters and sounds (phonics) are taught in such a way that pupils are able to use these key skills to read and spell words. By the time they are in Year 6, they are able to skim and scan texts for information and can infer messages implied by the writer.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Almost all pupils make the expected two levels of progress from Key Stage 1 to 2. However, too few middle-attaining pupils make more than expected progress when compared to pupils in other schools in England.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Tracking data for pupils currently in the school indicate that pupils make good progress in most year groups in reading, writing and mathematics. The school uses information well to identify pupils who are not on track to make expected progress, and well-planned interventions are effective in accelerating learning for these pupils. However, the school does not always use information about pupils’ progress with sufficient rigour to identify areas for improvement in teaching or to ensure all pupils make rapid and sustained progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in lessons is usually good, and sometimes it is outstanding. When it is outstanding, it is because the teacher is clear about what pupils of different abilities are expected to learn in the lesson and activities engage, interest and challenge all pupils in the class.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children who start in Reception have skills and abilities that are at the level expected for their age. They make outstanding progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because of excellent teaching, a rich range of well-judged learning opportunities and careful assessment. By the time they join Key Stage 1, a high number of pupils are above age-related expectations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. The school accurately identifies their needs and provides additional support to help them move forward in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school is successful in narrowing the gap between the achievement of the very small number of pupils supported by pupil premium and other pupils in the school. Although in 2012, data indicate that this group of pupils were six months behind their classmates in English and a year behind in mathematics, all of the pupils achieved expected levels at the end of Key 2 and made good progress from their starting points.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is usually good and some is outstanding. Staff have created a very welcoming, stimulating environment and have excellent relationships with their pupils. As a result, pupils enjoy their lessons and are keen to learn.  In the best lessons, teachers plan interesting and engaging activities which are well matched to the needs of the learners. For example, in a lesson in Year 2, pupils recorded stories onto the computer, designed illustrations for their stories and wrote captions. All pupils were involved, understood what was expected of them and, as a result, their stories were of a high standard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Adults other than teachers are generally used well to support learning. They have a good understanding of how to help pupils, particularly those who benefit from small-group support. This is because of effective communication and the good working relationship in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading, writing and mathematics are taught effectively. Literacy skills are developed well across the curriculum and pupils are given plenty of opportunities to develop their numeracy skills. For example, in the Reception class, pupils hung pairs of gloves on a washing line and used this to enable them to count in twos to 10 and beyond.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons, introductions go on for too long, with too much teacher input and questions directed at a small number of pupils. Although pupils listen well during these sessions, some are not fully engaged and they do not have sufficient opportunity for sustained independent work or well-targeted group work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching is less effective, teachers’ planning focuses too much on the activities that they want the pupils to do rather than on what they expect pupils to have learnt at the end of the lesson. When this happens, the work does not offer the right degree of challenge and support to all groups of pupils and, as a result, their progress is not as good as it could be.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There are examples of outstanding marking when pupils are given clear feedback on what has gone well and what they should do next to improve their work. In the best practice, they are given the opportunity to respond to the marking and to correct misconceptions or errors in their work. However, the quality of marking is inconsistent. For example, sometimes comments are too general and so pupils are not clear about the next steps they need to take to move their learning on.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are keen to learn and enjoy school. Their behaviour in lessons and around school is exemplary. They work well together and are extremely polite and courteous. As one member of staff said: ‘The children are a delight to work with. They are polite, motivating and engaging.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Children get off to an excellent start in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where they find learning fun and quickly develop the independence to become confident learners. This attitude continues throughout the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The quality of relationships between staff and pupils has a highly beneficial impact on pupils’ behaviour. It is clear that pupils like and respect their teachers and that their feelings are reciprocated. In these circumstances, pupils work hard to meet their teachers’ expectations of them in relation to behaviour and attitudes to learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour management strategies are understood by all but are rarely needed to ensure that pupils behave well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel safe in school. They have a well-developed understanding of the need for internet, road and fire safety and a good understanding of different types of bullying. They say that bullying is rare but are very confident that staff in the school will help them if they were to experience any problems.  Attendance is above average and punctuality is good. Both are improving.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has been instrumental in developing a caring and supportive environment where all teachers and pupils feel valued and are happy to be part of the school community. Together with her senior leaders, she has created a school where everyone works well together as part of a team.

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The leadership and management are good

 School self-evaluation is largely accurate, although in some aspects governors and the leadership team are over positive and have sometimes missed key indicators, particularly to do with the progress of pupils, which would have helped them to respond more rapidly to secure further improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 Development plans identify a range of carefully planned and appropriate actions and there is good evidence that these are effective in improving teaching and pupils’ progress. For example, the focus on writing has significantly increased the proportion of pupils, particularly boys, who gain higher levels in writing at the end of Key Stage 2. Nevertheless, the targets for improvement are not sufficiently precise or explicit about expectations of impact on pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school is carried out through lesson observations and collaborative moderation of pupils’ work and assessments. This helps staff to work together and to use examples of best practice to improve their own work. Procedures for managing the performance of teachers are in place and teachers are given good support to help them to meet their targets. However, analysis of data and outcomes from monitoring activities are not always used as well as they could be to inform strategic planning or to improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good and more is outstanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum and extra-curricular activities make a strong contribution to the development of pupils’ knowledge and skills. Through the effective curriculum, pupils are prepared well for the next stage in their education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is outstanding. Assemblies have a strong focus on spiritual understanding and classroom activities encourage pupils to appreciate the wonder of the world. For example, pupils in Year 3 wrote moving poems about the impact of pollution and the destruction of the rain forest on the world, and pupils in Year 1 watched with great fascination as the butterflies they had observed developing from eggs in their classroom were released into the air.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works well with parents. Almost all parents or carers agree that the school is well led and that their children make good progress. They say that their children feel safe in school and are taught well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides an appropriate level of support for this good school. It has been particularly helpful in providing good-quality training for governors.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body provides good support to the school. High-quality training and mentoring for new governors have been very effective in ensuring that governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and they hold senior leaders to account for all aspects of school performance. Governors have ensured that there are procedures in place for managing performance and are aware of the need to link increases in salary to performance and contribution to whole-school improvement. They understand school data although, at times, do not scrutinise it with sufficient rigour to identify specific targets for improvement. Governors have agreed the use of pupil premium funding and know that the school is successful in helping those pupils it supports to make good or better progress. They ensure that the school’s safeguarding arrangements meet

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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 122770 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 412226

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 185 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Graham Lockwood Headteacher Susan Chalkley Date of previous school inspection 6 July 2009 Telephone number 0115 9320 962 Fax number 0115 9320 962 Email address office@trowell.notts.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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