Sherborne Church of England Primary School

School report Sherborne Church of England Primary School Sherborne, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 3DH

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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.  Parents highly value the school and the individual care given to their children.  Pupils make good progress across the school and some make exceptional progress.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics when pupils leave Year 6 is in line with national averages.  Teaching is usually good with some examples of outstanding practice across the school.  Teachers are skilled at planning work that meets the needs of the wide range of ages and abilities of the pupils in their classes.  Pupils behave well. They are polite, well mannered and respect each other and the adults who care for them.  Pupils’ experiences are enriched and broadened by the excellent links with the local community and schools.  The headteacher, staff and governors are committed to the school motto of ‘encouraging children’s interest and enjoyment of learning’ so that pupils develop skills for lifelong learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including the governing body, have been effective in identifying areas to improve, particularly in teaching, and implementing the necessary actions to ensure that the quality of teaching improves. As a result, progress in reading, writing and mathematics has improved.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not helped to be independent enough in deciding how they can make sure they succeed in the tasks they are set.  Occasionally, lessons do not fully engage all pupils and, as a result, concentration sometimes slips.  Marking in books is not always precise enough to help pupils make further improvements.  Actions for improvement identified in development planning are not sufficiently specific in some cases to ensure that leaders and managers can evaluate how successful they have been.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons and part lessons and saw three members of staff teaching and working with the pupils. She was accompanied by the headteacher to five of the sessions.  Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and with pupils from Years 3 to 6 The inspector also took account of the five responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector heard pupils from Year 1 read.  The inspector observed the work of the school and looked at the school’s development plans, minutes of meetings of the governing body, records of pupils’ progress and work in pupils’ books.  The inspector took account of the 20 responses to the on-line Parent View survey, and the school’s survey of parents’ views. She also held informal discussions with parents at the start of the day.

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Inspection team

Jenny Batelen, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is much smaller than the average-sized primary school; it has two classes.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in one class together with pupils in Years 1 and 2. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are in the other class.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. These include pupils with moderate learning difficulties and behavioural, social and emotional difficulties.  The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school other than at normal times is higher than average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage with a small proportion from other White backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for

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Information about this school

free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and children of service families. The current funding in this school is for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  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 the quality of teaching so that all is consistently good and a higher proportion is outstanding by:  increasing pupils’ independence so that pupils are better able to decide what they must do to successfully complete their tasks  ensuring that all pupils are fully engaged in all lessons  giving more precise information to pupils about how they can improve their work and allowing them time to make these improvements.  Strengthen leadership and management further by ensuring that the areas identified for improvement are very specific and measurable so that the extent of improvement can be evaluated clearly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because their needs are understood and activities are planned that help them develop in all areas of learning, especially their personal, social and emotional development. This is extremely well supported by the skilled teaching assistant who works alongside the class teacher to enable the children to have age- appropriate learning experiences.  All pupils, including the small proportion from other White heritages, make good progress throughout the school, as shown by work in their books and careful analysis of their individual progress. The proportion of pupils making better than expected progress is often better than that found nationally, especially in reading and writing.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are clearly identified as early as possible. Carefully planned activities in class and one-to-one support help them make good

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding make at least as good progress as their peers. They attain levels comparable to the rest of the year group in English and mathematics. This is because of careful individualised planning and the funding is used to help support smaller teaching groups for English and mathematics.  Pupils who join the school other than at normal times are helped to settle quickly and make friends so that they are quickly able to make good progress.  Good teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) and well-planned reading sessions ensure that pupils are able to use these skills to read new texts and to understand what they are reading. Older pupils spoke with enthusiasm of the different books they enjoy reading, such as those by Michael Morpurgo and Alex Rider, and the Charlie Higson Young Bond series.  Writing skills are developed across the range of subjects and, as a result, writing standards have

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The achievement of pupils is good

risen. Pupils take a pride in the work they produce in English and the different topics studied.  Careful analysis of the pupils’ work in mathematics has identified the need to improve their basic calculation skills, particularly of the younger pupils. This is now happening so that pupils have a secure base to develop their skills as they move through the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations and plan very carefully for the range of ages and abilities in their class. As a result, pupils work at the right level to enable them to succeed and make progress. This also ensures challenging work, particularly for the more able pupils so that they can attain the levels they are capable of. Pupils told the inspector how their teacher ‘has been challenging us’.  Skilled questioning from adults ensures that they are probing pupils’ understanding and deepening their knowledge. This also means that teachers can reshape tasks, if necessary, to help pupils succeed. This was clear in a Key Stage 2 mathematics session when pupils sorted numbers into different groups. Questioning helped pupils to see the pattern and to extend and fill in gaps. More able pupils were helped to extend their understanding of the nine times table by working with larger numbers and developing the sequence.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are given opportunities to explore and use their imaginations to develop their skills, particularly in the spacious and well-equipped outside area. They also enjoy the opportunity to develop a range of skills when involved in Forest School activities with their classmates in Key Stage 1.  In the best lessons the activities and tasks move along at a brisk pace and are planned to ensure that pupils are fully involved. As a result, pupils are fully engaged and keen to do their work. Sometimes, the pace slows and activities are not so interesting and then pupils lose concentration and progress slows.  Older pupils value the ‘steps to success’ that help them know how they can successfully complete a task, especially when they decide on these for themselves. Younger pupils are developing this skill but do not have enough opportunities to decide on these success criteria for

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The quality of teaching is good

themselves and, as a result, are not always clear about how they can succeed at their task.  Marking and oral feedback make clear to pupils how well they have done and there is often guidance as to how they can improve their work. However, this is not consistent and often not specific enough to allow the pupils to make real improvements. Teachers do not always give pupils time to respond to these comments and, as a result, the opportunity for improvement is lost.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils work and play well together across the age groups. They show care and understanding of the needs of their friends and are very supportive of each other.  Pupils who may find relationships difficult are helped to manage their feelings so that there is no disruption to learning and they, themselves, can make good friends and participate well in class activities. There has been only one fixed-term exclusion in the last year, with no repeat of the behaviour that caused this.  Pupils say there is no bullying of any sort and that adults in school will always help them if they have any worries or concerns. School records, staff and the majority of parents support this view.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning. They have positive attitudes and listen carefully to their teacher and to each other. Pupils enjoyed talking about different activities that help them learn, such as science experiments, using the laptops for creating brochures, writing a class book of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

‘Just So’ stories producing information about the Amazon Rainforest. Just occasionally, when the lessons are not as lively or interactive as they might be, some pupils lose concentration and become fidgety.  Pupils feel very safe in school and are also confident about how to keep themselves safe in different situations, such as if there is a fire or when using modern technology. They have a good understanding of how to avoid drug misuse.  Attendance is generally close to the national average and the school works closely with families to raise the importance of regular attendance. Governors have highlighted the need for monitoring punctual arrival to school and this has resulted in improvement and so less disruption to the start of morning lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The clear focus of the headteacher on ensuring the very best experiences for all pupils is shared by the staff and members of the governing body. As a result, there is equality of opportunity for all, with no discrimination.  The headteacher is tireless in accessing opportunities for pupils to be involved in activities across a broad range of subjects and with other schools so that pupils experience being part of a larger group. As a result, parents report that the move to the much larger secondary schools is not a problem.  Leaders and managers are relentless in ensuring that teaching improves. The local authority has worked closely with the school to support and monitor developments that have secured rapid improvements in teaching throughout the school.  Alongside this has been the determination to raise standards by allocating funding for an extra teacher to support English and mathematics lessons, currently in Key Stage 2.

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The leadership and management are good

 In this small school, all staff are involved in leadership, including teaching assistants. They work closely together and with staff from other local small schools. The recent appointment of one teacher as a lead teacher within the authority is helping to enhance her leadership skills further.  Teachers are very clear about their responsibility for pupil progress and understand that there is no automatic progression up the pay spine.  The school carefully evaluates its work and successfully determines the priorities for improvement. This has resulted in improved reading and writing standards and the actions in place to improve mathematics standards. Sometimes, the priorities are not specific enough about the expected outcomes, making it difficult to evaluate the impact of the actions and drive them to the full.  Pupils are excited by the range of subjects they study and the opportunities to take part in many

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The leadership and management are good

different activities, especially when linked with the local small schools. As a result, their cultural and social development is well promoted through sport, art, music and drama events with other schools and in their own. The links with schools in Europe and South Africa deepen pupils’ understanding of life in other parts of the world. Spiritual development is well promoted through chances to reflect on their world and the impact of their actions on it.  The governance of the school:  The knowledgeable governing body has a range of skills and experiences that enable it to give good support to the school. The governors undertake training so that they are able to ask pertinent questions and ensure that the school is making good progress. Governors visit the school regularly and focus on particular aspects that help them understand the work of the school. This also increases their understanding of the information they receive about the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching and how targets are set for teachers, making sure that any increases in pay are justified by pupils’ progress and achievement. Governors have a good understanding of how well pupils are doing compared with national averages. They also monitor how effectively the pupil premium funding is used and the impact it has on the attainment and progress of those pupils who are eligible for it. They regularly check and review policies and ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 115648 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 412213

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 49 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pat Pretty Headteacher Mike Pudifoot Date of previous school inspection 27–28 April 2010 Telephone number 01451 844277 Fax number 01451 844277 Email address admin@sherborne.gloucs.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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