Charlesworth Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Charlesworth Voluntary Controlled Primary School Long Lane, Charlesworth, Glossop, SK13 5ET

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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.  The headteacher and governors have been very successful in bringing about rapid improvements to teaching and learning since the last inspection.  Teaching is consistently good. There are some outstanding aspects in the Early Years Foundation Stage where children settle quickly and activities are based on their interests.  By the end of Year 6 pupils read very fluently and reach standards that are in line with or above average in English and mathematics. They make good progress in all classes.  Attendance is above average because pupils enjoy being in school and they feel safe and secure.  All groups of pupils, including those eligible for the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, achieve well.  Behaviour is good because relationships are positive and pupils respond well to the caring, nurturing atmosphere and ethos of the school.  The role of subject leaders has improved so

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

that they contribute well to the evaluation of teaching and learning and they provide good support to other staff.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development supports all aspects of their development well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Performance in mathematics is not as strong as in reading and writing.  Pupils are not given opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning in open- ended activities.  Teachers do not consistently check pupils understanding to ensure that misconceptions are addressed quickly.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher.  The inspector heard some pupils read during lessons and talked with pupils informally on the playground at break time and during lunch.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, members of the governing body, a group of Key Stage 2 pupils and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 39 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View and summaries of two surveys of parental opinion conducted by the governing body.  The views of teaching and non-teaching staff expressed in the 21 responses to the questionnaire were considered.  A range of documentation was examined including information about pupils’ progress and attendance, school evaluation and improvement planning, records of dialogue with the local authority, the central record of checks on staff and safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ work was examined during including writing folders and the ‘learning journey’ records of the youngest children.

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Inspection team

Christine Merrick, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are taught in mixed-aged classes.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is below average.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage and there are no pupils for whom their first language is believed not to be English.  The proportion of pupils 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.  Pupils are taught in four mixed-age classes on two separate sites.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that attainment and progress in mathematics match those of reading and writing by:  continuing to develop the range of practical opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills  increasing the opportunities for teachers to share their evaluations of pupils’ work so that they have a consistent understanding of attainment in mathematics across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  giving pupils greater responsibility to think for themselves and drive their own learning through open-ended, creative and inspiring activities  making sure that teachers consistently check pupils’ understanding throughout lessons so that misconceptions are addressed quickly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children start school they usually have skills and understanding in line with those expected for their age. As year groups are small, the proportion of children at a particular level in each area can vary a great deal from year to year but from their individual starting points pupils make good progress in all classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reception children settle well and develop the capacity to manage themselves independently very quickly. They help each other to put on rainwear to go outside and enjoy learning about the seasons and the natural world through first-hand experience. The environment provides rich and interesting activities that spark their enthusiasm for learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013 a very large majority reached or exceeded expected levels of attainment at the end of Reception. This represents good progress and for some individuals progress was outstanding as a majority had attainment on entry below expectations in personal, social and emotional development, and a large minority were below expectations in their communication and language skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 dipped in 2011 and 2012. As a result of greatly improved teaching, results in 2013 show a marked improvement in all subjects. This was evident in the level of understanding and work being undertaken by these pupils who are now in Year 3.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils develop an understanding of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) early in the Foundation Stage. This continues through Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2 most are fluent readers. Through Key Stage 2 a love of literature is nurtured very successfully and by Year 6 pupils read a broad range of books from graphic novels to authors such as Robert Swindells and Anthony Horowitz. Homework diaries show that pupils also read regularly at home.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2011 attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 dipped in all areas except reading. The impact of improved teaching can be seen in the school’s year-on-year progress data with some year groups gaining the equivalent of five terms progress over a year. This accelerated progress is not yet evident in the end of Key Stage 2 data though standards rose slightly in 2012 compared to 2011. 2013 data shows that attainment is continuing to rise with a larger proportion of pupils reaching higher levels in writing. However, progress in mathematics is weaker than progress in reading and writing. This is because recent developments, such as the increased use of practical activities, have only just begun to have an impact and teachers have not had sufficient opportunities to work together on evaluating pupils work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has a high proportion of disabled children and those with special educational needs. These pupils make consistently good progress and as a result the gap in attainment compared to other pupils is narrowed and, in some cases, closed. This is because individual needs are met through support in class, nurture group activities and additional resources.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The few pupils supported through the pupil premium make progress that is typically in line or better than that of other pupils. In 2012 at Key Stage 1 these pupils attained less well than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s progress data shows that the gap between these pupils and their peers is now closing. .  Pupils enjoy a wide range of physical activities and are keen to compete against other schools. The school is using additional physical education funding to ensure provision is sustained and extended and all pupils have the opportunity to take part in an inclusive selection of sports such as hockey, netball, boccia, football, swimming, athletics and tag rugby.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved rapidly over the last two years. This is due to a more robust approach to assessment and teachers sharing good practice across the school. Policies relating to marking and feedback are now applied consistently in all classes and pupils’ targets are used much more effectively during lessons. This ensures that pupils understand how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve further.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in Reception is firmly based on children’s interests and experiences. These are developed into projects that incorporate all aspects of the curriculum. For instance, an interest in dinosaurs was widened with a visit to the museum then further provocation was added as children investigated the ‘crime scene’ when their dinosaur eggs were found smashed. Children use their growing writing skills to publish newspapers about their projects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations. They constantly challenge pupils to stretch themselves and ‘have a go’, for instance when doing problem solving in mathematics. Pupils respond to this well and are proud of their achievements. However, teachers do not routinely take advantage of the enthusiasm and positive attitude shown by the pupils by giving them more responsibility for their own learning and developing more open-ended activities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use questioning well and conversations with pupils are used to deepen thinking such as when a group of older pupils considered ‘shades of meaning’ in language. In this session pupils shared interesting insights as they explored the difference between words such as ‘adored’ and ‘idolized’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons are well planned and teachers use small group teaching effectively to target teaching at the different levels of ability in the mixed-age classes. Other adults working with the teacher, such as teaching assistants, are involved in the planning process and feed back to the teacher at the end of lessons. This means that everyone understands the intended learning for each group of pupils and individual needs are identified.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Almost all parents who responded to Parent View felt that their child was well looked after at school and all considered their child was happy and safe. Pupils agreed and are positive about the way others behave in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attitudes to learning are consistently good. This is reflected in the care pupils take in the presentation of their work and their application to the tasks that they are given. They work diligently in small groups and independently and the atmosphere in classrooms is calm and purposeful.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils move around school sensibly and without fuss. Outside, behaviour on the playground is good as there is plenty of space to play with areas for team games and other quiet areas. Pupils appreciate this and welcome the buddy system that can help them find someone to play with.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Lessons flow smoothly because pupils understand teachers’ expectations and these are supported by classroom rules which are clearly understood. They work together well and listen carefully to each other. Relationships are very positive and pupils are respectful whilst being friendly and open, eager to engage in conversation.  Pupils are well aware of bullying issues including inappropriate name-calling and cyber-bullying. The school supports their understanding through activities such as anti-bullying week. A scrutiny of behaviour logs confirmed that instances of misbehaviour were rare. Pupils confirmed this and they trust adults to deal with anything that arises.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour and safety are not outstanding because the skills needed for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning are not developed consistently across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong, determined leadership and has brought about significant improvement to the quality of teaching since the last inspection. This has been accomplished through robust management of teachers’ performance clearly linked to raising achievement and rigorous monitoring of teaching to address identified weaknesses.

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The leadership and management are good

 Systems to check the progress of all groups of pupils are comprehensive and thorough. Staff meet with the headteacher regularly to consider the information generated, to identify possible underachievement and target additional support effectively.

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The leadership and management are good

 The role of subject leaders, the senior teacher and the Foundation Stage leader has been improved. This means that they are well equipped to evaluate teaching and learning and to contribute to improvement initiatives. They have been instrumental in developing mentoring systems and providing opportunities for teachers to improve assessment processes and compare work.

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The leadership and management are good

 Literacy is given a high priority. This is reflected in both the high levels of achievement in reading that have been sustained over time and the on-going focus on improving writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 Additional funding is well used. Pupils entitled to support through the pupil premium achieve in line with their peers as they benefit from additional one-to-one tuition and help in the classroom. Funding to promote involvement in healthy activity provides lunchtime and afternoon sports and an additional physical education expert. Pupils say that they thoroughly enjoy these activities and they have a positive impact on their attitudes to school.

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The leadership and management are good

 After the last inspection the local authority provided intensive support. As the school improved this support was reduced and the local authority now considers the school sufficiently strong to sustain future development with minimal assistance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers ensure that all pupils have equal access to learning opportunities and confront discrimination of any kind. As a result pupils behave with respect towards each other.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is enriched through residential visits, connections with India and access to the wildlife area in the school grounds. These activities contribute to the good development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are not outstanding because although improvement has been rapid in some areas, the impact of new initiatives has yet to be consolidated across the school in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are knowledgeable and undergo training to make sure they have the skills and competencies to fulfil their role. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and can ask challenging questions when necessary. They understand the strengths and areas that need improving in teaching and have supported the headteacher well in tackling underperformance. Governors undertake the performance management of the headteacher and have a good overview of teachers’ performance management processes and how these are reflected in pay. They are actively involved with the work and have a good understanding of financial management and ensure that all safeguarding procedures meet requirements.

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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 112877 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 424981

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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 100 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Russell Lear Headteacher Susan Gate Date of previous school inspection December 2011 Telephone number 01457 853475 Fax number 01457 853475 Email address headteacher@charlesworth.derbyshire.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

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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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