Byley Primary School and Nursery

Byley Primary School Moss Lane, Byley, Middlewich, CW10 9NG

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Almost all pupils make good progress and achieve well throughout the school in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is good. Pupils enjoy lessons and are eager to learn. This leads to almost all pupils making good headway from their starting points, at all stages throughout the school.  Every pupil is equally valued and cared for well. Pupils say they feel very safe in school and parents overwhelmingly support this view.  The behaviour of pupils and their attitudes to learning are often exemplary. Pupils are very polite and well mannered.  The curriculum provides pupils with an interesting range of subjects and topics which ensures that they enjoy school. This contributes very effectively to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepares them well for the next stage of their education.  The quality of leadership and management from senior leaders and the governing body is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

good. They demonstrate a successful commitment and determination to raise standards and improve the quality of teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work does not always help them to improve. Teachers do not always ensure that pupils respond to their written comments.  Pupil targets in reading, writing and mathematics are not always set to enable them to achieve greater success.  There are not enough opportunities for Reception children to develop their learning through outdoor play.

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Information about this inspection

 Five lessons were observed, taught by three teachers. Two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector observed the school’s work, including documents relating to behaviour and safeguarding, minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s analysis of how well it is doing and its improvement plan, the school’s data on pupils’ progress and pupils’ work.  The inspector talked with pupils and listened to some Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils reading.  Meetings were held with staff, four members of the governing body and the School’s Learning Partner. A telephone conversation was also held with a representative of the local authority.  There were too few responses from parents recorded in the online questionnaire (Parent View) to provide a reliable impression of parents’ views. However, the inspector took account of the 27 responses to the parents’ questionnaire carried out by the school in March 2013. The inspector

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Information about this inspection

also held informal conversations with some parents. The inspector took account of the 11 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alan Parkinson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Byley Primary is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children of service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  Almost all pupils are White British.  There are currently no pupils in the school who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well above the national average. The proportion of those supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics, does not apply in this school because

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Information about this school

fewer than 11 pupils took the recent end of Key Stage 2 assessment tests.  Pupils were organised into three classes during the inspection: one class for Reception-aged children and Year 1 pupils, one class for Years 2 and 3 pupils; and one class for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.  The proportion of pupils that leave or join the school at times other than the start of the Reception Year is broadly average.  The school is part of a local partnership of schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that much of it is outstanding in order to raise pupils’ achievement further, particularly in English and mathematics, by:  ensuring that the marking of pupils’ work by teachers consistently provides pupils with clear and specific guidance on what they need to do to improve and that opportunities are always provided for them to respond to teachers’ written comments  ensuring that pupils’ targets in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently set to enable them to achieve even greater success  making more effective use of the outdoor area for children in the Reception class to enable them to improve their learning further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 This is a very small school where a year group may be as small as five pupils. Attainment varies widely from year to year.  Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities that are broadly in line with those that are typically expected for their age. By the end of the Reception Year the majority of children have generally developed skills that are above those that are typically expected for their age across all areas of learning.  At Key Stage 1 in 2012, results show that standards in reading and mathematics fell to below national averages following a rise in 2011. However, effective strategies such as additional one- to-one support and the reading programme have begun to develop pupils’ basic skills further. Consequently, pupils’ speaking, listening and numeracy skills are improving. In 2013, the school’s results at the end of Key Stage 1 show that pupils made good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Between Years 3 and 6, pupils continue to make good progress. In 2012, by the end of Year 6, standards in reading, writing and mathematics were above the national averages. In 2013, the results at the end of Key Stage 2 show that standards in reading writing and mathematics were above those achieved in 2012. Current school data shows that pupils are continuing to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The whole-school reading programme is very effective and is helping to develop pupils’ literacy skills well. Pupils make good use of their skills in phonics (linking letters to the sounds that they make) to help them read difficult words. Pupils read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books, which supports learning across a range of subjects and topics. Pupils say they enjoy reading and read regularly at home and school.  Work seen in pupils’ books shows that they are able to apply their writing skills well across all

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The achievement of pupils is good

subject areas.  Overall, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive effective support to improve their speaking, reading, writing and numeracy skills well. There is no significant difference to the achievement between different groups of pupils across the school. Pupils who receive additional support, including those supported through pupil premium, make similar progress and sometimes better progress than their classmates.  Pupils who join the school at times other than the start of Reception settle quickly into the school, due to the good support they receive, and achieve as well as other pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils say they enjoy their lessons and feel that they are taught well.  Good teaching provides pupils with many opportunities to become actively involved in lessons. Teachers’ good subject knowledge enables them to explain well and extend pupils’ understanding. Teachers are skilful at asking questions that encourage pupils to think for themselves.  The good classroom relationships and the way teachers organise and plan their lessons ensure that activities and tasks are set that help pupils to learn well. However, children in Reception Year do not always have enough opportunities to develop their learning through play in the outdoor area. This limits the opportunities they have to learn in different ways and make even better progress.  Pupils develop skills that enable them to work well without the teacher’s help. This promotes very good attitudes to learning for the vast majority of pupils.  Teaching contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through

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The quality of teaching is good

activities such as school assemblies, links with the local community, school trips and by encouraging cooperation and very effective group-working. Older children often help younger children, for example, children in Year 1 help children in Reception. As a result, children in the Reception Year have settled in quickly to the school and show a good understanding of classroom procedures and teachers’ expectations. These social skills are developed from the day children join the school and have resulted in a culture of respect throughout the school.  Targets for pupils in reading, writing and mathematics are not consistently set to ensure that pupils always aim to achieve even greater success.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked, with the majority of written comments using praise to encourage. However, teachers do not always provide pupils with clear and specific written comments on what they need to do to improve. This means that chances to take learning even

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The quality of teaching is good

further forward are missed. When teachers’ comments do tell pupils what they need to do to improve, teachers do not always ensure that they are followed up by pupils.  Teaching assistants are used well and make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly the disabled or those with special educational needs and those identified by the school for additional support. This enables them to make progress that is consistent with other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils in lessons and around the school is impeccable. Pupils are extremely polite and well mannered and are very welcoming towards visitors. Relationship among pupils and between pupils and adults are exemplary.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school because the teachers and other adults look after them well. They understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, all pupils learn about road safety, how to use the internet safely and about how far they can trust people.  Pupils report that bullying and instances of poor behaviour are extremely rare saying, ‘Bullying doesn’t happen here’. As a result, the school ensures that pupils have a good understanding of the different types of bullying, such as cyber-bullying and racism.  Pupils learn about how to stay healthy and keep fit. For example, in science they learn about healthy teeth and all children take part in a ‘Golden Mile Run’ every week. The school also

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

provides additional sporting activities through its links with a local high school. All these activities are developing healthy lifestyles and physical well-being for the pupils.  The school has developed extremely strong links with parents and the local community. For example, pupils took part in the 2013 ‘Folk and Boat Festival’ to create a school community banner for display in the local church.  School assemblies contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils work hard to help others by raising money for charities, such as Barnardo’s Children’s Charity, Children in Need and Red Nose Day.  The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop as responsible individuals. Some pupils make a significant contribution to the school community by taking on positions of responsibility such as road safety officers and recycling officers.  The responses to the parental survey carried out by the school are very positive. The

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

overwhelming majority of parents agree that their children are well cared for, enjoy school, feel safe at school and make good progress. Parents also said the school had a happy atmosphere, made them feel welcome and kept them well informed about their child’s progress.  Attendance is high compared to national averages and this reflects well on pupils’ very positive attitudes towards their learning, enjoyment and engagement in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and the governing body have a clear view of the school’s strengths and know what the school needs to do to improve further. As a result, they have accurately identified the right priorities in the school development plan to raise standards further. Progress towards its goals is regularly checked by senior leaders and the governing body.  Regular lesson observations and accurate feedback to teachers on their performance ensure that teaching and achievement continue to improve. The headteacher uses information about the quality of teaching well when developing the training programme for staff. This is also used when advising the governing body about teachers’ promotion and movement up the salary scale.  The school’s very effective partnership with other local schools provides training opportunities for staff and governors and enrichment activities for pupils.  The school provides pupils with an interesting range of subjects and topics that promote interest

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The leadership and management are good

and contributes to their great enjoyment of school. These themes and topics are planned creatively and contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare them well for the next stage of their education. For example, in the upper school class a topic about Greece provided opportunities for pupils to carry out their own research and develop their literacy skills.  A variety of school trips and visitors to the school help to enrich pupils’ learning experiences and develop a greater understanding of the world around them. For example: the trip to Llandudno helped with their geography work; visiting Quarry Bank Mill supported learning about the Victorians and a visit to Tatton Park informed their Second World War topic.  The school also offers pupils a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as dance, football, sewing, art and construction that help pupils to extend their academic, physical and social skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides light-touch support for this good school. This also includes opportunities for staff and governors to attend local authority training courses, such as safeguarding and induction training for new governors.  The governance of the school:  The governing body knows the school well. Governors regularly check the school’s performance and effectively challenge and support school leaders. They know the school’s strengths and have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done to improve it further. They use performance management systems to set appropriate and challenging targets. They understand the connection between the quality of work that staff do and the arrangements for pay progression. The governing body has a good knowledge of the school’s finances, including the allocation of pupil premium funding and the new primary school sport funding. The pupil premium provides additional staffing and resources to help improve the literacy and

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The leadership and management are good

mathematical skills of pupils who are at risk of falling behind. The additional sport funding is being used effectively to develop healthy lifestyles and physical well-being. It provides a sports coach to work alongside class teachers during physical education lessons and funds further sports activities after school. Safeguarding policies and procedures meet the statutory 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 111055 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 426235

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 56 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Gibson Headteacher Jane Dunseath Date of previous school inspection 10 November 2008 Telephone number 01606 832519 Fax number 01606 832519 Email address admin@byley.cheshire.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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