St Giles' Church of England Primary School

St Giles' Church of England Primary School Church Street, Great Maplestead, Halstead, CO9 2RG

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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.  Most pupils are making good progress and achieving well.  Children in Reception have a good start to their school life.  Good guidance and support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs enable them to make good progress which is an improvement since the last inspection.  Although attainment by end of Year 6 fluctuates, it is generally above average in English and just above average in mathematics.  Pupils are well taught and are provided with interesting tasks and activities which are well suited to pupils’ different abilities and needs  Art projects, the forest school and additional activities enrich pupils’ learning.  Pupils show a keen interest for learning. Their behaviour is good in lessons and around the school.  Pupils feel safe and very well cared for by staff.  The headteacher provides good leadership and direction.  The headteacher, staff and governors have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

brought about good improvements since the last inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics trails behind that in reading and writing.  Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities for investigations in mathematics and there are not enough good quality learning resources.  In a few lessons, teachers do not move the most able on to more demanding tasks soon enough.  Pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to plan and organise their own learning and decide how to present their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in nine lessons. Most of these were seen jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, a representative from the local authority, governors, parents and pupils.  The inspectors took account of the 37 responses to the online survey (Parent View) and correspondence from parents.  Responses to an inspection questionnaire from 13 staff were analysed.  The inspector examined school policies, information about pupils’ attainment and progress, teachers’ plans, pupils’ work and the school’s development planning.

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Inspection team

Derek Watts, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The number of pupils is steadily increasing. About 80% of pupils come from outside the school’s normal catchment area.  Most of the pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  A below-average proportion of the pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups.  The proportion of pupils who leave and join the school part way through the year is higher than average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and ensure that in all classes:  teachers always set suitably challenging tasks to extend the most able  pupils have good opportunities to plan and organise their own learning and decide how to present their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics and close the gap in attainment between English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 by:  improving practical learning resources for mathematics  extending investigative work in mathematics and spreading the good practice of developing mathematics through outdoor learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Attainment by the end of Year 6 is above average in English and just above average in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s attainment on entry to Reception can vary from year to year because of the small numbers in each year group. Most year groups enter with knowledge and skills broadly expected for their age. Children make good progress in Reception because of good teaching and the interesting learning activities provided.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Good progress continues through Years 1 to 6. Attainment by the end of Year 6 does fluctuate because of the relatively small numbers in the year groups and the higher-than-average proportion of pupils who join the school part way through their primary education.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 New arrivals settle quickly and most make good progress because of the school’s effective induction arrangements and because pupils’ specific needs are swiftly identified and provided for.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Pupils’ learning needs are carefully assessed, and tasks and adult support are well suited to promote their learning. Provision for these pupils has improved significantly since the last inspection.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the 2012 national tests at the end of Year 6, the few pupils supported by the pupil premium attained standards similar to the others in reading, writing and mathematics. More recent school information also shows little difference in performance between these two groups. Pupils eligible for the funding are benefiting from well-targeted support.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although the most-able pupils make expected progress in English and mathematics, they are not always given sufficiently demanding tasks to extend their learning or help them make faster progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills because teachers provide plenty of opportunities for them to discuss their learning and express their ideas and opinions. By Year 6, most pupils are articulate and confident speakers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in reading because of the regular and discrete programme for the teaching of reading, particularly phonics (letters and the sounds they make). They show positive attitudes to reading. Older pupils enjoy a range of challenging texts.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has worked hard to raise achievement in writing. Pupils write for a range of audiences. In Year 2, they wrote interesting autumn poems inspired by a visit to Wiggery Wood. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 made good progress in describing a setting within a scene. They used interesting adjectives, organised simple and complex sentences into paragraphs and included dialogue. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are mostly accurate.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics is improving. In a successful lesson in Year 2, pupils made good progress in adding and subtracting 10 and multiples of 10 to selected numbers. They made good use of the large 100-square marked on the playground and a range of bean bags, hoops and number cards.  Pupils are developing healthy lifestyles and physical fitness through the physical education programme and the additional sporting activities on offer. For example, pupils are developing their rugby skills as they are taught by a visiting coach.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection. The good teaching has had a positive impact on pupils’ learning and achievement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers establish very positive relationships with pupils and manage them well. They promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. They create attractive classroom environments for pupils to learn in. Pupils are cooperative, relate well to others and reflect on their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In Reception, children are provided with interesting indoor and outdoor activities. There is a good balance between adult-led activities and those chosen by the children. There are good opportunities for children to explore and learn on their own.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide good opportunities for discussion. Reading skills are taught through a well- structured programme. A good range of opportunities are provided for writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching in mathematics varies. Some teachers make good use of the outdoor environment to engage and interest the pupils’ in mathematical activities; this is not the case in all classes. Pupils have not had enough opportunity to apply their numeracy skills in investigative work, although these opportunities are now being extended. The teaching of some mathematics topics is hampered by a lack of good-quality learning resources.

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The quality of teaching is good

 At its best, the teaching of mathematics is highly effective. In a lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4, for example, pupils used different strategies to solve number problems. They made rapid gains in their learning. A key factor in the lesson was that the tasks were set at the right level for pupils’ different abilities. Learning resources were also well selected. Pupils benefited from clear instruction and demonstration. Questioning was used well to check pupils’ understanding of mathematical methods.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the main, teachers check pupils’ attainment accurately and use this information to plan their teaching and to match tasks to pupils’ different abilities. As a result, pupils are challenged well and they make good gains in acquiring knowledge and deepening their understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Just occasionally, tasks are not sufficiently demanding to extend the most-able pupils, or pupils spend too long consolidating previous learning rather than being moved on to the harder work. At times, teachers control pupils’ learning and the way they record their work too closely and miss opportunities for them to decide how to plan and organise their learning and how best to present their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are taught well. Learning activities and adult support are carefully matched to pupils’ needs. Teaching assistants know the pupils they support very well. They are deployed effectively and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils find teachers’ marking and verbal feedback helpful. Pupils know how well they are doing and are given helpful advice about the next steps to improve their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Children in Reception settle quickly into the school because of effective induction arrangements and the strong relationships that adults form with children. They feel safe and relate well to others. Children thoroughly enjoy the learning activities provided. They behave well in the classrooms and the outdoor areas.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Pupils show a keen interest in their learning. They reported, ‘We have fun learning here.’ Their behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. In an assembly and a few lessons, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were outstanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 The school’s records of incidents show that behaviour is usually good. Pupils informed inspectors that behaviour was good and sometimes excellent. These views reflect the findings of the inspection. There have been no exclusions over the past three years.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Discussions with pupils show that they have a clear understanding of bullying in its different forms, including persistent name-calling and cyber-bullying. They know the steps to take to deal with bullying should it occur. Pupils told the inspector that incidents of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with quickly by the staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 The school’s published data show attendance to be well below average. However, there are a number of pupils with medical needs who miss school through essential medical appointments and treatment. This has an adverse impact on the school’s attendance figures. Closer examination of attendance information shows that most pupils have good attendance.

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The leadership and management is good

 The leadership of the headteacher has been the key factor contributing to the school’s improvements. Her aspirations for the school and commitment to improvement are shared by other leaders and staff. Since the previous inspection, pupils’ achievement, their behaviour and teaching have improved from satisfactory to good. The school has demonstrated a good capacity to improve.

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The leadership and management is good

 The staff are working well as a team in improving the care and education for pupils. All staff who returned the questionnaire were positive about the school. They are proud to be part of the school, have confidence in the leadership and recognise the improvements made. These positive comments reflect the inspection findings.

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The leadership and management is good

 The school’s performance and work are checked systematically and thoroughly. As a result, staff and governors have a clear overview of the school’s strengths and improvement points. Successful action has been taken to bring about improvements. The school has clear plans of action to raise pupils’ achievement in mathematics and to extend the most able.

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The leadership and management is good

 The local authority provides effective support and has a clear overview of how well the school is doing.

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The leadership and management is good

 Good emphasis is placed on developing teaching and learning. The headteacher and the local authority staff observe classroom practice and provide constructive feedback to teachers. Procedures for managing the performance of staff are well developed. Targets set to help staff improve their practice are linked well to pupils’ progress and to the school’s improvement priorities. Decisions about staff promotion and salary increases are linked to a teacher’s responsibilities and performance.

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The leadership and management is good

 An interesting range of subjects and topics is provided to promote pupils’ learning and personal development. The wooded area, the ‘forest school’, is used well to extend learning in English and science. There are plans to use this area for learning in mathematics. . Pupils enjoy a good range of clubs and visits. All pupils were involved in a project with visiting artists. They created colourful three-dimensional models of wildlife species such as woodpeckers, herons, kingfishers, deer and flora. These were used to produce three large high-quality woodland displays in the corridors.

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The leadership and management is good

 The primary sports funding is being used well to extend pupils’ opportunities in sport. Pupils are benefiting from specialist coaching.

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The leadership and management is good

 The school has made good use of the pupil premium funding. Additional support has been provided to help eligible pupils who are at risk of falling behind in literacy or numeracy.

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The leadership and management is good

 Discussions with parents reveal that most hold positive views about the school. Many commented on the school’s improvements in recent years. They find that the school is approachable, welcoming and strives to meet pupils’ different needs.

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The leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school:  The governors have a clear understanding of the school’s performance and how it has improved. They know how pupils’ attainment and progress compare to schools nationally. Governors receive helpful reports from the headteacher about the quality of teaching. The governors’ clear knowledge of the school enables them to challenge the leaders and hold the school to account. Governors understand the requirements relating to the management of staff performance, and make sure that promotion and salary increases are linked to pupils’ progress. They check that the pupil premium is properly spent. Governors have attended useful courses to increase their effectiveness. There are effective procedures to make sure 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 115068 Local authority Essex Inspection number 425232

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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 81 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Penny Doe Headteacher Jinnie Nichols Date of previous school inspection 8 December 2011 Telephone number 01787 460481 Fax number 01787 460481 Email address admin@st-giles.essex.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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