Stoneraise School

Stoneraise School Durdar, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7AT

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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.  Children settle quickly into the Early Years Foundation Stage. They learn well, developing social and communication skills, and make good progress.  Pupils’ achievement is good. Good progress continues through Key Stages 1 and 2. As the result of good teaching, standards have risen swiftly over the past two years.  Teachers help pupils improve their work through very helpful marking. They encourage pupils to judge their own progress and that of others.  Good relationships result in a positive atmosphere that can be felt throughout the school. Pupils say they feel safe in school and are very proud of their school.  Pupils are keen and enthusiastic to attend school showing positive attitudes to each other and to their learning. They enjoy their lessons, and are keen to learn. Their behaviour is good in and around school.  Pupils enjoy a wide range of curriculum activities including physical education and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

sport. They talk proudly of being an Eco-School and how, through their actions, they help to decrease the school’s use of energy.  Many improvements made by the headteacher and leadership team are leading to rapid improvements in teaching and learning.  The headteacher, staff and members of the governing body work together effectively as a united team.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding, and teachers do not get sufficient opportunities to see outstanding practice in their own and other schools.  Skills pupils learn in mathematics are not developed in other areas of the curriculum.  In lessons, teachers are not always spotting when pupils’ learning could be moved on more quickly by providing extra challenge.  Pupils do not have individual targets that are specific enough and checked frequently.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six teachers and visited 10 lessons which included a joint lesson observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, English and mathematics subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinators, pupils, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and parents.  The inspector observed pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  A range of the school’s documentation was examined, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, documents relating to monitoring and evaluation, systems for tracking children’s progress, documents regarding safeguarding and key policies.  Inspectors took account of responses to the school’s most recent questionnaire for parents and 19 responses from the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors analysed 13 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Stoneraise School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils attending the school are from White British heritage. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is much lower than the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for children in local authority care, for children from armed service families, and for children known to be eligible for free school meals).  The school meets the government floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2011.

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Information about this school

 Pupils are taught in four mixed-age classes: Nursery and Reception, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6.  There are breakfast and after-school clubs on the school site which are not managed by the governing body. These are subject to separate inspections and reports of their quality are available on the Ofsted website.  The school has the Eco School Silver Award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement by improving teaching so that a greater proportion is outstanding by:  ensuring that teachers check the progress of all pupils during lessons and give further challenge as needed  developing problem solving in mathematics so that pupils have the skills to choose the best way to find solutions especially when working in other subjects  ensure that pupils’ individual targets are very specific and reviewed regularly in all classes  seeking opportunities for teachers to see outstanding teaching in practice regularly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage they have skills and knowledge below what is expected for their age. Through a wide range of exciting, well-planned activities in the classroom and outdoors children make a good start to their learning.  The development of listening and speaking skills is on-going from the start. For example, to check that all children had returned to the classroom after lunch, the teacher sang the register and children had to listen carefully to their name and sing their response.  As a result of good progress, by the end of the Reception Year children enter Year 1 at age- related expectations.  Good progress continues through the school because pupils are enthusiastic learners. This is an inclusive school where disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are encouraged and helped so that they make good progress.  The additional support for pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding means that they

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The achievement of pupils is good

achieve levels of attainment similar to other pupils in the school. The most recent national test results and teacher assessments indicate that the group of pupils eligible for free school meals are not lagging behind others in the school and make the same good progress as others.  The progress of pupils in Key Stage 1 has improved over the last two years following a dip in 2011. Teacher assessment in 2013 shows a higher number of pupils achieving above the national average at Level 3 in writing and mathematics.  As pupils continue through Key Stage 2 an increasing number of pupils have made expected or more than expected progress through different year groups. For example, at the end of Year 6 in 2012, all pupils made expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils making more than expected progress in all three areas exceeded the national average. Attainment at the end of 2012 was significantly above the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, the unvalidated national tests for Year 6 indicate that pupils achieving the higher levels were above the national average in writing but not in reading and mathematics indicating that for this group of more-able pupils there was not always sufficient challenge, especially in mathematics. Teachers check pupils’ work during lessons regularly, however, on occasions there are missed opportunities in mathematics to challenge pupils even further.  The school has had a focus on improving reading and pupils have good opportunities to develop their reading skills. For example, pupils have helped to select new books for the library and as a result, more pupils are keen to choose books to take home and read.  There is a good emphasis on letters and sounds, both in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. This enables pupils to use this knowledge when sounding out words in their books. Pupils who read to the inspector were developing their reading skills well and showed obvious

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. This ensures that pupils in all year groups make good progress. Good use is made of assessment information to make sure that teachers plan work that matches pupils’ needs closely and builds on what they have already learnt.  Teachers are well supported by teaching assistants who provide effective help for small groups and individuals, particularly disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. This contributes well to their learning.  Children in the Reception class are well supported, encouraged and challenged. Following a walk to see changes in the trees from summer to autumn they looked very carefully at the colour and pattern of leaves and thought about how the leaves felt. Some children used fine paint brushes to carefully mix paint to get the right leaf colours for their paintings while other children used a magnifying glass to examine the leaves in greater detail.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide interesting and enjoyable lessons making good use of a wide range of resources, including information and communication technology, in which they encourage pupils to judge their own progress and that of others.  Lessons take place in a calm, purposeful atmosphere where adults and pupils work in close harmony to promote learning. Pupils enjoy learning, work well together and are keen to help each other.  During a mathematics lesson pupils were comparing amounts of money. They worked in pairs and groups to explore amounts that were greater or less than another amount using the correct symbol. Good questions were asked to challenge pupils’ understanding and check what they had learnt. Pupils say they enjoy mathematics because it can be fun.  Pupils use the skills they have learnt in mathematics but do not regularly have opportunities to develop these skills or to choose for themselves which is the most appropriate method to use to

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The quality of teaching is good

solve a problem when they work in other subjects.  Teachers mark pupils’ work well. They do not, however, set clear enough targets for individual pupils, ensuring that these are regularly checked and, when achieved, give pupils the chance to swiftly move onto a new target.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in lessons and around school is good. A large majority of the 19 parents who responded to Parent View say that pupils are well behaved. Pupils work conscientiously to complete a task and always give of their best. Work presented in books is neat and shows that pupils are proud of their work.  Attendance is above average. Pupils enjoy school and say they feel safe because the school has good rules, teachers watch over them and having friends helps them to feel safe. They are courteous, behaving respectfully towards each other and adults.  Pupils are able to talk about different forms of bullying and know what to do and who to inform if it occurs. They talk confidently about what they learn in anti-bullying week where they explore different kinds of bullying, including cyber-bullying and name-calling.  The school council is proud to put forward ideas from all classes to improve the school. They say

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

that, as a result of their suggestions, their toilet areas have improved and school dinners are much better because the menus have improved.  The Eco Group are pleased to help the school save energy. They organise the recycling of clothes, plastic and cardboard. They understand how effective the wind turbine is in the school grounds and monitor how well it helps the school to save money.  Pupils enjoy raising funds to help the school they are linked with in Tanzania as well as having fun raising money for different charities.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers, including the governing body, have worked effectively to make sure that improvements in teaching and pupils’ progress have accelerated over the past two years. There is a continuing trend of improvement demonstrating the determination to meet the aspirational goals they have set for the school.  The school improvement plan, involving staff and governors, identifies clearly the most important areas for development and is reviewed regularly to make sure that progress is being made in key areas.  The headteacher and English and mathematics subject leaders check the quality of teaching to see what needs improving. Leaders and teachers meet regularly to discuss the progress made by pupils ensuring that accountability and expectations are clear.  The headteacher has set in place effective strategies for improving teaching and learning with the help of the local authority. Teachers occasionally get the opportunity to watch each other

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The leadership and management are good

teach but this is not frequent enough for them to benefit fully from seeing outstanding teaching in practice.  Performance management supports teachers’ continued professional development well and is currently linked closely to improving pupils’ reading. There is a strong link between the performance of teachers over time and the levels of pay.  There is a strong emphasis on caring for the needs of each pupil. Good use is made of additional funding to help pupils by providing extra resources and opportunities to work in smaller groups often with well-trained teaching assistants. This ensures that all groups of pupils make good progress successfully providing equal opportunities to all and making sure that there is no discrimination.  Improvements to the curriculum not only in physical education and sport but also in music help to ensure that pupils experience a greater breadth and richness in a range of activities. For

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The leadership and management are good

example, there are after-school clubs, for guitar, football, board games or book club. These are well supported, providing different activities for pupils from the Early Years Foundation Stage up to Year 6. Pupils talk excitedly about the link with a school in Tanzania. They explore the differences in the environment as well as food, music and other different cultures. The way the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, encouraging pupils to be considerate and responsible members of the community.  The governance of the school:  Governors are knowledgeable about the performance of the school because of the high-quality information that is provided by the headteacher. Governors make sure that they know exactly how the finances are spent, so that pupils get the best opportunities possible. Through working closely with the headteacher, they are involved in decisions on the use of pupil

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The leadership and management are good

premium funding to ensure that it is used effectively to ensure eligible pupils make good progress in line with other pupils. Members of the governing body are well informed about individual teacher’s performance and the direct link this has to pay progression. Together with the headteacher and managers the governing body makes sure that all the requirements for keeping pupils safe 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 112122 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 427184

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 108 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Westgate Headteacher Clem Coady Date of previous school inspection 30 April 2009 Telephone number 01228 263252 Fax number Not applicable Email address office@stoneraise.cumbria.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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