Stretton Handley Church of England Primary School

Stretton Handley Church of England Primary School Beresford Lane, Woolley Moor, Alfreton, DE55 6FH

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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.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well in all subjects. Results achieved by pupils are rising rapidly.  Almost all teaching is typically at least good, and much is outstanding.  Pupils learn to read successfully.  Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage are well taught and supported. They settle into the school quickly and make good progress.  Pupils behave very well. They feel safe, work hard and attend regularly.  The headteacher has strongly improved the quality of teaching and raised pupils’ achievement since her appointment.  There is a very welcoming and caring family atmosphere in this small school. Teachers know pupils very well, and each pupil is valued as an individual.  The school provides pupils with a large number of trips, visitors, experiences and special events which means that they enjoy school. The school’s outdoor area is used well to enrich pupils’ learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher regularly checks the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils are making.  Parents are very positive about the school and its leaders.  Governors know the school very well and offer a good level of support. They challenge school leaders to improve the school further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet consistently outstanding. In some lessons, work is not matched closely enough to the different abilities of pupils to allow them all to make rapid progress.  The writing skills of some boys are not as well developed as those of other pupils.  A small number of boys do not have consistently positive attitudes to their learning. They sometimes find it difficult to motivate themselves to learn.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine part-lessons, three of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. All classes and full-time teachers were seen. The inspector also attended an act of collective worship, listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, school leaders, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents and carers at the start of the school day. He looked at the 16 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and at the school’s own survey of parents and carers. The inspector also considered nine staff questionnaires.  The inspector looked at documents including the school’s own self-evaluation, its plans for improvement, records of the quality of teaching, school information on the progress of pupils and at nationally published results. The inspector also looked at records of pupils’ behaviour and

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Information about this inspection

attendance and at how the school keeps pupils safe.

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Inspection team

Michael Phipps, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils from the Reception year to Year 6 are organised into three mixed-age classes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is lower than average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is lower than average. The pupil premium is the additional funding provided for children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals. All supported children in this school are those known to be eligible for free school meals.  All pupils are of White British heritage, and speak English as their home language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2011.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure the quality of teaching is consistently outstanding by:  planning work which consistently matches the different abilities of all groups of pupils  encouraging boys' writing skills across all subjects, by providing them with topics and situations to write about which they will find interesting.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the attitudes to learning of the small number of boys who currently find it more difficult to motivate themselves to learn, or to take responsibility for their own learning, by:  teaching them the skills they need to become effective learners.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children enter school with skills broadly in line with those expected for their age, although some children’s skills are below that level. All pupils make good progress and achieve well. By Year 6 pupils’ results are above national average figures.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Lesson observations, checks of pupils’ work and school information on pupils’ progress confirm that pupils make good progress in all subjects and year groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children get off to a good start in the Reception year. They make good progress, and their standards are in many cases higher than expected levels by the time they go into Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1. By Year 2 their standards are above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the standard of boys’ writing is lower than that of girls. This is because some boys do not feel motivated to write at length and do not find some writing tasks interesting.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils learn to read successfully. Their understanding of phonics (the sounds that letters make) in Year 1 is much better than average. Pupils use this knowledge well to work out unfamiliar words. Older pupils talk with enthusiasm about favourite books and authors.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress. Results in English, reading, writing and mathematics are well above national figures by the end of Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar good progress to other pupils. This is because difficulties are identified early, individual needs are well understood, progress is checked carefully and they receive effective support.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The number of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium in this school is very small. Most are also disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. There were not enough pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in 2012 to comment on their attainment without identifying them. These pupils make similar good progress to all other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of more-able pupils is good. All of them make or exceed the progress that would be expected of them in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils develop their mathematical understanding well, and enjoy the chances they have to use their mathematical skills in the different themes and topics that they study. All pupils have made at least expected progress in mathematics for the last three years.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils generally learn to write accurately and fluently, though the skills of some boys lag behind those of other pupils. The school has recently included more topics and tasks in literacy lessons which will appeal to boys. This is beginning to interest boys more in writing, but it has not yet been extended to other subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Almost all teaching is typically at least good, and much is outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers know pupils and their abilities very well, and in the best lessons they plan work that is at exactly the right level for them. In an outstanding mathematics lesson, for example, younger children made excellent progress in understanding about money. Reception-aged children worked on this topic in a role-play with a teaching assistant, while Key Stage 1 pupils worked out how much change they would get from different amounts, according to their different levels of mathematical skill.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers check pupils’ understanding well during lessons. In a Key Stage 2 English lesson, for instance, the teacher’s skilful questioning and her continuous checking of pupils’ learning prepared them very well for their writing task, so they made outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Much teaching is creative and imaginative. In one lesson on natural habitats, younger children investigated their classroom’s outdoor area to discover insects and their habitats, prompting much curiosity and excitement. They then helped to build an ‘insect hotel’ in the school grounds, working with visitors from a local wildlife organisation. This was an enjoyable and memorable experience for them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers assess pupils’ progress accurately. Teachers’ marking is detailed and frequent, and gives pupils clear guidance on the next steps to improve their work. Pupils have chances to respond to this marking.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The effective teaching of phonics in small, flexible, mixed-age groups helps pupils to learn to read successfully.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are used well and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. They support pupils who need extra help well. They also teach small groups of pupils, for example, for phonics sessions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is not outstanding because in a minority of lessons teachers do not plan work to closely match the ability of all pupils. In a Key Stage 2 mathematics lesson, for example, more- able pupils finished their work quickly and were ready to move on while less-able pupils were still finding their work difficult. This slowed the progress of some pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave very well in class and around school. They are polite and friendly, and treat adults and each other with respect. There is a calm, purposeful and caring family atmosphere in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Most pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They work hard, enjoy learning and want to do well. They enjoy answering questions and offering their opinions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe in school, and are taught how to stay safe. They understand different types of bullying, and say bullying in this school is rare. School records confirm this. Pupils are confident that bullying would be quickly dealt with if they told an adult.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is managed well. Pupils are involved in deciding the school’s ‘Golden Rules’, which are well understood and observed by pupils. They understand the importance of good behaviour and attitudes. Exclusions and racist incidents are almost unknown.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attendance is rising and is above national average levels.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and carers say that pupils behave well in school, are well looked after and feel safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour and safety are not outstanding because a small number of boys do not have consistently positive attitudes towards learning. They sometimes find it difficult to motivate themselves, or to take responsibility for their own learning. This slows their progress in some lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since her appointment the headteacher has had a very positive impact on the school. Pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching have both risen rapidly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Systems to manage the performance of teachers are robust and are linked to salary progression. Judgements are based on pupils’ progress. The headteacher regularly checks the quality of teaching. There are good opportunities for both teachers and teaching assistants to take on new responsibilities and for further training. Teachers are developing well in their roles as future leaders.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children are helped to settle in quickly, lessons and opportunities for them to learn by finding out for themselves are well planned, and their progress is carefully checked.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils enjoy interesting lessons and topics, and a very wide range of trips, visitors and special events. The school’s outdoor area is used well to enrich pupils’ learning. There are good links with the community and the local church. These experiences promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their physical well being.

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The leadership and management are good

 Extra primary sport funding has been spent on developing sports for pupils after school, on staff training, and on specialist coaching. This has improved the range of sports available, and has increased the number of pupils taking part. The school has plans to evaluate its impact.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders carefully check pupils’ progress. Teachers are held to account in regular meetings to discuss pupils’ progress. If any pupils fall behind, they quickly receive effective help.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil-premium funds have been spent on additional teaching assistant time, smaller teaching groups, one-to-one tuition, and subsidised places on residential visits. As a result eligible pupils make the same good progress as other pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The emphasis on all pupils achieving well shows the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity and to seeing that discrimination is not tolerated.

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The leadership and management are good

 Arrangements to keep pupils safe in school meet legal requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has a good relationship with parents and carers who are very supportive.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has received valuable support and advice from the local authority, particularly when the current headteacher was first appointed. Since the school’s capacity to improve has grown, this support is now at an appropriate ‘light touch’ level.

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The leadership and management are good

 The recent record of improvement, strong leadership, accurate evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and its clear plans for improvement show the school has strong capacity to improve further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are closely involved in the life of the school, for example taking part in regular monitoring days, and carrying out surveys of pupils. This gives them a clear idea of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They are ambitious for the school, and they effectively support the school and challenge school leaders to improve the school further. They know about the quality of teaching, how teachers’ performance is rewarded and how any underperformance is tackled. They have a good understanding of what pupil performance data tells them about how well the school is doing compared to other schools nationally. They oversee the school’s budget well, and know how extra funds, for example from the pupil premium, are spent, and with what impact. They are keen to improve their skills and several governors have undertaken further training.

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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 112859 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 424980

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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 35 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Gill Headteacher Julie Dunbar Date of previous school inspection 17 January 2012 Telephone number 01246 590418 Fax number 01246 590418 Email address info@strettonhandley.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

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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