Colville Primary School

School report Colville Primary School Colville Road, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, CB1 9EJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The achievement of pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 requires improvement because rates of progress are below those expected nationally and attainment is below average.  The proportion of pupils making good progress is not yet high enough, particularly that of the most able.  The way mathematics is taught does not promote good rates of progress. Pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to use and apply their mathematics.  Teaching in Years 4, 5 and 6 requires improvement. Work is not well matched to pupils’ abilities and, consequently, some pupils underachieve.  Teachers do not check progress during lessons well enough and do not adjust their teaching in light of the progress pupils are making.  Information about pupils’ levels of attainment is not used well enough by teachers to plan lessons which ensure pupils make good progress from their individual starting points.  Although the school works rigorously to

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

improve attendance, it remains below average.  The mathematics curriculum does not ensure that pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills are developed well.  Leaders do not always check and then tackle weaker teaching quickly enough, which adversely affects pupils’ rates of progress and their achievement.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children achieve well in the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly those who attend the Nursery because teaching is highly effective.  Achievement has improved and continues to improve in Key Stage 1 and Year 3.  Pupils in Year 1 reached well-above average standards in the phonics screening test (understanding of the sounds that letters make).  Pupils in the speech and language unit make good progress.  The quality of teachers’ marking has improved considerably.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are consistently good.  Governors make a good contribution to the leadership of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 part-lessons. The headteacher accompanied the inspection team on two lesson observations.  Meetings were held with pupils, governors, staff and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 20 responses to the online survey (Parent View). They also took into account the 16 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a range of documents, including: the school’s own records of pupils’ progress and attainment; documents on teaching and the school’s performance; the schools’ own evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, and its development plan; records relating to staff performance; and those relating to behaviour, safeguarding and attendance.

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Inspection team

Glynis Bradley-Peat, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Janet Tomkins Additional Inspector Susan Hodgson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is broadly average in size for a primary school but is currently expanding annually. It is in the process of becoming a two-form entry primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average and increasing. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs is above average.  Most of the pupils with statements of special educational needs attend specially resourced provision in the Speech and Language Centre, which has places for 16 pupils and is run by the school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional funding for certain groups, in this case for those known to be eligible for free school meals and looked after children) is

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Information about this school

broadly average.  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?

 Strengthen teaching so that it becomes consistently good or better in all classes by:  making sure that the work pupils do is challenging and well matched to their learning needs particularly for those who are the most able  introducing more opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills to solve problems in a variety of contexts  keeping a check on all pupils’ progress during lessons and adjusting teaching to take account of how well pupils are learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and accelerate progress, particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6 by:  making sure that teachers use information about pupils’ current levels of attainment to plan lessons which ensure pupils make good progress from the start of lessons  leaders keeping a close check on how well pupils are taught, are learning and making progress ensuring that teachers understand how to improve their mathematics teaching in particular.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure leaders accelerate the rate of school improvement by: − checking the quality of teaching more rigorously, particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6, and acting promptly on the findings − improving the quality of the mathematics curriculum so that pupils have more frequent opportunities to use and apply the skills they have learnt − ensuring that attendance improves and persistent absence reduces.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children enter the Nursery with skills below those expected for their age but make good progress during their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage. In addition to the children in the Nursery, a further intake of children enter the Reception class. These too make good progress. Overall, children reach broadly average standards by the time they leave the Reception Year but those who have spent two years in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieve more highly.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 was below average until 2013, when assessments rose to broadly average levels because teaching and rates of progress improved. However, by the time pupils leave the school in Year 6, standards are below average in English and mathematics and provisional results for 2013 would confirm this remains the case. The school has improved to meet floor standards this year.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Year 1 pupils performed well in the phonics screening check and achieved well above national expectations. This is because reading is taught well in The Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1. Pupils across the school say they enjoy reading and two lessons in Year 3 saw pupils taking the ‘hot seat’ as ‘grandma’ in a piece of role play about George’s Marvellous Medicine. Pupils were in fits of laughter as teachers read aloud to them. This promoted good and, sometimes, outstanding achievement. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning when teaching is good.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The proportion of pupils making the nationally expected rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics has increased in 2013. However, overall, the proportion exceeding expected rates is not yet high enough for achievement to be good. The most-able pupils do not yet make consistently good progress. Rates of progress are improving across year groups but some inconsistencies remain. Pupils make better progress in Key Stage 1 than Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding achieved better in 2013 than in the previous year. The gap between their attainment and that of others has been reduced in both reading and writing but remains in mathematics. Pupils are two terms behind in reading, almost four terms behind in writing and six terms behind in mathematics. Targeted small-group support in phonics has had a good impact on improving reading and other support is beginning to improve writing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve similarly to their peers and make, generally, the rates of progress expected nationally. Those pupils in the speech and language centre make particularly good progress in developing their skills because the school meets their individual learning needs successfully. Their achievement in speech and language skills is good.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There is little difference between the performance of different minority ethnic groups. The large majority of these pupils achieve better than both their national counterparts and their White British peers. Those who speak English as an additional language achieve in line with the national average.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Year 3 is stronger than in Years 4, 5 and 6. As a result, pupils make better progress lower down in the school. English is taught better than mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not always plan lessons which challenge all learners to achieve well enough. This is particularly the case in mathematics. Some teachers do not begin their lessons at the correct level for groups of pupils. As a result, the most-able pupils mark time completing work which is too easy for them while some of the least able struggle to start their work. Work is not matched well enough to the learning needs of the pupils to enable them to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Most teachers do not check the progress of pupils well enough during lessons. Consequently, they do not adjust their teaching to reflect how well pupils are tackling their learning. For example, when the most-able pupils finish early or find the work too easy, they do not receive more stimulating work which challenges them to reach the next level of attainment.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In some mathematics lessons, pupils are set and complete many calculations but there are very few opportunities for them to think and reason for themselves. They are not regularly set problems which challenge them to think hard about their mathematics or to apply the skills they have learnt to unfamiliar contexts.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Some teaching in the school is outstanding and during these lessons pupils make excellent rates of progress. For example, in the Nursery expectations of what children should achieve are high. The most-able children, in particular, rise to the challenge and were observed confidently answering probing questions in a session where they used their number skills to calculate how many children were present. Good teaching in the speech and language centre is reflected clearly in pupils’ good achievement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teachers’ marking has improved significantly. As a result, pupils know how to improve their work more effectively and have begun to respond well to comments made by their teachers.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils enjoy investigating for themselves and are keen to explore the world around them. Good teaching in a science lesson ensured pupils made good progress while learning about fair testing. They eagerly checked their pulse rates following a period of exercise. Some pupils provided good moral support for those who could not run fast. This was clear testament to the school’s good provision for pupils’ personal development and their enthusiasm for learning when given the opportunity.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and have good attitudes to their learning. Relationships between pupils and their teachers are excellent. They are keen and eager to please their teachers and try hard with their work. They say lessons are ‘fun’ and that trips out to places of educational interest help them to learn better.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 They have opportunities to take responsibility in school as house captains and older pupils enjoy looking after the younger ones. These activities contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are polite and courteous to each other and to visitors.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that feel safe in school and their teachers agree, as do the vast majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire. Pupils have a good understanding of e-safety and know about the different forms bullying can take. They say that they are confident that the school deals effectively when rare cases occur.  Attendance is below average but has shown periods of improvement. However, these have not been sustained. The school works hard to improve attendance and any periods of unexpected or prolonged absence are followed up carefully. The school has not yet fully persuaded all parents of the importance of their children’s regular attendance, and some pupils take long holidays during term time, which adversely affect the school’s attendance figures.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors are committed to accelerating the rate of school improvement and building on their more recent successes. However, leaders’ work to improve mathematics has yet to have an impact on achievement. Rates of progress in reading in particular have improved. All staff are highly positive about the leadership and management of the school and those who returned their questionnaires agreed with all positive statements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Achievement in the speech and language centre and its leadership have improved substantially since the previous inspection,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although the quality of teaching has improved, leaders have not yet been sufficiently rigorous in tackling identified weaknesses. Some teachers whose teaching is not consistently good have not been supported in a timely fashion to improve their teaching skills quickly. As a result, the rates of progress of some pupils have not been good enough for them to catch up following periods of previous underachievement. The headteacher is aware of the situation and well-directed plans are in place to address the weakness.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school development plan focuses clearly on the right priorities and the school knows what it needs to do to improve. There are clear timescales and an evaluation of the impact of actions taken to bring about improvement. Self-evaluation is thorough but a little over generous. Although improvements have taken place, the school is not yet good.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The mathematics curriculum presents many opportunities for pupils to practise their calculation skills but it does not promote the development of their thinking skills adequately. Pupils are not provided with regular investigative work or problem solving. Teachers are not fully aware of the way young children learn mathematics best. Pupils have good opportunities to attend after school clubs which promotes their physical well-being well.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Some leaders are new to their post, for example, the mathematics subject leader. Already, the school has ensured that she has been well supported in her new role. She is well aware of the challenges she faces to improve mathematics in the school and work has started to plan the changes necessary to drive through improvements in teaching. The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. There has been particularly good management of other adults which has had a good impact on achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has planned carefully for the receipt of the new funding for sport. There is a clear focus on competitive sport and the provision of specialist sports coaches. The school already has membership of the School Sports Partnership.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has supported the school well and, as a result, the senior team are providing improved leadership. The support provided has rightly focused on mathematics and the progress of the most able. Actions taken to improve marking have had a good impact.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors fully support the work of the school and the relatively new Chair of the Governing Body has already a good understanding of how far the school needs to go on its road towards improvement. Governors are able to hold leaders to account for the school’s performance and are pressing to secure its further improvement.  Governors understanding of the school’s data on pupils’ attainment and progress is secure.  There is a good understanding of how the performance of teachers is managed. Governors make certain that performance links clearly with progression through the pay scale. They ensure they have an adequate understanding of the quality of teaching across the school.  The governing body has a clear understanding of how the pupil premium funding is spent and knows about the extra support and help provided for this group. However, currently, they have less understanding of the impact of the school’s work in this area.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Governors attend training and the school improvement plan identifies their development needs.  Safeguarding currently meets 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 110665 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 425431 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 305 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Naomi Chapman Headteacher Andrew Hastings Date of previous school inspection 7 July 2011 Telephone number 01223 576246 Fax number 01223 516698 Email address Office@colville.cambs.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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