Temple Guiting Church of England School

School report Temple Guiting Church of England School Temple Guiting, Cheltenham , Gloucestershire, GL54 5RW

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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.  Pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics, and standards are above average. A few older pupils make outstanding progress, especially in mathematics.  Good teaching helps pupils to acquire new skills quickly. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils should learn. They ensure that there is a rapid pace to learning so that no time is wasted.  Pupils really enjoy school, especially the wide range of clubs, visits and ‘special events’ that enrich learning outside school.  Pupils consistently behave very well and have good attitudes towards their work. They say they feel very safe in school and that there is no bullying.  The good leadership of the headteacher has ensured that good teaching and achievement has been maintained since the last inspection. He is very well supported by the governing body.  Sport and physical education are a high

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

priority. This means that all pupils have ample opportunities to develop a healthy lifestyle.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Just occasionally in lessons, work is too easy for some pupils.  Reception children’s outdoor play activities are not always structured or purposeful.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons, many of which were joint observations with the headteacher. She also observed the teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make). In addition, the inspector heard pupils from Year 1 read, discussed reading with Year 6 pupils and attended a guided reading lesson as well as examining pupils’ work.  She observed the school’s work, and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information about pupils’ learning and progress, behaviour and attendance and safeguarding information, and the sports funding action plan.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body, a range of staff and a representative from the local authority.  The 30 responses to the questionnaire on the Parent View website were considered as well as six questionnaires returned by staff. The inspector also spoke to some parents and carers in the playground.

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Inspection team

Joyce Cox, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Temple Guiting is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. The number of pupils in each year group is very small.  There are three mixed-age classes which can change from year to year as group sizes vary. This year the make-up is: Reception and Year 1, Years 2, 3 and 4, and Years 4, 5 and 6.  The school has a higher percentage of pupils supported through school action than most other schools. The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is smaller than the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium is well below the national average. This funding is available for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, are from a forces family or who are looked after by the local authority. There are no looked-after children at the school.  There is a below-average proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and the

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Information about this school

proportion of pupils learning English as an additional language is also below average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The headteacher teaches the Reception and Year 1 class for two days each week.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that all pupils make the best possible progress by: – ensuring that there are no occasions when work is too easy so that pupils are always challenged – ensuring that Reception children always experience structured and purposeful outdoor play experiences.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well. Children’s attainment when they start school varies from year to year and ranges from above what is expected for their age to broadly in line with expectations. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 fluctuate from high to average due to the different needs and abilities of pupils in the very small year groups.  Achievement is not outstanding because standards in boys’ writing at the end of Year 6 dipped slightly in 2012.  The school’s documentation shows clearly that in three out of the last four years, pupils have achieved standards that are above average by the end of Year 6 in the key areas of reading, writing and mathematics. In 2013, results rose significantly over the previous year’s, continuing an upward trend of improvement.  Parents confirm that children settle quickly and happily in their Reception Year. They do well and reach a good level of development, especially in their early reading and writing skills,

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The achievement of pupils is good

which gives them a strong start in Year 1. Planning for purposeful, structured outdoor play sessions is not always sufficiently focused on ensuring these activities complement and extend children’s indoor learning.  Pupils enjoy reading very much and standards are high by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Younger pupils use the knowledge of phonics to help them work out unfamiliar words. For the last two years, many more pupils than nationally reached the expected level in the Year 1 phonics check. Older pupils read widely for pleasure and to research information for their learning in a number of subjects.  Standards in writing are above average across the school due to pupils’ consistently good progress and numerous opportunities to write in English and other subjects. Pupils calculate number problems quickly which helps them to solve real-life problems in mathematics. Progress is good across the school, with some outstanding progress in Year 6 last year as over

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The achievement of pupils is good

half of the pupils attained Level 5 and two attained Level 6.  The most able pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and a small number of pupils are on track to attain Level 6 this year. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit from well-targeted support and they achieve well as a result.  The school is steadily improving the achievement of the very small numbers of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding so that they make the same good progress as other pupils. Funds are spent on ensuring that they are fully included in activities and have access to the same resources as other pupils. Where necessary, they also receive individual support with literacy and numeracy and a part-time ‘Parent Support Adviser’ works effectively with their families to ensure home support as well.  Well-planned activities and an interesting curriculum ensure pupils extend their skills across a

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The achievement of pupils is good

number of subjects; for example, pupils do well in sporting activities. In addition to teaching by class teachers, the school uses the sports funding well to employ sports coaches to provide a wide range of activities for pupils during and after school which promote the development of healthy lifestyles effectively. Staff and governors are committed to ensuringthat the school’s long tradition of sporting success continues when the current sports funding stops.  Despite being such a small school, leaders carefully track the progress of all groups of pupils to ensure potential concerns are tackled promptly. The school’s documentation shows that there are no discernible differences between pupils from different groups as they move through the school and that the progress pupils make is largely consistent across classes. This demonstrates the school’s success in promoting equality of opportunity and ensuring there is

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good across the school and, consequently pupils make good progress in their learning. Pupils are well motivated and really want to learn. Teaching is not yet outstanding because there are a few occasions in lessons when work is too easy for some pupils.  Since the last inspection, good improvements have been made to the Reception children’s outdoor learning area. Children can use this covered area in all winds and weathers. However, planning for outdoor learning is not focused sufficiently well on ensuring children’s play is always structured or purposeful or that it always complements indoor learning.  Teachers mostly organise tasks which are well matched to pupils’ individual abilities within the mixed aged classes but there are a few occasions when work is too easy for a small number of pupils, slowing the pace at which skills improve. For example, in one class, pupils from two

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The quality of teaching is good

year groups had exactly the same worksheet to complete in a literacy lesson.  Teaching assistants are deployed effectively and they provide good support for pupils and work closely with class teachers to ensure a consistent approach.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are effectively supported and consequently learn well and make good progress. The needs of the pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium funding are met well and their progress is carefully monitored to ensure there are no gaps in their learning.  Teachers check pupils’ work in their books diligently and give guidance on what to improve. The best guidance is in English books, where teachers’ comments give examples of how pupils can improve their work, but this is not yet consistent practice in mathematics books.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good attitudes towards their work. They have excellent relationships with their teachers and respond enthusiastically to them in lessons and are very keen to learn. They collaborate well and persevere with challenging tasks such as working out equivalentfractions.  Pupils consistently behave well in lessons. For example, the Years 2, 3 and 4 pupils showed very mature and sensitive attitudes when they learnt how Muslims pray. They very sensibly and reverently carried out the sacred wash routine in readiness for prayer.  Behaviour in and around the school is very good and often excellent; the school’s documentation show that no serious incidents have occurred in recent years and there have been no exclusions. Pupils are very polite and open doors, collect chairs and are very helpful towards each other, staff and visitors.  Pupils are adamant that there is ‘zero tolerance’ of bullying in the school. Both they and their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

parents are unequivocal about this. They are aware that bullying can take different forms and are very aware of cyber-bullying. Although they have not experienced it for themselves, pupils know and understand what to do if it should occur.  Pupils feel very safe in school and have a very good understanding of how to keep safe. All the parents who completed the online questionnaire felt that their children are kept very safe and are well cared for. Pupils say if they had a ‘massive concern’, they would discuss it with the headteacher who always ‘sorts things out very quickly’.  Pupils enjoy being school councillors and carry out their roles diligently. Behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding as pupils are not sufficiently involved in identifying potential hazards for themselves and a small number of safety policies require updating.  Attendance is above the national average in all year groups, apart from Year 3 and Year 6, but

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

it is below that of some other local schools. Staff are closely monitoring the very small number of families who take their children out of school for holidays during term time even though this is unauthorised.

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The leadership and management are good

 All staff, parents and governors share the headteacher’s high expectations for pupils’ academic and personal achievement. Following the school’s investigations into the slight dip in boys’ writing standards in 2012, all staff were involved in reviewing and putting actions into place to improve boys’ achievement in writing. Progress since then has increased again across the school and boys are currently making equally good and sometimes outstanding progress in writing.  The school has an accurate view of its performance and is clear about what it has to do to improve. It has sustained its high quality provision for pupils’ personal development. The headteacher, supported effectively by staff and governors, is refocusing the drive to sustain the current high standards. Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because of the need to monitor even more closely the progress of disabled pupils and those with special

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The leadership and management are good

educational needs to ensure they always make maximum progress.  Monitoring of teaching is regular and rigorous and all teachers are accountable for the progress their classes make. This ensures that there is a clear link between the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress and the way in which teachers move along the pay scales.  The headteacher, staff and governors ensure that all requirements regarding safeguarding are met and take their responsibilities in this area very seriously.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted extremely well through an extensive range of clubs, visitors and visits. Pupils clearly enjoy many different sports and activities, including a recent Year 5 and Year 6 residential visit to an outdoor centre. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about what the school provides and especially how extremely well prepared their children are for secondary school and life in the wider world.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides good support and advice to the school and is currently working closely with the Reception and Year 1 teachers to ensure Reception children experience good learning and play experiences both indoors and outdoors. There are good opportunities for staff and governors to access training to hone their skills. Pupils also benefit from the school’s highly effective partnership (High 5) which consists of five local Church of England primary schools who share expertise, training and resources.  The governance of the school: – The governing body is supportive, knowledgeable and challenging. Governors have been instrumental in helping the school maintain good quality teaching and consequently in ensuring pupils’ good achievement. The governing body actively contributes to the school’s monitoring and evaluation programme through regular visits and challenging questioning. Governors are fully aware of the quality of teaching in the school and how the performance

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The leadership and management are good

of teachers is managed to help improve the quality of teaching. They have undergone training to improve their skills, particularly in the use of nationally published data information and how to interpret and use this to see how it compares with similar schools. This means they are very confident to knowledgably support the school. They monitor the finances of the school rigorously and ensure that the money from the pupil premium is used effectively to support these pupils, for example by providing one-to-one support for pupils as well as purchasing additional resources and equipment to support their teaching and learning.

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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 115653 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 426814

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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 65 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair April O’Sullivan Headteacher David Ogden Date of previous school inspection 2 December 2008 Telephone number 01451 850304 Fax number 01451 850304 Email address head@templeguiting.gloucs.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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