Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School

Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School Little Lane, Great Gransden, Sandy, SG19 3AE

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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 achieve well and reach above-average standards by the end of Year 6.  Teaching is good. The headteacher undertakes regular reviews of teaching and progress to improve them even further.  The headteacher leads the school very well and sets a good tone. Staff enjoy working in the school.  Parents are very pleased with the school and the progress that their children make.  Pupils behave well and they have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  Management of the school is good.  The governing body is led very well by the Chair of the Governing Body and, as a result, governors are active in holding the school to account.  There are good links between subjects in the form of themes which interest the pupils.  The school is at the heart of the community. Pupils learn from the contributions and expertise of village residents. There are close links with the church.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress and attainment in writing are not yet good enough. Pupils’ handwriting is not always as neat and well formed as it should be. Pupils are not reminded regularly enough how they can improve the content and structure of their writing.  Pupils do not always have enough opportunities to develop longer pieces of writing to practise grammatical skills.

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Information about this inspection

 Eleven lessons or parts of lessons were observed. Two joint observations were undertaken with the headteacher.  Discussions took place with the headteacher, members of staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and a group of pupils.  The inspector heard pupils read and observed the teaching of reading skills.  He sampled pupils’ work in different year groups, examined records of pupils’ progress and read the school’s self-evaluation and school development plan. A range of other documentation was examined, including those relating to safeguarding.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a member of the local authority’s advisory staff.  The views of staff were sought and 12 responded to a written questionnaire.  The inspector looked at the 92 responses from parents on Parent View, the website for parents’ views about their children’s school. He also took account of the views of parents who wished for

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Information about this inspection

personal discussions with the inspector.

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Inspection team

Peter Sudworth, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized school.  Almost all the pupils are White British.  Pupils are taught in five mixed-age classes.  A much smaller proportion of pupils than usual are entitled to the pupil premium, which provides additional government funding for children who are looked after by the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups. Very few pupils are entitled to free school meals.  In the last academic year, the proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action was around the national average, as was the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. There has been an increase this academic year in the proportion of pupils who are supported at school action.  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.  The headteacher took up her post in September 2011.  Building works were taking place during the inspection and the outdoor area in the Reception class could not be used.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ attainment and rates of progress in writing further by:  providing regular opportunities for pupils to write independently and practise their punctuation and grammar in longer, high-quality pieces of work  improving the appearance and quality of handwriting and making sure that more pupils write in a joined script  ensuring that pupils are more aware how to improve their writing  setting more frequent targets for pupils in writing and visiting these frequently to assess progress towards them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children generally join the school with attainment broadly meeting expectations for their age. However, this can vary from year to year as numbers in the Reception class are smaller than usually found and attainment is dependent on the proportion of disabled children and those who have special educational needs or those who are more able. They make good progress in the Reception class in line with their abilities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1. Overall attainment at the end of Year 2 is above average. In the main, it is generally better in mathematics and reading than in writing. Attainment in writing is around the national average. Results in the most recent national screening in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) were around the national average and were above average the previous year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress accelerates in Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 6, attainment is above average. It is generally marked by a good level of consistency over time, with pupils leaving the school in most years the equivalent of more than two terms ahead of pupils nationally. Results in 2013 were not as high as usual because several pupils in the small group had special educational needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ good attitudes to their work and interest in learning support the good progress made.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because their needs are identified quickly, individual difficulties explored and support arranged to help them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 No Year 6 pupils in the last two years were eligible for pupil premium funding. Comparisons between the results of those entitled to the funding and those who are not cannot be made. The needs of the small number of pupils elsewhere in the school who are eligible for the pupil premium are analysed carefully. Good use is made of the money, which contributes to their good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in reading because they are heard to read regularly and parents also provide good support. Work in mathematics is well matched to pupils’ abilities. Good attention is paid to stretching able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils speaking and listening skills are better than usually found, with a good choice of vocabulary used.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Writing, although improving, is often the weakest aspect of pupils’ work. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length, develop stamina and concentrated thought to apply the skills that they have learned. Additionally, too many pupils use print or an incomplete joined style. This slows down the speed at which they write.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching throughout the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage, encourages pupils’ interest in their learning and supports their good progress. Teachers enjoy good relationships with pupils in an atmosphere of respect.  Teachers plan well for the different ages and abilities in the mixed-age classes. Teaching assistants and volunteer helpers ensure that there is good supervision of different learning groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff make good use of electronic touch screens to explain the work, which helps to maintain pupils’ attention. In a Reception phonics lesson, a video clip was used which indicated to the children how to shape their mouth to make a particular sound. This supported their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of questioning and teachers often get pupils to explain their calculation methods in mathematics, which helps the teacher to assess pupils’ understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Time is used well and lessons begin promptly. Lessons are well planned and teaching assistants are clear about their roles.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is good. Staff have a good knowledge of teaching phonics and group pupils effectively by ability. Teachers set appropriate amounts of homework, often linked to the themes that the pupils work on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers track pupils’ progress regularly and so they identify quickly those who need more concentrated teaching and challenge further pupils who are doing particularly well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is up to date, but there is some inconsistency in the extent to which teachers provide written comment to help pupils make further improvements in their writing. Teachers do not demand that pupils pay enough attention to the quality of their handwriting. There is some, but not enough, attention to providing pupils with targets to improve their writing skills. Those that are set are not referred to enough.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well and evidence seen indicates that behaviour has been good over time.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are punctual and enjoy school. Their attendance is above average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are attentive in class and take a full part in lessons. One pupil said, ‘I like the community at school. It is a warm community and we all get on.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils like their teachers and find them ‘kind and friendly’. They state that their teachers are helpful and try to make the day as fun as possible.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good knowledge of safety. They know the importance of keeping safe on the internet and ignoring unknown emails. They understand the importance of not talking to strangers. They feel safe in school and know who to turn to if they have a problem.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils carry out any responsibilities conscientiously, such as assembly helpers and playground mediators. Pupils say that mediators solve problems and deal with pupils who need comforting. ‘Mediators calm pupils down and help them’, they say.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils engage well in community events. They also enjoy taking part in out-of-school activities. Pupils raised money to bring a choir of orphans from Uganda to the village and were involved in hosting the children at school and in their homes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides very good leadership and has done much to update policies and documents since her appointment. She is very well respected by parents.

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The leadership and management are good

 Throughout the school, there is a clear sense of purpose, based on an equally clear set of values, which promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s knowledge of itself is accurate. The school development plan sets out clear priorities for development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team is increasingly pro-active in taking on leadership responsibilities. Allocations of time provided to subject leaders enables them to review their subjects and keep abreast of strengths and matters that need attention. While writing has been picked up as an issue in these reviews, and there have been recent improvements, action to improve writing has not always been rigorous enough.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum has developed well and the thematic approach linking subjects together appeals to the pupils. Good attention is paid to basic skills, although not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to write at length.

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The leadership and management are good

 A good range of out-of-school activities supports the pupils’ development and interests, with a number of activities developed in partnership with the local community. The local allotment club has helped to set up a gardening club. The local history society took the pupils around the village to explore its history.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority reviews the school’s results annually but has had limited involvement with the school because the pupils make good progress. It involved the headteacher in an induction programme for new headteachers during her first year. The local authority provides advice where necessary, mediating with troubled families and with children who have specific needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has very good links with its parents, the vast majority of whom have a high regard for the school and its work and are very pleased with their children’s progress. Parents work tirelessly for the school and its pupils through fundraising and supporting in class.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school website provides a ready source of reference and communication, including learning materials for pupils to use.

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The leadership and management are good

 Appraisal arrangements for staff work well and targets are clearly outlined, with good detail of how success will be judged.

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The leadership and management are good

 New government funding for physical education and sport has not yet arrived but the school plans to spend it on specialist coaches who will work with pupils and also alongside teachers so that their skills are raised in teaching physical education. An extension of outdoor pursuits is also planned.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The energetic leadership of the Chair has helped to improve the work of the governing body over the past two years. As a result of their visits to school, governors are now more active and better informed than before about the quality of teaching. They have a good understanding of attainment and progress data and are able to challenge leaders effectively about this. They are keen to undertake training to improve their skills and have individual training plans.  Governors are aware of staff appraisal arrangements and have ensured that these are directly linked to teachers’ pay and promotion.  Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.  Governors are involved in decisions on the use of pupil premium funding. They know how it is spent and the impact it has.

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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 110814 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 425356

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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 138 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karen Whinney Headteacher Rebecca Smith Date of previous school inspection 15 September 2008 Telephone number 01767 677294 Fax number 01767 677894 Email address office@barnabasoley.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

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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