Kettleshulme St James CofE (VA) Primary School

Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School Macclesfield Road, Kettleshulme, High Peak, Cheshire, SK23 7QU

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  From their starting points, almost all pupils make good progress throughout the school, in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, over recent years, attainment in English and mathematics has been above the national average.  Teaching is good. Pupils enjoy lessons and are eager to learn.  This is a very inclusive school where every pupil is equally valued. The care and support given to pupils is first rate.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and parents overwhelmingly support this view.  The behaviour of pupils and their attitudes to learning are often exemplary. Pupils are extremely polite and well mannered.  Attendance is above the national average.  The curriculum provides a good and interesting range of subjects and topics that ensure pupils enjoy school; it has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement and personal development. This contributes well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

social and cultural development and prepares them well for the next stage of their education.  The headteacher and governing body provide good leadership and management. They have a clear view of how successful the school can be; they are focused on the continued improvement of teaching and raising pupils’ achievement further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are not enough opportunities to share best practice to improve the quality of teaching further. As a result, teaching is not yet outstanding.  Activities in lessons do not always enable pupils to learn exceptionally well.  There are not enough opportunities for Reception children to develop their literacy and numeracy skills through outdoor play. Inspection report: Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School, 30 October 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed six lessons taught by three teachers. One lesson was observed jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors looked closely at the school’s work, including minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s analysis of how well it is doing and its improvement plan, and documents relating to behaviour and safeguarding.  They also looked closely at the work in pupils’ books and the school’s data on pupils’ progress.  Inspectors talked with pupils and listened to some Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils reading.  Meetings were held with staff and three members of the governing body. A telephone conversation was also held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 18 responses from parents recorded in the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also held informal conversations with some parents. The inspectors took account of the nine responses to the staff questionnaire provided by Ofsted.

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Inspection team

Alan Parkinson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Pamela Hemphill Additional Inspector Inspection report: Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School, 30 October 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 Kettleshulme St James is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There are currently no pupils in the school who are in receipt of the pupil premium. (The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children of service families and children that are looked after by the local authority.)  Almost all pupils are White British.  There are currently no pupils in the school who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion of those supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics, does not apply in this school because

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Information about this school

fewer than 11 pupils took the recent end of Key Stage 2 assessment tests.  There are three classes: one class for Reception-aged children and Years 1 and 2 pupils, one class for pupils in Years 3 and 4, and one class for pupils in Years 5 and 6.  The proportion of pupils that leave or join the school at times other than the start of the Reception Year is well above average.  The school provides a before-school breakfast club for some pupils from the school. It is managed by the school’s governing body.  The school is part of a local partnership of schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that much of it is outstanding in order to raise pupils’ achievement further, by:  ensuring that teachers more effectively check pupils’ progress in lessons so that activities are always provided to enable them to make even greater progress  providing further opportunities for teachers to share and develop their best practice in teaching and so enable all pupils to make rapid progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide further opportunities for children in the Reception class to develop their literacy and numeracy skills in the outdoor area to enable them to improve their learning even further. Inspection report: Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School, 30 October 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In this very small school, with small numbers of pupils in each year group, attainment percentages vary widely from year to year, making comparisons with national data unhelpful. This is because large differences can often be as a result of the performance of a single pupil.  Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities that are broadly in line with those typically expected for their age. Good teaching enables them to make good progress from their starting points.  Over the last five years, standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 have consistently been above national averages. For the last two years, standards have been well above national averages in all areas.  In recent years, the progress made by pupils in Years 3 and 4 slowed. However, this has been successfully addressed by the school and, following a change of staffing, the progress made by

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils is now accelerating. As a result, by the end of 2013, pupils in Years 3 and 4 made good progress.  In Years 5 and 6, pupils continue to make good progress. Over recent years, standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been above those seen nationally. Current school data show that pupils are continuing to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school’s emphasis on improving pupils’ reading skills through its reading programme is very effective. This is helping to develop pupils’ literacy skills well and support their learning across a range of subjects and topics. The school has worked with parents to help them support their children’s reading. Pupils say they enjoy reading and read regularly at home and school.  Work seen in pupils’ books shows that they are able to apply their writing and mathematical skills well, across all subject areas.  Lesson observations, hearing pupils read and scrutiny of work confirm that current pupils are

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The achievement of pupils is good

making good progress. Parents are accurate in their positive views that their children are making good progress. There are no significant variations between the achievement of different groups of pupils over time.  A number of pupils join the school at the start of Year 3, having attended an infant school in another local authority. These pupils receive good support to enable them to settle quickly into the school. As a result, they achieve as well as other pupils. This support shows the school’s commitment to offering equality of opportunity to all its pupils and ensures that they achieve well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The vast majority of parents believe that the quality of teaching is good and inspectors agree with this view.  Pupils say they are well taught and enjoy their lessons. The good relationships between pupils and teachers, and between pupils themselves, promote positive attitudes to learning. This enables pupils to work well together or to get on sensibly with their work by themselves.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the good teaching ensures that pupils are actively engaged in their learning and make good progress. However, children in Reception Year do not always have enough opportunities to develop their literacy and numeracy skills through play in the outdoor area.  In the best lessons, where sometimes outstanding aspects of teaching were seen, teaching is very well organised and planned. Teachers have high expectations and the pace of learning is good. Teachers’ good subject knowledge enables them to explain well and extend pupils’

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The quality of teaching is good

understanding.  In some lessons, teachers do not always check pupils’ learning and progress often enough to Inspection report: Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School, 30 October 2013 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

ensure that work set always enables them to make rapid progress.  Displays of pupils’ work in classrooms and general learning areas stimulate their learning and encourage them to develop their creative skills.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked with written comments using praise to encourage and giving guidance on what they need to do to improve. Pupils regularly check teachers’ written comments and follow up their targets and spelling corrections. This helps pupils to learn well and make good progress.  The teaching assistant makes a significant contribution to pupils’ learning, including pupils who have special educational needs and those identified by the school for additional support. This enables them to make progress that is at least consistent with that of all other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are extremely polite and well mannered and are very welcoming towards visitors. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is impeccable. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and adults are exemplary.  Pupils display excellent attitudes towards school. They are keen to learn and to be actively involved in their lessons. Instances of them becoming distracted or distracting others are rare. Pupils value the weekly celebration assemblies where pupils’ hard work and positive attitudes are recognised.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school because the adults look after them well. They also learn about keeping themselves safe. For example, they learn how to swim, how to use the internet safely and about road safety and safe cycling.  The responses to Parent View and the views of parents spoken to during the inspection are extremely positive. The overwhelming majority of parents agree their children are very safe at

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

the school, looked after exceptionally well, behave sensibly and are not subject to bullying.  The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop responsible attitudes. Some pupils make a significant contribution to the school community by taking on positions of responsibility such as members of the school council, eco officers, house captains and safety officers.  Pupils took part in a ‘swimathon’ to raise money for Rotary charities and for ‘Hope for the World’ to support education in Burma. They also successfully raise money for charities such as Red Nose Day, the Christmas shoebox appeal and collect Harvest gifts for the local community. This shows the pupils’ good social, moral and cultural development and their high level of care for others.  Attendance is currently above the national average and punctuality is excellent.  Some pupils attend the breakfast club. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent and they are well

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

supervised. The club gives them a very good start to the school day through breakfast and a range of interesting activities that engage them, help promote their learning further and develop their social skills well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and the governing body know the school well. They have accurately identified the school’s strengths and areas for further development. There is rightly a strong focus on raising standards further, by improving the quality of teaching.  Regular observations of lessons and systems to check and improve the quality of teaching and learning are good and provide teachers with accurate feedback on their performance. The headteacher uses information about the quality of teaching well when developing the training programme for staff. However, the school does not always provide enough opportunities for teachers to share best practice in teaching to help to enhance their own performance and that of others.  Senior leaders have taken effective action to improve the quality of teaching and to address any Inspection report: Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School, 30 October 2013 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

areas of staff underperformance. Since the appointment of a new member of staff, the quality of teaching has improved, enabling pupils to learn well. This improvement shows that leaders and managers have the determination to continue to improve further.  The curriculum is very well planned, meets pupils’ interests very well and prepares them well for the next stage of their education. It offers pupils an exciting range of subjects and topics that promote interest and contributes to their great enjoyment of school. The school provides a variety of activities to enrich pupils’ experiences, such as a visiting artist to create three- dimensional sculptures. There are also opportunities that enable pupils to learn beyond the classroom. For example, the visit to Little Moreton Hall supported their learning about the Tudors and the residential trip to the Conway Centre helps pupils develop their confidence as well as

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The leadership and management are good

their personal and social skills.  The school’s ethos and school assemblies contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils also learn about life in other countries. For example, their topic work on Ghana helps them to understand about the different cultures and Ghanaian art and music.  The school is a member of a very effective partnership with other local schools. The school receives support from the diocese and light-touch support from the local authority. This partnership and support include opportunities for staff and governors to attend training courses, such as safeguarding and induction training for new governors, and to improve the quality of teaching and learning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very well informed through the information that it receives and from regular visits to the school. Governors regularly check the school’s performance, including the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching and data regarding pupils’ progress. As a result, they know the strengths of the school and have a good understanding of what needs to be done to improve the school further. This enables them to effectively challenge and support school leaders at all levels. Governors understand the connection between the quality of work that staff do and the arrangements for pay progression. The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s finances, including the allocation of the new primary school sport funding. This additional sport funding is being used effectively to develop healthy lifestyles and physical well-being. It provides a sports coach to work alongside class teachers during PE lessons and funds further sport activities such as the whole-school orienteering day at Lyme Park. Safeguarding procedures and policies meet statutory requirements. Inspection report: Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School, 30 October 2013 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Kettleshulme St James Church of England (VA) Primary School, 30 October 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 111459 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 426246

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 57 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Fiona Lawley Headteacher Paul Quirk Date of previous school inspection 13 October 2008 Telephone number 01663 732502 Fax number 01663 735281 Email address admin@kettleshulmestjames.cheshire.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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