Duddon St Peter's CofE Primary School

Duddon St Peter’s CE Primary School Duddon, Tarporley, Cheshire, CW6 0EL

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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 get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress as they move through the school. By the time they leave Year 6, they reach standards that are usually above average.  Good teaching, effective planning and careful checks on how well pupils are doing have resulted in pupils’ attainment being higher in all subjects than at the time of the last inspection. A greater proportion of pupils are also making good and better progress.  Behaviour is good in and around school. Pupils are polite, friendly and helpful. They say they feel safe and are cared for well.  Pupils enjoy school and, as a result, their attendance is above average.  The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction. High expectations are set so that pupils strive to achieve the school’s motto ‘to be the best you can be’.  All leaders, managers and governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

weaknesses. Their action plans are detailed and precise and areas identified for improvement are successfully tackled, including the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors are highly effective and provide a good balance of challenge and support.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ achievement is not outstanding. Pupils’ attainment in writing in Key Stage 1 is not as high as in reading and mathematics and not enough pupils reach the higher levels.  Teaching is not outstanding. Sometimes teachers do not ask pupils questions that make them think hard enough.  On occasion, teachers give pupils too little time to complete the activities they have planned.  Middle leaders miss opportunities to help improve the quality of teaching as they do not carry out lesson observations.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in all classes. She saw 11 part-lessons, five of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, teachers, the headteacher, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 44 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) together with letters and e-mails received from parents during the inspection. She also spoke informally to parents as they brought their children to school.  Responses to the inspection questionnaire from 11 staff were received and their views taken into account.  The inspector listened to pupils read, spoke with them about their learning and reviewed the work in their books.  The inspector reviewed a number of documents, including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ current progress, leaders’ reports following

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Information about this inspection

lesson observations, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and children who are looked after. At this school, this additional funding applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  Most pupils are White British and virtually all speak English as their home language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the previous inspection, the Nursery and Reception Years have been combined and these

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Information about this school

children are taught together in ‘Treetops’ in an Early Years Foundation Stage unit.  Before- and after-school care operates on the school site but is not managed by the governing body. This provision is inspected separately. Inspection reports for these settings can be viewed at www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise teaching and pupils’ achievement to outstanding by making sure that:  teachers provide more opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 1 to write at length and reach the higher levels in their work  questions are always used effectively to probe and develop pupils’ thinking  teachers balance the amount of time used to introduce activities and the amount of time pupils have to complete the tasks set.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the roles of middle leaders so that they observe teaching and provide support to raise the quality of teaching to outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge which are lower than those typically expected for their age. They make good progress due to the wide range of activities planned and the careful guidance and support given by adults. As a result, most reach levels which are similar to the national average by the end of Reception Year, except in writing, where their skills are still below average.  Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school. As a result, they reach standards which are usually above average by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics. The temporary dip in attainment in Year 6 in 2012 was due to the specific characteristics of that cohort of pupils. Actions taken by leaders made sure standards recovered well in 2013. As a result, attainment by the end of Key Stage 2 in 2013 was well above average and the percentage of pupils reaching the higher levels was above the national average in

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading, writing and mathematics.  Reading is taught well from the outset. Pupils are able to use their knowledge of letters and sounds to break down unfamiliar words. They read regularly at home and at school and develop good reading habits and a love of books.  A clear and concerted drive to improve progress in writing and mathematics has been successful. All pupils make the progress expected and many make greater gains, especially in writing in Key Stage 2, where progress rates have improved year on year.  Writing attainment in Key Stage 1 is close to the national average but is slightly lower than in reading and mathematics. This is partly because pupils’ skills are lower on entry to the school, but also because they are not given enough opportunities to write longer pieces or to write often enough. Leaders are aware of this and are applying the same successful strategies used in Key Stage 2 to make sure that pupils’ attainment in writing in Key Stage 1 improves further and that

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The achievement of pupils is good

more pupils reach the higher levels. School data show that, in all subjects, more pupils are making better-than-expected progress between Reception Year and Year 2.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress due to the additional support they receive both inside and outside lessons. Specialist support is also accessed for those with more significant needs and makes sure that the pupils who receive this support achieve as well as others in their class.  Very few pupils are eligible for support through the pupil premium but the school’s own tracking shows that those who are, achieve well. The funding is used effectively to provide additional literacy and numeracy support. As a result, there is no gap between the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the attainment of other pupils in the school in either English or mathematics.  More-able pupils make rapid progress as a result of good teaching and reach the higher levels of

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The achievement of pupils is good

which they are capable. All groups achieve well from their starting points and this demonstrates leaders’ strong commitment to promoting equal opportunities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is mostly good and a very small minority is outstanding. Relationships are highly positive between adults and pupils and, as a result, pupils work hard and want to do their best. Lessons are well-planned and build on pupils’ previous knowledge and skills. Teachers have good subject knowledge and set work at the right level for pupils of different abilities.  Where teaching is outstanding, teachers set high expectations and tasks pinpoint pupils’ learning needs. For example, in a Year 5/6 lesson, pupils produced some outstanding writing due to the teacher’s excellent introduction to the lesson, the high level of challenge presented and the effective support provided for all groups. Every pupil was engrossed and the teacher was relentless in extending and developing pupils’ vocabulary and writing throughout the session.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. All adults carefully observe and interact

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The quality of teaching is good

with children to make sure they extend and build on their early language, social and physical skills. Children can choose from an exciting range of activities, both inside and outdoors, and these provide a solid foundation for children at the start of their schooling.  Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support small groups or individuals to make sure they understand their work and to help them keep up with others in their class. Teaching assistants form a strong partnership with teachers, are well-trained and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, especially the learning of those who have special educational needs.  Teachers regularly mark and assess pupils’ work. They write positive comments and also make suggestions about how pupils can improve their work. Most pupils have targets which tell them the levels at which they are working and what they must do to reach the next level.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a small number of lessons, teaching requires improvement. Teaching in these lessons lacks pace as teachers spend too long introducing tasks and pupils are not given sufficient time to produce good quality work. This slows their progress. Occasionally, teachers do not extend pupils’ thinking by asking challenging or probing questions and too readily accept simple answers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are polite, helpful and friendly. They have positive attitudes to their learning, want to do well and usually work hard. All adults manage behave well and, as a result, behaviour in and around school is good, including in corridors and the dining hall. Some occasionally boisterous play on the playground and use of play equipment lead to minor bumps and accidents due to the small play-space available, but these are dealt with quickly.  The large majority of parents and pupils whose views were collected agree that behaviour is good, but a small number have concerns about bullying and behaviour. Leaders are keen to address these. Records checked during the inspection show that the school deals with all incidents raised and monitors these carefully. The behaviour code is also displayed prominently around school and pupils know the sanctions and rewards in place to promote good behaviour.  Pupils are aware of the different forms bullying can take, for example, verbal or cyber-bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Those spoken to know who to go to if they are worried and are confident that they will be listened to and any problems sorted out.  Pupils feel safe and know how to stay safe as a result of being taught about potential dangers, such as fire, road, water and using the Internet. Most parents agree that their children feel safe at school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted strongly. Pupils have time for reflection in assemblies to think about others, know the difference between right and wrong, and have good levels of understanding and appreciation of other cultures and religions. Pupils co-operate exceptionally well with each other in lessons during group or paired activities and this makes a contribution to the calm and friendly atmosphere in the school.  Pupils enjoy school and arrive on time. Their attendance is above the national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, middle leaders and governors work effectively together and share a strong commitment to driving high expectations and raising standards throughout the school.  Leaders make astute and accurate evaluations of what is working well and where further improvements can be made. Detailed action plans are in place to address areas for improvement.  Gaps in pupils’ achievement are identified early through the school’s effective tracking system and additional support for pupils is then put in place. The impact of such support is reviewed regularly by school leaders and altered as needed to make sure no pupil falls behind.  Checks are made on the quality of teaching, but this is done predominantly by the headteacher. Middle leaders are keen to contribute to this so that they can help support colleagues and so raise further the good quality of teaching.  Challenging targets are set for teachers to make sure that pupils’ achievement continues to rise.

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The leadership and management are good

These targets are linked to the school’s main priorities and also to teachers’ pay. Salary increases are approved only where there is evidence that these targets have been met.  The curriculum is rich and varied and prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. Visits, visitors and clubs provide memorable experiences for pupils, and help bring their learning to life, for example, visits to Chester Museum as part of their history work. The school uses the new primary school sports funding to employ specialist sports coaches to extend pupils’ physical education and promote healthy lifestyles. There is now greater participation in competitive sport and teachers observe lessons as part of their on-going training.  The local authority keeps a close check on the school’s data to make sure pupils are achieving well. They provide light-touch support and have recently checked teachers’ assessments of

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ work to make sure these are accurate. They rightly have full confidence in the headteacher’s leadership.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a wide range of knowledge and experience which helps them to challenge and support the school. They regularly visit school, both formally and informally. They have a good understanding of data and know how well the school is doing compared to other schools nationally. They are aware that the quality of teaching is good and make sure that pay increases are awarded only where there is evidence that pupils are making good progress. Appointed governors set challenging annual targets for the headteacher based on whole- school priorities. Governors have a good understanding of what the pupil premium and sports funding are spent on as they keep a close check on finance. They also make sure that this funding has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. They attend relevant training to keep

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The leadership and management are good

their skills and knowledge up to date and this helps them to carry out their statutory duties effectively, for example, in relation to safeguarding. As a result, safeguarding requirements are fully met.

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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 111281 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 426240

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 131 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Neville Freeman Headteacher Paul Hudson Date of previous school inspection 24 September 2008 Telephone number 01829 781366 Fax number 01829 781140 Email address head@dstp.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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