St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Yetminster

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School Yetminster, Sherbourne, Dorset, DT9 6LS

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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.  The determined leadership and vision of the headteacher has brought about good improvements in the quality of teaching and the pupils’ progress since the last inspection.  Pupils’ achieve well because teaching is good, relationships are respectful and pupils respond well to the varied mix of activities in lessons.  Teaching is good and pupils respond very well to the good mix of carefully chosen activities they are provided with in lessons.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are good.  The school has successfully promoted the ‘Rights and Responsibilities’ agenda within the school. This has undoubtedly encouraged pupils to exercise their responsibilities to each other; they behave well both in lessons and around the school.  Leadership and management are good with a wide range of leaders pro-actively involved in checking the work of the school.  Governance is well established. The governing

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

body undertakes it responsibilities effectively and gives both support and challenge to school leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There remain some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Not all teachers design work that challenges pupils of different abilities or use sufficiently challenging questioning. Similarly there are inconsistencies in marking and the time given to pupils to respond to teachers’ comments in marking.  Action planning is focused on the right priorities but not all targets in subject plans are precise or measurable enough or link strongly to supporting wider school aspects.  Checks on lessons are not always sharply focused on the impact that teaching has on the progress being made by different groups of pupils and this impedes leaders’ ability to spot any variations.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning and teaching in 14 lessons. This included visits to two linking sounds and letters (phonics) sessions.  In addition a visit was made to one session providing support to those pupils at risk of falling behind.  A sample of pupils from Years 2 and 3 were heard reading.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at information about pupils’ progress and attainment, the school’s development plan, subject action plans, governing body documentation, and policies and procedures. Those relating to health and safety and safeguarding of pupils were also scrutinised.  The 25 parental responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey, along with one telephone message were also considered. The school’s most recent parent survey was also considered.  Questionnaires completed by 11 members of the school staff were also taken into account.  Discussions were held with senior and other leaders, teachers, the Chair of the Governing Body

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Information about this inspection

and two other governors, pupils, parents, carers and two representatives from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Michael Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jacqueline Good Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a below average sized primary school.  Pupils come from a predominantly White British background.  There is an average proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium which provides additional funding for pupils on free school meals, looked after children and pupils from service families. There are no looked after children on the school’s register.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs varies year on year. Currently the proportion supported through school action is below average. An average proportion of pupils are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. The main needs of these pupils relate to specific learning difficulties.  An above average proportion of pupils join or leave the school other than in Reception or Year 6.  In 2013 the school exceeded the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching in order to maximise all pupils’ achievement by ensuring all teachers: – apply strategies in lessons which consistently challenge pupils of all abilities, especially the more able – give clear guidance in their marking, particularly in mathematics, about the next steps in pupils’ learning and give pupils time to respond to their comments – use questioning to further extend all pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by: – identifying criteria in subject action planning against which progress towards the priorities can be more accurately measured and that they show how the subject supports the whole school’s development plan – ensuring leaders have a clear focus on the progress made by different pupil groups when reviewing teaching and its impact on learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well. Children enter Reception with skills and knowledge broadly at the level expected for their age. The 2013 unvalidated data on the attainment of pupils at the end of Year 6 show that overall it is well above the national average.  In current work and in data there is evidence of pupils reaching similarly high standards.  Pupils make rapid progress and achieve well from their starting points in English and mathematics. Standards in reading are particularly high.  Children’s progress is good in Reception and across the school because they are taught well. The very high standards in reading reflect some outstanding progress, and this includes disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Pupils have regular opportunities to read. Those heard reading show enjoyment, and the majority are comfortable sounding out the letter sounds and then blending them to help identify

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The achievement of pupils is good

the word with which they are unfamiliar. This emanates from strong phonics practice in Reception where pupils use ‘robot talking’ to sound out syllables.  Pupils have similar good opportunities to write in subjects across the curriculum such as history. In mathematics pupils’ progress is improving as a consequence of the strong focus on problem solving.  Careful tracking and ongoing assessment helps ensure that those pupils joining the school other than in Reception progress in line with their peers.  Any pupils falling behind are promptly identified and they quickly access some good support to improve the standard of their work.  While some small gaps exist between girls’ and boys’ achievement in writing and mathematics, there is no apparent pattern, and the school is working effectively to iron out any inconsistencies.  A whole-school focus on the achievement of pupils known to be entitled to the pupil premium

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The achievement of pupils is good

has resulted in these pupils in Year 6 in 2013 attaining above the national average and their peers.  High attainers progress in line with their peers, but opportunities are occasionally missed to challenge them further in lessons.  The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who completed the online Ofsted Parent View survey believe their children make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Increasing numbers of high quality lessons are resulting from some very effective feedback to teachers by leaders. Good teaching enables pupils to achieve well in English and mathematics.  Teachers’ secure subject knowledge benefits pupils’ learning. This was seen in a design and technology lesson where the teacher modelled the appropriate skills as pupils carved soap bars to replicate their previously drawn plans of a sculpture. Occasionally, teachers’ subject knowledge is not used well enough to set pupils challenging questions.  Teachers use a good range of resources to stimulate pupils’ interest and motivate them. This includes information and communication technology which is used well in Reception to give pace to learning sessions about ‘word sounds’.  Pupils enjoy their lessons and say they have many things to do; for example, inspectors saw them undertake role play about Victorian times and create a very sophisticated model of cliffs

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The quality of teaching is good

after their geography visit to the local coastline. They have ‘fun challenges’ and like it when teachers invent games to help them learn; for example, ‘the monkey banana shop’ to support work in mathematics.  Learning support staff lead interventions well. In a phonics session observed by inspectors the pupils were given appropriate support and encouragement, and the adult set a brisk pace and delivered good questioning that deepened pupils’ thinking skills.  In the best lessons teachers plan extension activities. However, in less effective lessons pupils are not moved on to them quickly enough. This contrasts with a mathematics lesson in Year 5 where high attaining pupils quickly accessed work at their ability level while the class teacher focused on ensuring the understanding of other pupils.  Examples of the setting of work which challenges pupils of different abilities were seen, for example in a guided reading session for pupils in Year 4, but this aspect is inconsistent.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work regularly, and in English give good clear direction as to the next steps in the pupils’ learning. This is weaker in mathematics. There is little evidence of pupils being given sufficient time and opportunity to respond to marking.  The cultural development of pupils is well promoted by the teaching about St Lucia, as well as through links with a school in Myanmar.  The vast majority of parents and carers completing the online survey believe that their child receives good teaching.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that they feel safe in school. All parents and carers who completed the survey and those spoken to agree their children are looked after well.  Most parents and carers completing the survey believe behaviour to be good. Other adults in the school have a similar opinion. Behaviour is good and consequently lessons proceed smoothly.  Pupils have a clear understanding of what constitutes bullying but do not believe it is an issue in the school. They have a secure knowledge of the dangers associated with the internet and cyber-bullying.  Pupils stated that they enjoy school and this enjoyment extends to after-school clubs. On the first day of the inspection approximately half of the pupils from Year 3 onwards attended a sports club.  They understand about risk as a result of visits from, for example, the local police. There are insufficient opportunities for them to be involved in risk assessing, for example for their outside

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

visits and residential trips.  The good level of pupils’ social and moral development is demonstrated by the respect shown in lessons. They listen to others’ contributions without interruption and adapt their behaviour as required to the particular social environment, such as in assemblies and at lunchtime.  The pupils say that lessons are not interrupted by poor behaviour. Inspectors saw that, on occasions, when the pace of teaching dipped or worked lacked challenge, then pupils lose interest although not for any length of time or to disrupt the flow of the lesson.  They have positive attitudes to learning and quickly respond to teachers’ instructions, which contribute positively to the good progress they make.  Attendance dipped in 2012 as a consequence of widespread sickness. It has now improved and is better than average. Pupils are punctual to school.  The elected ‘Rights Respecters’, in pupils’ own words, ‘help people to make the school a better

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong leadership, management and governance have brought about good improvements in the quality of teaching and the progress made by pupils since the last inspection.  A wide range of leaders are fully involved in checking the work of the school. This helps ensure accurate evaluation and the identification of very relevant development and improvement priorities.  When approaching the checking of the school’s work not all leaders are equally adept at focusing sufficiently on the impact of any developments on the progress made by different pupil groups.  The mathematics coordinator has overseen the development and introduction of a calculation policy which has brought more consistency. The English coordinator identified the need for discrete spelling and grammar lessons. Such leaders are responding well to the opportunity presented by the school to manage their subject and have a good effect on school improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The drive for improvement comes from the top where a careful watch takes place on pupil outcomes. For example, the evaluation of progress data has led to a successful focus on high attainers in mathematics, although more remains to be done to ensure the consistent setting of appropriately challenging work for them during lessons.  Subject action plans are well conceived but there is insufficient attention paid to identifying success criteria which allow for progress towards the priorities to be more accurately measured. Also there is insufficient focus on where subjects support the whole school development priorities; for example, how history work can benefit pupils’ writing skills.  The headteacher leads the drive for improving teaching. Performance management targets contribute effectively to this. Data about pupils’ progress as well as observations and work scrutiny are all used to track improvements and the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 Continuing professional development is well linked to performance management targets, and the local cluster of schools is contributing increasingly to the provision of training. Different approaches to reading have been introduced as a result of such training and are driving good improvement, as seen in the high standards in reading.  Most parents and carers completing the survey believe they receive valuable information about their child’s progress. Further good links result from a detailed website and regular newsletters which include information from the Chair of the Governing Body. Links with parents and carers are good.  The local authority has provided appropriately light-touch support especially in the area of checking the validity of the school’s judgements on progress and teaching.  The funding and expenditure relating to those pupils entitled to the pupil premium are fully explained on the school website. Provision is a combination of specialist staff, resources and

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The leadership and management are good

access to clubs and trips. The encouraging levels of attainment of these pupils demonstrate the positive effect of this approach.  The curriculum is good and provides widespread opportunities for the cultural development of pupils. Music, art, drama and French all contribute very well to the enjoyment and wider skills of the pupils. Spiritual development is suitably reinforced through assemblies, and by ‘reflection areas’ located in all classrooms.  The government funding for physical education is contributing to more choice for pupils in the sports that they can access, as well as coaching to support teaching in the subject. Pupils’ hard work shown during the football club session demonstrates their increasing fitness levels.  The governance of the school:  Governors very appropriately use a range of methods which help them develop an accurate understanding of the success or otherwise of the school’s work.

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The leadership and management are good

 They have links with a subject area, talk to coordinators as well as pupils, and receive detailed oral and written reports from school leaders.  This enables them to raise questions of the school, for example about high attainers.  Performance management is well used to drive school improvement and governors regularly review progress towards the targets set. Success in the classroom is a pre-requisite to promotion and pay increases.  Governors know which groups qualify for the pupil premium funding. They have a good understanding of the attainment of these pupils but are less secure in their knowledge about pupils’ progress.  Statutory responsibilities are met with special attention given to aspects such as safe recruitment and health and safety. Regular reports are received from the school relating to safeguarding.

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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 113781 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 427336

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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 157 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Judy Ferretter Headteacher Paul Miller Date of previous school inspection 5–6 May 2011

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School details

Telephone number 01935 872430 Fax number 01935 872430 Email address office@yetminster.dorset.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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