Stockham Primary School

School report Stockham Primary School Stockham Way, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 9HL

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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.  Teaching across the school is consistently good and leads to good progress for all pupils. Staff use questioning well and assess pupils’ work regularly.  All groups of pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.  The school provides an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere with all pupils’ good achievement as its priority.  Pupils behave well and are keen and enthusiastic about their school. They value the help they receive from teachers and the other adults who support them in their learning.  The headteacher, staff and governors have maintained good levels of teaching and achievement since the previous inspection and are all strongly committed to seeing the school improve further.  Parents and carers are positive about how the school supports their children in their learning.  Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of sporting activities to help them develop healthy lifestyles.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The range of subjects and activities offered to pupils is a strength of the school’s work.  Learning is planned so that pupils are encouraged to use imagination and creativity to explore a wide range of topics.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Achievement in mathematics is not as good as it is in reading and writing. The school does not use enough high-quality, targeted resources for mathematics.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to use their mathematical thinking across a range of subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons or parts of lessons. Two of these were joint observations with the headteacher.  Inspectors talked to parents and carers at the start of the school day and took account of the 31 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered the 22 returns submitted by staff in the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked closely at pupils’ work across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics, and talked to pupils about their attitudes to work and their views about school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of the governing body. An inspector spoke to an officer from the local authority to explore aspects relating to the leadership and management of the school and their impact on pupils’ attainment and progress.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including school tracking data, the monitoring of

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Information about this inspection

teaching and learning, and minutes of governing body meetings, as well as documents relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Marion Hobbs, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Wolfson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school serving the west of Wantage.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average. This is additional government funding for looked after children, those eligible for free school meals and those with a parent or carer in the armed forces. A growing proportion of this group now come from service families moving into the local area.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is above the national average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is in line with the national average.  The school holds the Platinum Sing Up award, the Bronze Kitemark for school sport, the Healthy Schools Award and Eco Mark.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out 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?

 Raise achievement in mathematics so that it is in line with that in reading and writing by ensuring that staff use high-quality targeted resources to assist pupils’ understanding.  Increase the opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills in a wide range of subjects so that they become more confident mathematicians.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils begin the Reception Year with skills, knowledge and understanding at below the levels expected for their age. They make good progress in Reception to reach standards that are close to those seen nationally by the end of the year. This prepares them well for Year 1.  Attainment for Year 1 pupils in the screening check for phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is in line with national expectations. This is as a result of the effective teaching of phonics for younger cohorts in the school.  Pupils throughout the school are supported to make good progress because of the teaching they receive and because of the effective range of support sessions delivered by teaching assistants and other adults that help identified groups catch up with their peers.  Pupils supported through the pupil premium are making more rapid progress than all other pupils in English and mathematics thus narrowing gaps quickly. However, at the end of Year 6 in

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The achievement of pupils is good

2013, the attainment of these pupils was one term behind their classmates’ in English and mathematics because of their lower starting points.  Attainment at Key Stage 2 is broadly average, although in mathematics it is slightly weaker than in reading and writing. Governors and school leaders are addressing this robustly through a range of strategies with close monitoring of impact and outcome.  Pupils read with confidence and are keen to talk about the kinds of texts they enjoy. Class libraries as well as whole-school resources support their exploration of different kinds of independent reading.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress in line with their peers and are well supported by teaching assistants who provide effective whole-class, small-group and individual programmes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good across the school and this supports pupils’ progress. It is not yet outstanding because the quality of teaching in mathematics is not as strong as that in reading and writing. School leaders and governors are addressing this robustly by ensuring that teachers and teaching assistants have access to, and are trained to deliver, a range of high-quality, targeted resources to meet the needs of different groups.  Teachers have expertise across a range of subjects. They have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and plan lessons that catch pupils’ imagination and interest. Pupils are encouraged to be creative and imaginative in their learning and to explore and find things out for themselves. Year 3 pupils were full of thoughtful questions as they explored different properties of soil as part of their learning in science.  Positive relationships are strong throughout the school. Teachers and teaching assistants are

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The quality of teaching is good

highly effective in their questioning and this supports pupils’ good progress across a range of subjects.  Whole-school themed learning, such as a recent ‘Alien Abduction’ day, enables all pupils to share ideas while developing their extended writing. It also creates opportunities for links with external partners, in this example the police, who helped pupils with aspects of their ‘investigation’.  Nevertheless, there are not yet enough opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills across a range of subjects so that they develop confidence in this area.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and assessed accurately against National Curriculum levels. Older pupils know what levels they are aiming to achieve in English and mathematics and are increasingly being given opportunities to assess their own work and that of their classmates.  Homework is set on a regular basis and is related to weekly learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching for those who are disabled or who have special educational needs and those eligible for the pupil premium is highly effective in helping these groups of pupils make the same good rates of progress as their peers. Teaching assistants deliver a range of support programmes that are tailored to meet pupils’ particular needs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are eager to learn and have highly positive attitudes to all that they take part in at school.  Open spaces, as well as classrooms, feature displays of pupils’ work and achievements providing a vibrant atmosphere that supports this strong climate for learning.  Behaviour in lessons is typically good with pupils showing respect to each other in listening to different views and opinions. Year 6 pupils showed both maturity and reflection when sharing their creative writing on the topic of evacuation and children being separated from their parents and carers.  Parents and carers are very positive about the school’s work in supporting their children and the care that is taken to ensure that they make good rates of progress. Views expressed to inspectors and responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, confirm this.  Pupils are safe and happy. They speak confidently about their understanding of how to keep

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

safe in different situations, including those related to e-safety.  Individual pupils’ social and emotional needs are well supported by a range of strategies. These include a library designed especially for pupils with a parent or carer in the armed forces and a behaviour support teacher who helps pupils explore their feelings through a mixture of talk and drawing.  Pupils are clear as to what constitutes bullying but say that this is not an issue at their school. Records show that the school has very few such incidents over time.  Attendance is above average. The school has recently introduced a breakfast club, in part funded by the pupil premium, and this is further supporting vulnerable families to improve their punctuality.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governing body are all committed to driving continuous improvement across the school. Their shared vision and clear understanding of school priorities mean that they are effective in their actions and have maintained good levels of teaching and achievement since the previous inspection.  School leaders check teaching and learning closely and accurately. They have a good understanding of the progress of different groups, including those who are eligible for the pupil premium and those who are disabled or have special educational needs, putting in place appropriate and effective support programmes that help these pupils make good rates of progress.  Information on pupils’ progress is analysed closely by school leaders and governors and any issues, such as the slight shortfall in mathematics, are rigorously addressed.  The school works well with a range of partners, including the local authority, to drive school

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The leadership and management are good

improvement at all levels. The local authority understands the school’s needs and provides effective support to help the school move forward.  A robust system of performance management is in place that links targets related to pupils’ progress with teachers’ professional development needs and their pay and progression. This is checked effectively by the headteacher and members of the governing body.  The curriculum is a strength of the school. Activities are planned imaginatively so that pupils are excited and involved in their learning across a range of subjects. The school also ensures a wide range of opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding as they move through the school, often linked to educational visits and links with local schools and partners.  The school has close links with a local secondary school to provide a wide range of sporting activities that encourage participation and physical well-being. These include dodgeball and a

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The leadership and management are good

range of inter-school competitions. The school makes good use of the additional government primary sports funding to enable all pupils to access these events.  The school works well with parents and carers, including those who might find working with the school difficult, to achieve positive benefits for pupils.  Safeguarding arrangements fully meet requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a firm grasp of the school’s current priorities along with a clear strategic view of how the school should develop over time. They are aware of the school’s performance compared to that of others, and are ambitious to secure further improvements in outcomes for all pupils. Their thorough understanding of data enables them to ask searching questions of the headteacher and senior leaders, holding them to account for the school’s performance. Equally, they manage school finances effectively and understand fully the impact of any

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The leadership and management are good

additional funding such as the pupil premium. Governors make good use of the training opportunities available to them from the local authority and also through close links with local partnerships so that they are able to fulfil their duties effectively.

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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 123072 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 426609

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 201 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jody Kerman Headteacher (Acting Head) Ruth Burbank Date of previous school inspection 27–28 November 2008 Telephone number 01235 764407 Fax number 01235 764407 Email address head.2538@ocnmail.net 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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