Clyst St Mary Primary School

Clyst St Mary Primary School Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1BG

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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.  Typically, standards in reading and mathematics are well above average and standards in writing are above average.  All groups of pupils make at least good progress and achieve well. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs often make exceptionally good progress in reading.  Teaching is consistently good and some is outstanding. At its best it captures pupils’ imagination and motivates them to learn through the excellent use of resources.  The focused and purposeful leadership of the headteacher and the commitment and hard work of all the staff and governors have secured improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The school accurately identifies areas for improvement and takes action quickly to tackle them.  The school takes very good care of pupils and procedures to keep them safe are extremely good. Good links with outside agencies and local schools make sure that pupils receive

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

effective support for their academic and personal development.  Pupils behave well and feel extremely safe at school. They are proud of their school.  Relationships throughout the school are strong because good provision is made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not high enough. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ written work does not always give them clear information about how to improve.  Too often pupils’ spelling errors and the standard of their handwriting is not as good as the content of their written work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven teachers over ten lessons, of which three were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, staff including senior and subject leaders, members of the governing body, pupils and a parent. A telephone discussion was held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed pupils working with sport coaches, heard some pupils read, scrutinised a sample of pupil’s written and mathematics work and observed playtimes.  A number of school documents were looked at including school improvement plans, pupil achievement data, attendance data and behaviour records, and documents relating to safeguarding and child protection.  Account was taken of the 55 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), the school’s own very recent parent questionnaire and the 24 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alison Cogher, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils attending the school are of White British heritage.  There are more boys than girls at the school. In some year groups there is a significant difference in the balance of boys and girls. In the 2013 Year 6 cohort eight out of ten pupils were boys.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is extremely low.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher is a local leader of education and provides school improvement support to another school in the area.  A breakfast club, run by the school is available during term time.  Pre-school provision and after-school care are also available on the school site during term time. These provisions are not run by the school and are subject to separate inspections.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by making sure that:  teachers’ marking of pupils’ written work gives them clear information about how to improve  the standard of pupils’ spelling and handwriting improves so it better reflects the typically good quality content.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Reception class with skills and knowledge that vary year-on-year. Typically they are at the level expected for their age except for reading, writing and number where they are often lower. They make good progress and most reach the level expected for their age and some exceed these levels, particularly in reading and number. They are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.  Pupils achieve well as they continue to make good progress through Years 1 to 6. By the end of Year 6 attainment in reading and mathematics is consistently above average. An improving trend has been established in reading.  The enjoyment of reading is promoted strongly and opportunities are seized during lessons for pupils to use their reading skills to support their learning in other subjects. In mathematics, pupils become very confident in handling numbers as they are frequently challenged to look for

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The achievement of pupils is good

patterns, to solve problems and give reasons for their answers.  Attainment in writing is often above average but pupils’ performance in this subject is not consistently strong. Pupils’ grammar and punctuation skills are good, but they make too many spelling errors and the standard of their handwriting does not reflect the often good quality content.  The school has recognised the need to improve pupils’ spelling and improvements in the teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) has already secured better results in Years 1 and 2. Action to improve pupils’ spelling in Years 3 to 6 has been taken but it has not had time to impact significantly on the overall standard of pupils’ work.  The very few pupils supported by the pupil premium attain as well as other pupils at the school. Their success is a result of tightly focused support that is informed by and accurate assessment of what precisely they need to learn next.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well as they benefit from well- targeted small group support in class, and for some, individual support for their very specific learning or personal development issues. This includes help for pupils to manage their behaviour as well as specific learning difficulties. The help these pupils receive in reading often results in their making rapid progress so they reach standards that are often above average by the end of Year 6.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching is the norm throughout the school with outstanding practice evident in each key stage. Positive and productive relationships contribute significantly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and to their learning.  In the very best lessons, teachers use activities and resources exceptionally well to capture pupils’ imagination so they fully engage in their learning. For example, when exploring the use of describing words in a story about a dragon, pupils in Year 2 were totally absorbed as they sprinkled glitter as stardust and made up actions to dramatise the text.  Good use is made of the indoor and outdoor spaces to support learning in the Reception and Year 1 classes. Developing pupils’ early reading, writing and mathematical skills as well as their social and imaginative skills is given a high priority within a safe and caring environment.  The teaching of reading has a high profile and is well managed so that pupils develop a love

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The quality of teaching is good

reading that supports their making particularly good progress over time. Teachers regularly read to pupils and plan many opportunities to read for information or to explore characters in stories. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 were very keen to interrogate a pupil in role as ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ to find out how he had felt as his home was being excavated.  Teachers mark pupils work regularly and often tell them what they have done well. In mathematics, pupils are often guided towards how to improve but this is not typical for pupils’ written work. Consequently, aspects of pupils writing needing improvement, including their handwriting or errors in spelling, are not addressed quickly.  Skilled teaching assistants work in partnership with teachers and make a significant contribution to pupils’ good progress, including disabled pupils and those with a special educational need. All adults make good use of challenging questions to check pupils’ understanding and to move their

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The quality of teaching is good

learning forwards.  The accurate assessment of pupils’ work ensures that teachers are able to plan activities, including for the most able, that are suitably demanding and help all pupils make good progress over time.  Links made between subjects and visits to places of interest help to reinforce pupils reading, writing and mathematics skills and make learning interesting and enjoyable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attendance is above average. They enjoy school, are polite and courteous and form strong supportive friendships.  The behaviour of pupils is good. They are keen to learn and the vast majority behave well in lessons. Occasionally pupils do not settle quickly enough when moving from one task to another. This slows the pace of some lessons. Adults manage these situations well to minimise the time lost.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents acknowledge that the school looks after their children very well and keeps them extremely safe. Pupils say they feel very safe at school and that bullying of any kind is very rare and dealt with quickly. They show very good levels of tolerance and understand that some pupils are not always able to control their behaviour well, but that the help they receive to improve is effective.  Pupils’ understanding of how to keep themselves safe is exceptional. From an early age they are

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

very clear about how to stay safe when using the internet, how to avoid, or deal with cyber- bullying and how to keep themselves physically safe both at school and when out and about at home. They make reasoned choices and actively seek advice and support if they need help. Pupils are very aware of safety issues at playtime and this allows all of them, including those with physical disabilities to play together harmoniously.  Pupils have a good understanding of the needs of others. Regular video conferencing links made to schools in the United Kingdom and other countries around the world broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding of what it is like to live elsewhere.  Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes a healthy and safe lifestyle. They take part in a wide range of sporting activities including fencing and archery and are very active at playtimes when they particularly enjoy developing their skills with diabolos.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The breakfast club provides a safe and friendly place for pupils, from which to start their day at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior and subject leaders, with the support of governors and a committed team of teaching and non-teaching staff, have successfully secured improvements in teaching. Staff morale is high and they work together to share what works effectively and to make sure that all pupils are given an equal opportunity to achieve well. Expectations of what staff and pupils can achieve are high and clearly communicated.  Evidence from a broad range of monitoring activities makes sure that the school knows what it does well and the areas where improvement is needed. The sharply focused school improvement plan rightly identifies improving pupils’ writing skills, including their spelling as a priority. Senior leaders have also visited other schools to explore ways to improve the impact of teachers’ marking on pupils’ learning.  In consultation with the school the local authority provides effective support for ongoing school

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The leadership and management are good

improvement.  Good use is made of the pupil premium funding to provide the very few pupils involved with a variety of bespoke support so they achieve as well as other pupils.  Following a whole school audit an action plan to make best use of the primary school sport funding has been implemented. Training for teachers, the employment of sports coaches and links to for example, Exeter City Football Club, are making a positive difference to the quality and range of sporting opportunities available for pupils, their level of sustained engagement and their physical wellbeing.  Procedures for staff appraisal are effective. They provide teachers at different stages of their career with appropriate levels of challenge and support and are closely linked to ongoing professional development and school improvement.  Close working partnerships with outside agencies and other schools ensure that pupils’ personal

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The leadership and management are good

and learning needs are met. Parental involvement is encouraged and they are supported to engage positively with the school. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated with all pupils being treated with equally high levels of respect and care.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding fully meet statutory requirements.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the well planned curriculum. Good attention is paid to pupils’ personal development and this is reflected in the strong, supportive and tolerant relationships they forge with others.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Members of the governing body bring a wide range of experience and skills to their work with the school. They are well-informed and actively seek training to make sure that they are in a good position to both challenge and support the school leadership to improve. They work closely with school staff and undertake a range of activities to check the

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The leadership and management are good

impact of actions taken to bring about school improvement. Governors ensure that the school meets statutory requirements such as those linked to safeguarding and that arrangements for staff appraisal are implemented. Governors are fully aware that salary progression is linked to additional responsibilities. They check on the impact of the pupil premium funding on pupils’ progress and are clear about the expected outcomes of the spending of the new primary school sport funding.

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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 113066 Local authority Devon Inspection number 431466

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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 151 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rob Hatton Headteacher Louise Herbert Date of previous school inspection 10−11 February 2009 Telephone number 01392 874583 Fax number 01392 875884 Email address admin@clyststmary.devon.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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