Sunningwell Church of England Primary School

Sunningwell Church of England Primary School Dark Lane, Sunningwell, Abingdon, OX13 6RE

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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 make good progress and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is consistently good, and an increasing amount is outstanding.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils learn to read successfully.  Pupils who join the school at times other than the usual points make good progress.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils feel safe, attend regularly and work hard.  Pupils enjoy their learning because teachers plan interesting lessons for them.  The school has a warm and caring family atmosphere in which each child is known and valued as an individual.  Parents are very supportive of the school and how well it cares for their children.  School leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching, and on the progress that pupils are making.  Governors support and hold the school to account well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. Chances are missed to enhance pupils’ writing.  Pupils are not always clear on their targets in English and mathematics.  Teachers’ marking does not always clearly show pupils how to improve their work.  Targets for teachers’ performance are not always linked to the progress of the pupils they teach.  School leaders and governors do not regularly check the progress being made by different groups of pupils, to get an overview of how well the school is doing.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven part lessons, all of which were jointly observed with one of the co- headteachers. All classes and full-time teachers were seen. The inspector also attended an assembly, listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, school leaders, governors and with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents at the start of the school day. He looked at the 40 responses to the online survey, Parent View, as well as the 17 staff questionnaires.  The inspector looked at documents including the school’s plans for improvement, records of the quality of teaching, information on the progress of pupils and at nationally published results. He also looked at records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance and at how the school keeps pupils safe.

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Inspection team

Mike Phipps, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils from the Reception year to Year 6 are organised into four mixed-age classes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is slightly higher than average. The proportion of those supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly lower than average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is higher than average. The pupil premium is the additional funding provided for children in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and children from service families. Almost all supported pupils in this school are those from service families, who make up around one third of the school’s population.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the usual points is

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Information about this school

much higher than average. Most of these are pupils from service families.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average. The proportion who speaks English as an additional language is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school operates an after-school club, which was included in this inspection.  Sunningwell Pre-School operates from the same site. It is not managed by the governing body and is separately inspected, so it was not included in this inspection.  Since September 2011, the leadership of the school has been split between two co- headteachers.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that more is outstanding, by making sure that:  pupils have more chances to produce high quality written work in different subjects  pupils know their targets in English and mathematics, and how to reach them  teachers’ marking clearly, and consistently, tells pupils how to improve their work, and that pupils have the chance to respond to this advice.  Improve leadership and management, including governance, by making sure that leaders and managers at all levels:  more regularly check the progress being made by different groups of pupils, so they gain a clearer strategic overview of how well the school is performing  set targets for teachers’ performance which are more directly linked to the progress made by the pupils they teach.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Many pupils join the school with skills which are slightly below those typical for their age. Pupils make good progress in all year groups and achieve well. By the time they leave the school, in Year 6, their standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average.  Lesson observations, listening to pupils read and checks of pupils’ work confirm that pupils are making consistently good progress across the school  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage because they are very well taught and supported. Teachers’ planning is effective and tasks are set at just the right level of difficulty for children of different abilities.  Pupils learn to read successfully. Their understanding of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is above average, so they can work out unfamiliar words well. Pupils are encouraged to read regularly. By Year 6, pupils can talk with enthusiasm about their favourite books and authors.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1. Pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 are broadly average. A dip in attainment in 2013 was caused by the unusually high number of pupils who joined this class during the school year with lower prior attainment. Nevertheless, pupils in this year made good progress from their starting points in the school.  Pupils who join the school at times other than the usual points are helped to settle in well. Their skills are assessed accurately as soon as they join the school and extra help is given where it is needed. Over time they make good progress, and their standards by Year 6 are in line with those of other pupils.  Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 2 is good. All pupils in 2013 made the expected level of progress in both reading and writing, and a much higher than average proportion made good or better progress in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Extra funds from the pupil premium are spent appropriately on systems to assess the skills of pupils when they join the school, on staff to provide one-to-one support for pupils’ literacy and numeracy, and on supporting pupils’ attendance. School data show that children from service families make progress which is in line with, and sometimes better than, that of other pupils. There were not enough pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in 2013 to comment on their attainment without identifying them.  More-able pupils and those from minority ethnic backgrounds make similar good progress to that of other pupils. The proportion reaching the highest levels of attainment is broadly in line with national figures.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar good progress to that of other pupils. This is because their learning needs are identified early, and extra help is

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The achievement of pupils is good

quickly given. Teaching assistants support these pupils effectively in lessons.  Pupils develop their skills in mathematics well. Pupils’ standards in mathematics have been above average for some years.  Pupils develop their writing skills well, but they have limited opportunities to produce high quality written work in different subjects, for different audiences and in different contexts. Their best pieces of writing are stored as evidence for assessment purposes. This means they do not have access to their previous written work to refer to in order to help them to improve their writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching across the school is consistently at least good. The quality of teaching is improving. Much teaching seen during the inspection was outstanding.  Teachers plan lessons carefully, with tasks that are closely matched to the different abilities of pupils. This was seen in a mathematics lesson, for example, in which Years 1 and 2 pupils made outstanding progress in understanding how calculations work, because the teacher planned several interesting activities which were well suited to different groups of pupils, and because the teacher’s questions made pupils think hard.  Relationships between pupils and adults are very positive, and pupils respond well to the tasks they are given. For example, in an English lesson, pupils in Years 5 and 6 showed much enthusiasm and developed good writing skills when they were asked to write a biography of Santa Claus.  Teaching assistants support pupils very effectively, especially those who need extra help. For

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The quality of teaching is good

instance, in an outstanding English lesson, a group of Reception-aged children were helped to develop early writing skills well by a teaching assistant who modelled the sounds that letters make very effectively.  , Teaching is not yet consistently outstanding. Pupils are not always clear on the targets they should be aiming for in English and mathematics, or what they should do to reach them.  Teachers’ marking, although detailed and frequent, does not clearly and consistently show pupils how to improve their work. Pupils are not routinely given the chance to respond to this advice.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, is good. Pupils are polite, well mannered and courteous towards each other and to adults and visitors.  Pupils told the inspector that they feel safe in school because they are well cared for by teachers and other adults. They have a clear understanding of different forms of bullying, and say bullying is rare. School records confirm this. If any incidents of bullying do happen, they are quickly resolved. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and understand, for example, the potential dangers of the internet.  No pupil has been excluded for at least three years. Racist incidents are very rare.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Pupils enjoy learning, work hard and want to do well. Disruption to learning caused by poor behaviour is very rare.  Systems to manage pupils’ behaviour are consistently applied and are effective. Pupils enjoy the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

rewards they get for working hard and behaving well. Sanctions for poor behaviour are rarely needed.  Parents agree that pupils behave well in school, are well looked after, and feel safe. They have no concerns about pupils’ behaviour. Staff also feel that pupils behave well.  Pupils’ attendance is rising, and is now above national levels.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are not outstanding because pupils do not consistently demonstrate their thirst for knowledge in all lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leadership by two co-headteachers is effective. There is a consistent focus on improving the quality of teaching and on raising pupils’ achievement.  The small number of teachers in school means that many aspects of planning and leadership are shared. Both teachers and support staff work well together as a team in their approach to school improvement. The leadership of the provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good, as is the leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils enjoy their learning because the school’s curriculum provides them with many interesting lessons, activities and experiences. Good use is made of the school’s outdoor area to enrich pupils’ learning. Good links with the local church, activities in the local community, visits, clubs and positions of responsibility all contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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The leadership and management are good

development.  Parents are very supportive of the school and its leaders. They appreciate the warm and caring family atmosphere in this small school in which each child is well known and valued as an individual. The school is committed to equality of opportunity and to making sure that discrimination is not tolerated.  The school is rightly proud of its record of sporting success, and of the number of pupils who take part in different sports. Extra primary sport funding is spent on specialist coaches in a number of sports and on staff training. As a result, the number of pupils participating in sport is increasing further. The school has plans to evaluate more fully the impact of this spending.  The after-school club provides pupils with a safe and stimulating environment.  Arrangements to keep pupils safe meet legal requirements.  The school receives an appropriate light touch level of support from the local authority.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s accurate self-evaluation, its good plans for improvement, and its strengthened senior leadership from the work of the two co-headteachers mean that the school’s capacity to improve further is strong.  School leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching. The management of teachers’ performance is carried out carefully, and is linked to decisions about their salary progression. However, targets for teachers’ performance are not always linked to the progress of the pupils they teach.  Although the progress of each individual child is carefully checked, school leaders and governors do not regularly check and analyse the progress being made by different groups of pupils. This means they do not have a clear strategic overview of the performance of the school.  The governance of the school:  Many governors are regular visitors to school, so the governing body knows the school well.

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The leadership and management are good

The governors are aware of the school’s strengths and have an accurate understanding of what the school needs to do to improve further. They are beginning to help school leaders to decide on priorities for improvement and they check that the plans to improve the school are working. They know about the quality of teaching, how good teaching performance is rewarded, and how any underperformance is tackled. Governors have a good understanding of what data on pupils’ performance tells them about how well the school is doing, and a number of governors have undertaken further training on data analysis. The governing body has a good knowledge of the school’s finances. This includes being aware of how extra funding, for example from the pupil premium, is being spent. Governors are less clear on the impact of this spending on pupils’ achievement.

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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 123161 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 433886

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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 96 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Evans Headteachers Simon Handley, Anita Leech Date of previous school inspection 17–18 November 2010 Telephone number 01865 739378 Fax number 01865 739378 Email address head.3242@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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