Rushwick CofE Primary School

Rushwick CofE Primary School Upper Wick Lane, Rushwick, Worcester, WR2 5SU

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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 achieve well, making consistently good progress from the Early Years Foundation Stage. The current Year 6 pupils demonstrate above-average standards overall in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is good, with some that is outstanding.  Teachers have good relationships with pupils who respond positively, wanting to learn.  Teaching assistants give good support to small groups and individuals, so pupils of all ability levels make good progress.  Behaviour in lessons is good and staff demonstrate consistently high expectations. Behaviour around the school is calm and considerate. The school provides a safe, caring environment for its pupils.  The school is open, welcoming and inclusive.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher lead the school with determination, ensuring that leadership and management at all levels promote good teaching and achievement.  Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

way the school provides for their children.  Senior leaders evaluate the school’s strengths and areas for development accurately, and use the results well to improve pupils’ education. The effective governing body and headteacher ensure that all staff play a strong part in the school’s continuing improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers occasionally do not challenge more- able pupils sufficiently for them to extend their skills in all subjects.  There are few opportunities for pupils to gain an understanding of the diversity of the United Kingdom.  Subject leaders do not monitor lessons frequently enough to be able to give teachers effective guidance on how to teach the subject better.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons and a dance group and made several shorter visits to lessons. Three of the lessons were seen jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector spoke formally with one group of pupils and informally with others during work and play.  The inspector visited an assembly, listened to pupils read and discussed the work they have been doing in class.  The inspector reviewed pupils’ work with the headteacher.  The inspector observed the school’s work and considered a range of information that included: records of pupils’ achievement, governing body meetings, and attendance and behaviour; the school’s own evaluation of its work; and information on the setting of targets for teachers.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors, staff, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 33 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), and

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Information about this inspection

spoke informally with parents as they brought their children to school.  An evaluation was made of the views of staff, expressed in 15 questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Terrance Mortimer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school and the majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which is extra government funding for particular groups, including pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority, is around the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.  The school shares its site with a privately managed pre-school which was not included in this inspection.  The school has been identified by the local authority as a ‘beacon of outstanding inclusion

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Information about this school

practice’ for supporting pupils who have high-level needs.  The school is a member of the ‘5-a-side Teme’ and Partnership in Malvern Schools (PIMS).  The school provides a privately run breakfast club and after-school activities for its pupils on the school site.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to reach outstanding by:  setting more ambitious, clearly-defined tasks for all pupils, especially the most-able  challenging the most able pupils to be more adventurous in different subjects across the curriculum, ensuring that they have more chances to investigate, solve problems and write at length.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management and its impact on achievement by enabling subject leaders to observe more lessons, so they are able to make qualitative judgements to guide improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Create more opportunities through the curriculum to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well throughout the school. In 2013, a greater proportion of pupils than nationally made the expected progress in Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s current progress data, confirmed by the inspector’s observations, is that attainment is continuing to improve and progress in reading, writing and mathematics is accelerating rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children begin Reception with skills and understanding that are well below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that by the time they enter Key Stage 1 standards are broadly in line with those expected in most areas of learning. For example, children show good skills in recognising numbers and patterns.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the 2013 national Year 1 check on phonics (letters and the sounds they make) a below- average proportion of pupils reached the required standard. However, the results showed improvement which has continued this year. Children now develop their knowledge of phonics through a systematic programme which promotes speaking and listening skills as well as reading and writing. The impact of the school’s focus on phonic development is also increasingly evident in Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2. Current school data show that progress in reading and writing is slightly faster than in mathematics. This is mainly due to the sharp school focus over the last few years on improving pupils’ reading and writing. Pupils use these skills well to support their learning in other subjects. For example, two Year 3 pupils wrote their own version of a book for younger pupils using reading, writing and information technology skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils develop good mathematical knowledge and skills, but there are not many opportunities to use and apply these skills systematically across different subjects. Good practice was seen in a Year 4/5 science lesson when pupils used their mathematical skills in estimating fractions in the phases of the moon.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, while many pupils exceeded expected progress in reading, fewer did so in writing and mathematics, particularly the more-able pupils. In the inspection, too, evidence suggested that the more-able pupils are not given enough opportunities to find things out for themselves and this slows their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates. The current school data shows that the gap between the progress made by these pupils and others is narrowing quickly, especially for those supported at school action plus.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils supported through pupil premium funding in 2013 made good progress. They attained as well as their peers and similarly to eligible pupils nationally. This is due to the high quality targeted support given to them by teachers and teaching assistants during lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in physical education are good due to the effective use made of the primary sport funding to employ expert outside teachers. In Reception, children make good progress in their physical and personal and emotional development as they participate in their physical education lessons with the sports coach. In Key Stages 1 and 2 all pupils participate in dance, gymnastics and swimming as well as physical education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good overall and as a result pupils achieve well over time. There is some outstanding teaching, especially in Year 6. The vast majority of parents believe that teaching is good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently good or better. Staff work hard with the children and provide exciting, challenging activities to help them learn. There is a good balance of adult-led activities and tasks that children choose for themselves, making good use of resources both indoors and outdoors. For example, in a lesson on ‘time’, one group identified the hours on a clock in a game with the teacher while others played ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’ with a teaching assistant. As a result children learned to tell the time on the hour and some advanced to the half hour.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonics is now good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and is evident throughout the school. This is the result of the specific focus given to the teaching of phonics and because staff build on the good start pupils are given when developing early language skills. This focus also contributes to the improvement in pupils’ reading and writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the most successful lessons observed, teachers captivated pupils’ interests by making them think for themselves and keeping them actively learning throughout the lesson. For example, in a Year 3 and 4 lesson, after viewing a moon exploration shuttle take-off, pupils were engrossed in producing a report about being the first child on the moon, which resulted in good quality writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers organise lessons well to sustain good progress. In lessons where expectations are high, teachers systematically review pupils’ progress to ensure that tasks have sufficient challenge. Good examples were seen of pupils being encouraged to explore their own ideas in an open-ended way, especially in mathematics. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson pupils were challenged to show how multiplication and division were linked in finding the products of two numbers or the factors of a large number.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In several other lessons, however, more-able pupils were not challenged enough to think creatively. The activities they were given did not require them to seek out answers for themselves or expect them to tackle work at increasing levels of difficulty. This is seen most often in English lessons and as a result, more-able pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are used well. They provide good tuition for the small groups in class and help individual pupils to develop their learning skills at a pace that suits them. For example, in one lesson a teaching assistant challenged pupils well to use their phonics knowledge to help their writing task. Teaching assistants also provide a good level of support for disabled pupils, especially the pupils with high-level needs, and others who have special educational needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is up to date, encouraging, and consistently applied throughout the school. It explains clearly to pupils what they need to do in order to improve their work, though does not always give enough challenge to more-able pupils. Pupils appreciate the marking and are usually given the opportunity to respond to the comments made.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, pupils behave well. This reflects teachers’ consistently good behaviour management and pupils’ positive attitudes. They show interest in their work, try hard and concentrate well. In discussions they show they are growing in confidence and are beginning to put forward their ideas and pose questions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils look forward to their learning and as a result are punctual to school and lessons. When asked about school many said, ‘It’s great to come to school – it’s the best and teachers make it fun to learn.’ Pupils, parents and staff all recognise that behaviour is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 During lessons pupils cooperate and are keen to learn, though too often they are not encouraged enough to be more adventurous and find out their own creative, individual solutions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour reflects the inclusive and caring ethos in the school. They are courteous and well-mannered, as modelled by staff. Around the school, including in the breakfast club, there are many examples of good behaviour and of pupils’ sensitivity to the needs of others, especially towards disabled pupils with high-level needs. At break and lunchtimes, pupils’ behaviour is good and they socialise well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s management of behaviour and positive use of praise and encouragement contribute to the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The ‘celebration assembly’ is an example of how successfully the school reinforces its motto of ‘Learn to live… live to learn’ which fosters pupils’ confidence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel very safe in school. For example, older pupils support the younger pupils very well in the playground and as ‘Shields’, helping them come into school and enter classes safely. They say that bullying is very rare and they know about the different types of bullying, for example ignoring somebody or name-calling. They say that if such a thing happened they would go to a member of staff and the adult would do something about it. They have good understanding of cyber-bullying and know how to be safe out of school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has worked hard to raise attendance, which was average in 2013. It contacts parents on the first day of the pupil’s absence, using telephone, text and email; a family support worker also helps encourage attendance. The attendance since September is above the national average. There have been no exclusions this year.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has accurately evaluated the school’s strengths and weaknesses and acted to address the latter. His drive and determination, supported well by the deputy headteacher, have contributed considerably to improvements in teaching. Governors, parents and staff, are wholly supportive of the focus on raising achievement. The morale of the staff is high and they recognise the support and guidance he has given them.

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The leadership and management are good

 Accurate evaluation of data identifies appropriate priorities and informs the improvement plan. The plan is having a positive effect upon improving teaching and learning and raising pupils’ progress. The checks that are made on teachers’ use of assessment through a new tracking system are making a difference to the quality of teaching because it is helping teachers to target work more accurately and so improve pupils’ performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers have individual targets that clearly focus on improving pupils’ progress. Good levels of support for teachers and well-planned training have underpinned improvements to the quality of teaching. Decisions about teachers’ salaries based on pupils’ achievement and the progress of individuals and groups have been taken appropriately by the headteacher.  The deputy headteacher is a very skilled classroom teacher who has worked effectively to ensure that teaching and learning have improved across the school. Subject leaders work well to support other staff to improve their teaching and subject knowledge through planning, regularly analysing how well pupils are doing in their books.

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The leadership and management are good

 The subject leaders for English and mathematics monitor pupils’ progress but are unable to undertake systematic lesson observations. This means that they are not in a position to accurately evaluate the impact of teaching on learning and pupils’ progress in their subject or suggest ways in which teaching can be improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides an interesting and well-balanced curriculum, which involves pupils in determining some of the topics they study. It is being reviewed to address the requirements of the new national curriculum.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum and the school’s values underpin provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is enhanced by a range of trips and visitors to the school. The impact is seen in the inclusive atmosphere of the school and support for vulnerable pupils. The school has good links to a school in Portland.Oregon, USA to enhance pupils’ international understanding. However, pupils have few opportunities to gain an understanding of life in Britain’s diverse society today.

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The leadership and management are good

 Physical education is enhanced through the new primary sport funding, which has enabled the school to engage outside consultants to help train staff and give pupils expert tuition in dance, gymnastics and outdoor games. The consultants are part of the physical education programme which is also shared throughout the school cluster (5–a–side Teme) of which the school is a member.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority and the diocese provide effective support, which has included training for governors and regular monitoring of achievement and teaching and learning. It offers an objective view of the school’s performance through its visits and reports.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents are very positive about the school’s leadership and nine out of ten of those who completed the Parent View questionnaire would recommend the school to others.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  This governing body came into being three years ago. Governors support and challenge the school well, using members’ wide-ranging skills and experience to good effect. They have a good understanding of the school’s context, how pupils’ achievement compares with other schools, the quality of teaching, and of the safety of children and how it is ensured. They regularly have training to keep themselves up to date with the latest developments. Governors’ knowledge of pupil premium funding is thorough; they know the amounts involved, how they are used in different ways and their impact. They are fully involved in managing the headteacher’s performance, drawing on advice as necessary, and have a clear overview of the management of staff performance.

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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 116847 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 431548

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 132 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cheree Dee Headteacher Geoff Jeffrey Date of previous school inspection 3 March 2009 Telephone number 01905 422502 Fax number 01905 428895 Email address office@rushwick.worcs.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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