Waberthwaite CofE School

Waberthwaite CofE School Waberthwaite, Millom, Cumbria, LA19 5YJ

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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 vibrant school community is highly valued by pupils, their families and staff.  Children get off to a successful start in Reception and are well prepared for Year 1.  Most pupils currently at school are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils really enjoy reading and are taught how to sound out letters and words effectively. By the time they leave school they are competent readers.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding. Pupils enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities which encourage them to find out things for themselves.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to make sure that tasks set meet the learning needs of all pupils.  Pupils behave very well and this helps them to make good progress.  Pupils feel safe and are safe in school because staff care for them well.  The inspirational headteacher has a clear view of how successful the school can be and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

expects the best from pupils and staff. All staff share her vision and passion and work well together as a team.  School leaders, including governors, have taken firm steps to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. The school continues to get better.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well; pupils have good opportunities to work together and participate in a range of activities beyond the school environment.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently outstanding.  Teachers do not always make sure that pupils correct their work once it has been marked to ensure that they learn from their errors.  Occasionally, teachers do not check regularly enough how accurately pupils understand what they are doing during lessons.  Some governors are relatively new in post and their skills in carrying out tasks related to their areas of responsibility need further development.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in six lessons. In addition, the inspector made a number of short visits to lessons and listened to pupils read.  Discussions were held with: school staff; groups of pupils; senior staff and leaders with responsibility for a specific subject; the vice-chair of the governing body; parents and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance, its development plans, records of pupils’ standards and progress, documents relating to attendance and behaviour and pupils’ work in their books.  There were not enough parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) to generate a report. The inspector took account of the responses to the school’s own parental survey.

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Inspection team

Naomi Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Waberthwaite is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families) is well below the national average.  The large majority of pupils are White British. Very few are from minority ethnic backgrounds or speak English as an additional language.  Pupils are currently taught in three classes. Class 1 comprises pupils from Reception and Year 1. Class 2 comprises Years 2 and 3. Years 4, 5 and 6 are taught together in Class 3.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding in order to raise attainment and achievement further by making sure that teachers always check:  that pupils are given time in lessons to respond to teachers’ marking so that they learn from their mistakes  how accurately pupils understand how well they are doing during lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by developing the roles and clarifying the responsibilities of members of the governing body, especially those who are relatively new governors.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Links between school, home and nurseries are good and this helps children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to settle quickly into school routines. One parent told the inspector how her child in Reception misses coming to school at the weekends and was keen to get back to school after the Christmas holidays.  Most children start school with knowledge and skills that are lower than those typical for their age. The staff team plans activities carefully to ensure that children develop into enthusiastic learners and make good progress from their individual starting points.  In the 2013 Year 1 screening check in phonics (letters and their sounds), the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level was higher than the national average. This is because teachers and teaching assistants are highly skilled in the teaching of phonics (matching letters to the sounds that they make). Those pupils who struggle to read are given one-to-one support

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The achievement of pupils is good

leading, in most cases, to rapid improvements.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics, showing good progress. However, in the 2013 Year 2 tests, writing was not as strong as in reading and mathematics and this issue is being addressed by the school.  The attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 is usually higher than the national average in mathematics and writing and much higher in reading.  Other than the Year 2 writing mentioned above, there has been consistently good progress made across subjects and year groups since the previous inspection. This is a reflection of the good and sometimes better teaching which is now embedded across the school. There is an increasing proportion making more than expected progress as pupils move through Key Stage 2.  The most able pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress because their different needs are quickly identified and good support from teachers and teaching assistants helps each of them to make progress in reaching their targets. Pupils from minority ethnic groups make good progress. The very few who speak English as an additional language make increasingly good progress as they move through the school. This confirms the school’s commitment to making sure that all pupils have equal opportunities to achieve.  There are too few pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium to be able to make comparisons with other pupils nationally, but they are well supported and make the same good progress as that of their peers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is good, with examples of excellent teaching; this helps pupils to make good progress. A noticeable feature of the teaching is the calm working atmosphere that is created in all of the classes, which allows all pupils to concentrate well.  There is a whole-school approach to teaching mathematics and there are now more opportunities to bring the use of numeracy and literacy into real-life situations which pupils enjoy.  In a Key Stage 2 science lesson, pupils were exploring their ‘Space’ topic and preparing to enter a National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA) competition. The session was exceptionally well-planned by the teacher who encouraged pupils to think about materials they would use to build a rocket that would not absorb radiation. Through conducting their own experiments in small groups, pupils made outstanding progress in learning about the properties

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The quality of teaching is good

of different types of paper and card and were genuinely amazed at their discoveries.  In the recently published local parish magazine, there is an article written by Year 6 pupils which illustrates their enjoyment of learning through the topic of ‘lakeland adventurers’. They vividly describe their experience of sailing along Coniston Water and how they used this experience to learn about different angles in mathematics. Rafting up and sailing to an island also brought a breadth of experience to inspire their writing.  Phonics is well taught in Reception and Key Stage 1. This was seen firsthand when pupils sang along to several songs to reinforce their understanding of letters and the different sounds they make. One pupil screeched ‘I love this’ and a little later another exclaimed ‘this is my favourite!’ In a small group, pupils independently played ‘word bingo’ while another group was practising

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The quality of teaching is good

writing skills. The teacher and teaching assistant worked with other pupils on different activities and all made good progress.  Teaching is not yet outstanding because, occasionally, teachers do not check regularly enough how accurately pupils understand what they are doing during lessons.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and now consistently provide good written advice to pupils on how to improve their work. However, it was evident from some books that pupils are not always given enough time in lessons to correct and edit their work in order to help them to learn from their mistakes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Inspection evidence, school records and discussions with staff, pupils and parents show that this is the norm. Staff manage behaviour well and disruptions to lessons are most unusual. Throughout the school there is a strong atmosphere of mutual respect.  Several parents told the inspector that they choose to travel beyond their local area so that their children can attend this inspiring school. Its deservedly growing reputation is reflected in the growth in pupil numbers which is continuing.  Older pupils are good role models for younger pupils and this was seen at the start of the school day when pupils had their clipboards to hand and checked on the choice of school lunch for individual pupils. This was then accurately reported back to the cook and saved time during the registration period.  The inspector observed that in most lessons pupils were fully involved from the start. They

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

willingly engaged in helping each other to solve problems and find out things for themselves and when this was the case they behaved impeccably.  During breaks, pupils sometimes need reminding of their behaviour and how it affects others.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are confident that there is no bullying at their school and they know exactly what to do if it did happen. Pupils feel safe in school because they know that staff care about them and they are taught how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, for example, when riding a bicycle and using the Internet.  The school encourages pupils to take part in new activities in unfamiliar surroundings. For example, all Key Stage 2 pupils engage in an annual residential trip to an outdoor learning centre. Having been briefed on how to stay safe and avoid danger, pupils embark on travelling along zip wires, climbing various obstacles and canoeing. This builds pupils’ confidence and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

teamwork, contributing hugely to their personal development.  The primary school sport funding is used to provide additional sporting activities for pupils. These activities are taught by external coaches and school staff. This helps to improve pupils’ well-being as well as teachers’ skills, so that they can teach a wider range of sporting activities to a higher standard and more pupils can take part.  Parents make sure that their children get to school on time. Pupils’ attendance is average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher wants the very best for the school and she has the skills and determination to successfully drive continued school improvement. She has made sure that actions have been put in place to effectively address the areas for development identified at the previous inspection.  Following a period of extensive change the headteacher has quickly built an effective, cohesive staff team that share her high ambition for the school.  The school is clear about future priorities and the development plan identifies appropriate actions to raise standards. The impact of this is seen in the improvement in achievement of pupils currently in school.  School leaders, including middle leaders, carefully check the quality of teaching and make sure that staff are supported by an effective programme of training and mentoring that fits with school priorities and helps them to improve their own work.  All pupils’ progress is tracked and checked closely. Meetings are held regularly by staff with

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The leadership and management are good

responsibility for particular areas and the information about pupils’ progress is used to make sure that all pupils achieve well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed. The curriculum meets pupils’ needs. It is enriched by a range of after-school activities, trips linked to topics and visitors to the school, all of which provide experiences that pupils enthusiastically recall. The ‘forest school’ aspect of the curriculum ensures that pupils have many opportunities to learn in a range of outdoor environments which the pupils really enjoy.  The local authority effectively provides a ‘light touch’ level of support.  The governance of the school:  Governors are supportive of the school. They are aware of the school’s strengths and future developments because they visit school when they can and receive accurate, detailed reports from school leaders and staff. Some governors are at an early stage in developing their roles

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The leadership and management are good

and in carrying out their responsibilities, but there are plans for further training to enable them to understand data about pupils’ progress more fully and enable them to challenge school leaders more effectively. The governing body checks the progress of pupils eligible for pupil premium to make sure that its spending is effective. Governors’ overview of the quality of teaching and how it is linked to checking on how staff carry out their duties is directly linked to the salary structure. They undertake statutory duties, making sure safeguarding meets requirements so that pupils and staff are safe. Plans are on target to eradicate the deficit budget which was brought about due to unavoidable circumstances.

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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 112352 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 440817

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 53 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joe Geer Headteacher Penny Khan Date of previous school inspection 6 December 2012 Telephone number 01229 717664 Fax number 01229 717664 Email address head@waberthwaite.cumbria.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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