Sedgeberrow CofE First School

Sedgeberrow CofE First School Main Street, Sedgeberrow, Evesham, WR11 7UF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils make excellent progress and leave the school with high standards across all subjects.  The most-able pupils reach very high standards and nearly all pupils leave the school reaching standards that are at or above those expected for pupils who are a year older.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make outstanding progress because of the high quality support they receive from the school which works closely with other professionals.  Much of the teaching is outstanding and teachers take every opportunity to challenge and support pupils to do their best.  In lessons pupils listen hard, work very hard and participate with great enthusiasm.  The topics that pupils study absorb their interest and stimulate their curiosity whilst helping them develop their academic, creative and social skills to a very high level.  Pupils learn avidly, both in the classroom and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

through a host of excellent additional activities.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent and there are very high levels of respect between pupils and amongst pupils and staff.  Pupils feel very safe at school and are exceptionally clear on how to keep themselves safe.  The headteacher, staff and governors share an ambitious vision for the school and put pupils at the heart of everything they do.  School staff, governors, parents and pupils work together very effectively to continually improve and enhance the education the school provides.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, including seven jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading and looked at the work in pupils’ books to assess achievement currently and over time and the quality of teachers’ marking.  Inspectors met with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and school staff. Inspectors also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors met parents informally and took account of the 40 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, the school’s own parental questionnaire and the 15 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors looked at a number of documents, including the school’s information about the progress of pupils, planning and monitoring documents, minutes of various meetings, reports from external school advisers, behaviour and attendance records and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Nicola Davies, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Adam Hewett Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all of the pupils are White British and all speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is well below average. This is additional funding for children in the care of the local authority, those children known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups.  The headteacher is a local leader of education and provides support for new headteachers in four Worcestershire schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that the planning and activities being considered for the new curriculum include an even stronger focus on mathematical problem solving.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children join the school with knowledge, skills and understanding that are typically seen in children of the same age. They make very good progress in Reception so standards are high by the time they start Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Very rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics is evident across the school. By the end of Year 2 pupils are, on average, well ahead of pupils of the same age nationally. By the end of Year 5, nearly all are working at the level expected of pupils a year older and more than a third are already exceeding the levels expected of older pupils in writing and mathematics. In reading, more than half of the pupils are already working at these higher levels when they leave.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils of all abilities, including the more-able pupils, make outstanding progress at the school and lessons routinely cater exceptionally well for different ability groups. Those who are struggling are quickly spotted and often provided with short-term individual support to successfully overcome their particular problem or misconception.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make at least as much progress as other pupils. Those with special educational needs are identified early and very effective help is provided by school staff, calling in support from outside specialists where necessary. As a result, many of these pupils have overcome their difficulties by the time they leave the school.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The very few pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium also make outstanding progress and achieve as well as other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils love books and read fluently and with great confidence and enjoyment. Pupils hone their reading skills everyday as part of their work in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Teachers promote a real desire to write. This starts early in the Reception Class where nearly half the class were able to write a legible letter to the pirate who had kidnapped their beloved class bear. By the time pupils reach Year 5 they are writing lengthy, highly imaginative or informative texts either on laptops or in beautifully presented handwriting.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils reach high standards in music, both in singing and in playing musical instruments. Every pupil learns to play a wind instrument during their time at the school and pupils sing on a daily basis.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers and pupils are equally enthusiastic to start learning at the beginning of each session. Lessons start very promptly and pupils relish the tasks and problems they are presented with. Rather than needing to remind pupils to keep on working hard, more often pupils need reminding to stop working so that they can go out to play or eat lunch.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers plan lessons very thoroughly to ensure they always include a mix of tasks for pupils of different abilities. Once the learning tasks are clear, teachers and other adults circulate the classroom to provide words of encouragement, to offer support or to ask a question which adds a further challenge to the work they have planned.  Teachers have an excellent understanding of the skills and knowledge they wish pupils to learn. They have very high expectations of what their pupils will achieve and pupils delight in living up to these. Teachers frequently display pupils’ completed work to show exactly how much they have achieved by the end of sessions and to guide and encourage others to reach the same high standards.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The topics which pupils study provide excellent opportunities for them to rapidly develop their skills in reading and writing. Opportunities to hone their mathematical skills within their topics are not quite as well developed. As a result, teachers have identified this as a focus for improvement in the lesson plans they are developing for the new National Curriculum.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 All pupils are encouraged and supported to acquire a very good standard of reading and writing, including spelling, punctuation and legible handwriting.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers set and mark homework very regularly which pupils enjoy completing. Almost all parents feel this is appropriate for their children. Pupils also regularly write class ‘blogs’ for the school website which share their learning with a wider audience.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding, in lessons and around the school. Pupils arrive to school and lessons very punctually, eager to learn. Older pupils often become so engrossed in their work they need reminding to stop for playtime or lunch. Their outstanding attitudes to learning are a significant factor in the very high standards they reach and the rapid progress they make.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Outside of lessons, pupils play happily together with minimal supervision in the very well equipped outdoor play areas. Similarly pupils behave very well in the dining hall. There are few incidents of poor behaviour and exclusions are extremely rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are extremely courteous and considerate of others. They welcome visitors warmly and show great respect for their teachers and other adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is high because pupils are very keen to attend school. Any unexplained absences are followed up very promptly, and on occasions the school works with individual families to help resolve any difficulties which prevent regular attendance.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say that feel very safe at school and are exceptionally clear on how to keep themselves safe. They understand different types of bullying but are adamant that bullying does not occur in their school. Any concerns are quickly dealt with by adults. A high priority is given to staying safe online and regular awareness-raising activities take place with staff, pupils and parents.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school has very good systems in place to make sure that safeguarding requirements are met, including checks on adults who work with pupils.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Outstanding leadership from the headteacher and governing body has led to the ongoing improvement of this school. Keeping a close check on the progress of pupils, which was a key area for improvement at the previous inspection, is now exemplary.  Checks on teaching quality are rigorous and are carried out very regularly by the headteacher. This has played a crucial role in making sure that the quality of teaching is outstanding despite staff changes. Teachers are regularly moved to different year groups to ensure that their expectations remain high.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Team work is at the heart of this school. All teachers take responsibility for particular subjects and carry out a similar cycle of planning, checking and reviewing progress. They regularly present their findings to the Governing Body and are often called on to share their expertise more widely with other local schools, particularly those in the local Teaching School Alliance.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils really enjoy the wide variety of opportunities they have in lessons and before and after the school day. Topics such as ‘Pirates’ and ‘Natural Disasters’ engage their interest right from the start. Their interest and understanding is deepened by opportunities they have to learn outside the classroom and through relevant trips and residential visits.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils enjoy a wide range of competitive sports. This has been supported through the carefully targeted use of the extra funding for sport. This funding has also been used to increase the number and range of school sports clubs. As a result, over half of the pupils now attend a sports club and the biggest increase has been amongst girls.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 School life is guided by a set of common values which pupils understand and respect. Work in class and assemblies provide outstanding opportunities for them to consider spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues. Staff ensure there is no discrimination and all pupils are treated fairly.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority is very well aware of the strengths of this outstanding school. Local authority staff visit occasionally to double-check the school’s systems and performance. The headteacher is a local leader of education and supports new headteachers in the local authority.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  There has been a marked improvement in governance since the previous inspection. Governors now have a code of conduct to guide them and visit the school regularly. These visits, along with regular reports from teachers, helps keep them aware of what is happening in the classroom. They have been trained to interpret performance statistics, so are clear about where the school does exceptionally well in relation to other schools as well as helping them see where improvements could still be made. Governors review the performance of the headteacher from this informed position. They also check that the reviews of teachers’ performance are helping them to improve and are closely linked to pay awards. They are absolutely clear that the quality of teaching is the most important factor in ensuring that all pupils do as well as they can. They rigorously oversee the school’s finances to ensure that

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The leadership and management are outstanding

spending has an excellent impact on the progress and well-being of the pupils, including those who are eligible for the pupil premium.

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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 116848 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 431546

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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 First School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–10 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 167 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Johnston Headteacher Michele Humphreys Date of previous school inspection 9 June 2009 Telephone number 01386 881391 Fax number 01386 882602 Email address head@sedgeberrow.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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