Cam Everlands Primary School

Cam Everlands Primary School Birch Road, Cam, Dursley, GL11 5SF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Require improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 While improving, the standards pupils reach are not high enough and their progress requires further improvement.  The teaching of reading and mathematics is not yet having a significant impact on standards in these subjects; the school has implemented plans to address this.  The quality of teaching has improved but teachers do not always use their time well to ensure pupils make better progress.  Marking is not as effective as it could be in moving pupils’ learning forward more rapidly.  Not all leaders have sufficient opportunity for and experience in monitoring and evaluating the outcomes in their area of responsibility and so they have limited impact.

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The school has the following strengths

 Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils are polite and courteous and the positive relationships that exist help to provide an appropriate learning environment.  The school provides strong pastoral support for its pupils. The rich programme of extra- curricular activities is well attended by pupils.  There are examples of good teaching which engages pupils in their learning and helps them to make better progress.  The headteacher and senior staff have clearly identified where improvements are needed and have began to address these. All staff speak positively about the improvements already made, particularly those relating to teaching.  Teachers work hard to provide a broad range of subjects for their pupils.  Governors support the school well and are fully aware of the strengths of the school but also of where it needs to improve.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, inspectors observed 12 lessons taught by seven teachers. Some of these observations were joint observations with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also heard some children read.  Professional discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, most teachers, subject leaders, three governors and a representative of the local authority. Additional discussions took place with pupils and parents.  The views of 17 parents who responded to Parent View were taken into account and inspectors also looked at the results of the parental questionnaire administered by the school.  A staff questionnaire was distributed and inspectors analysed the 31 responses received.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ previous work, usually in books, but also looked at safeguarding and child protection documentation, minutes of meetings, information about the standards pupils

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Information about this inspection

reach and the progress they make, and a range of other documentation provided by the school.  In addition, inspectors looked at the school’s plans for improving the standards and progress of its pupils as well as the local authority’s recent review of the school.

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Inspection team

Martyn Kitson, Lead inspector Additional inspector Jill Arnold Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of children eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding for pupils in receipt of free school meals, looked-after children and children from service families, is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is high, but the proportion supported at school action plus or with statements of special educational needs is low.  There are fewer pupils from minority ethnic groups or speaking English as a second language than in most schools of this size.  The school is working with an outstanding local primary school.  The current government floor target, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics, is met and exceeded by the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good throughout the school by ensuring that: - all teaching time is used productively and pupils are always challenged to achieve more so that their learning is extended - the support provided by other adults in the classroom is sufficiently challenging and that, where appropriate, they are held accountable for pupils’ standards and progress - pupils are given the opportunity to respond to teachers’ marking and learn from it.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve standards and accelerate progress in reading and mathematics by ensuring that:  pupils use their knowledge of the sounds that letters make when trying to read new words  when teaching reading, older pupils know the reading skills they are trying to develop  pupils are able to carry out appropriate mathematical calculations mentally  pupils are given plenty of opportunities to develop their basic number skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Maximise the impact of leaders and managers by ensuring that: - middle leaders use the leadership skills they have developed to effectively monitor teaching and learning across the school - there is a more consistent approach to performance management so that there is an effective follow up to all monitoring activities.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because progress is not rapid enough, resulting in the standards pupils attain not being high enough.  Children enter the school with levels of development that are broadly in line with national expectations. When they leave the Reception class, the number of children with a good level of development is just below the national figure.  Pupils’ standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have dipped recently and are now significantly below national averages. Recent actions taken by the school have begun to address this, as shown by the much-improved results in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2013.  In Key Stage 2, pupils are now making progress in English and mathematics in line with national expectations and this will enable the school to reverse the recent decline in standards. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning are helping the school to achieve this.  In 2013, pupils eligible for the pupil premium reached standards in line with those achieved by

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

these pupils nationally. They were one term behind all other pupils in the school, which is better than all other pupils nationally. The gap between these pupils and non-pupil premium pupils nationally has reduced slightly. They make progress at least in line with that of all other pupils.  Disabled pupils or those with special educational needs make progress in line with all pupils and achieve standards that match those achieved nationally.  Pupils have regular opportunities to read in school but they do not always use their knowledge of the sounds letters make when trying to read new words. Some reading lessons do not always focus on the key reading skills pupils need in order to progress.  The school is aware of the weaknesses in mathematics around basic number skills and mental mathematics and has a clear action plan to address this. The ‘numeracy passports’ are one example of how the school is dealing with this, and these have been well received by pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching across the whole school requires improvement because teachers do not always use time productively to maximise pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils are not achieving the standards in English and mathematics that they should.  In the Reception class, teaching is now promoting the growth and development of the key skills that these children need and they are beginning to make the progress expected of them.  Teachers plan interesting and engaging lessons for their pupils, resulting in them all being keen to take part. There are positive relationships between adults and children in all classes. Teachers have paid great care and attention to creating a stimulating learning environment with supportive resources.  A significant improvement has come from ensuring pupils understand what they are learning in a lesson, and the ‘tickled pink’ and ‘green for growth’ system has helped to focus pupils’ attention

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

on this.  Sometimes activities do not move pupils’ learning on and time is wasted on mundane tasks. This results in some pupils not being challenged enough by their work.  Teachers do not always provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to discuss their learning.  Pupils do not always act on what teachers write in their marking and this means that it is not as effective as it could be in ensuring they make progress.  The support provided by other adults in the classroom is not always effective in ensuring pupils learn well, as they do not always ask questions that are challenging enough. They are not held to account for the progress of the pupils they work with.  Teaching is improving as the recent initiatives the school has introduced have begun to have a positive impact.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good and meets the school’s high expectations. It is not yet outstanding because pupils’ positive attitudes to learning across the school are only beginning to have an impact on the standards they achieve.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school and they are courteous, polite and welcoming – they take pride in their school. They enjoy the responsibilities they are given such as peer mediators or sports captains and respond well to questions.  Pupils support the view that behaviour is good, and their parents agree with this. Pupils that do have problems are well supported by adults so that their behaviour does not affect other pupils’ learning. They know how to behave in different parts of the school and know how to keep themselves and equipment safe.  Pupils understand bullying but say it rarely happens and, when it does, it is quickly and fairly

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

dealt with. They are also aware of internet safety and cyber bullying.  The school records all incidents of poor behaviour and takes appropriate action in every case. Incidents are monitored so that the school is fully aware of any trends in behaviour and can act on them.  The school has appointed two Parent Support advisers and these are having a positive effect on a range of behaviour through the provision of several activities that involve working closely with parents.  As a result of actions taken by the school, attendance has improved and is now above average.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The headteacher, with strong support from his deputy, has been responsible for the introduction of a number of necessary initiatives designed to improve teaching, raise standards and accelerate progress. However, these have yet to have a significant impact and so leadership and management require improvement.  The school now has a clear understanding of what it needs to do to improve achievement and teaching and has a sharply focused plan to ensure this takes place. However, these actions have only just started to be successful.  The school has a rigorous programme for checking the quality of teaching but areas identified for improvement are not always rigorously followed up. Similarly, the school has systems in place for the performance management of staff, and these link pay with performance, but as yet these are not consistently applied to ensure that teaching improves and underperformance is

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The leadership and management require improvement

addressed.  Middle leaders are developing their leadership skills. They now need to use these skills to have an impact on learning and pupils’ progress in the areas they have responsibility for.  The school promotes well the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils through the range of subjects and activities it offers, its values and the strong links it has fostered with families and the community. The way in which it presents subjects to its pupils helps to engage them in their learning.  Money to support physical education and sport is spent on engaging specialist teachers from the local secondary school, providing local coaches and hiring an independent consultant. These actions are enhancing the school’s already strong provision in this area and will help the school sustain this. The wide range of sporting activities is well attended by the pupils and is helping them to live and promote a healthy lifestyle.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The local authority has recognised the need for additional support for the school and this has been well received by staff. It is being monitored through regular half-termly meetings.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of where the school needs to improve and are thorough in holding leaders to account for ensuring these improvements happen. They are able to use the results of assessments in order to see how well pupils are doing and where improvements are needed.  Information about pupils funded by the pupil premium is given to governors and they know about the progress of these pupils. In addition, they are aware of how the school is using its sports funding and of the impact this is having.  Governors are aware of the quality of teaching in the school and know what the school is doing to improve it. They are aware of how the school is now linking teachers’ pay to the

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The leadership and management require improvement

progress of their pupils.  Governors help to ensure that safeguarding and child protection needs are met.  Regular visits, regular reports and conversations, along with a programme of governor training, all ensure that governors have a secure knowledge of the school.

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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

Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 431081

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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 209 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Malcolm Jones Headteacher Ian Dixon Date of previous school inspection 14–15 May 2012 Telephone number 01453 545452 Fax number 01453 549778 Email address admin@cameverlands.gloucs.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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