Scotter Primary School

Scotter Primary School High Street, Scotter, Gainsborough, DN21 3RY

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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 and standards are above average.  Pupils do particularly well in reading, because early reading skills are taught thoroughly and any pupil needing extra help gets it.  Teachers provide interesting lessons in all subjects and help pupils develop their skills, particularly in the use of computers, very well.  Provision in Reception has improved; children are well taught and they make good progress.  Pupils enjoy school, behave well, attend regularly and are eager to learn.  Most of those parents and carers who offered a view believe, rightly, that pupils are safe in school.  Leaders keep a close check on teaching and learning and work well with staff to tackle any weaknesses.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all pupils, particularly some boys, make rapid progress in writing and mathematics.  Teachers’ marking in mathematics does not provide pupils with enough information about how they can improve.  Occasionally, the work is not hard enough for the most able pupils.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to practise their mathematical skills when they work in other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 23 lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  They held discussions with pupils, the headteacher, teachers, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of documents, including a summary of the school’s self-evaluation and development plan, policies aimed at keeping pupils safe, and information about the management of teachers’ performance.  The views of 81 parents and carers were analysed through their responses on the Parent View website. Inspectors also spoke with a small number of parents during the inspection.  The inspectors considered the views expressed by the 21 staff who returned a questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Keith Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David West Additional Inspector Sarah Chadwick Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils come from a White British background. A below average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A small proportion speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is well below average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or who have a statement of special educational needs, is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is less than half of the national average. In this school, this relates to those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and looked-after children.  The school’s results meet the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Pupils are taught in nine classes, some of which are mixed-age. Most Reception children are

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Information about this school

taught in a single-year class, while other work alongside some of the pupils in Year 1.  Privately-run before- and after-school clubs are held in the nearby village hall. These are inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning by:  helping boys to make faster progress in writing and mathematics  making sure the work in all lessons is hard enough for the most able pupils  giving pupils better information about how they can improve their work in mathematics  giving pupils more opportunities to use and improve their mathematical skills when they work in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children join Reception with skills that are typical of their age. They enjoy school very much and make good progress, so that most reach and some exceed the goals expected of them. Children learn well because the teaching is consistently good and, sometimes, outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in Year 2 has been consistently above average in recent years. It is not as high among current pupils in Year 2, but pupils in this group had lower than usual starting points when they started school. The work in their books and lessons, and the school’s assessments, show that they are making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards are above average in Year 6, although attainment in mathematics is a little lower than in reading and writing. Appropriate steps are being taken by the school to close this gap and these are beginning to bear fruit, but there is still more to do before attainment in mathematics matches the excellent standards consistently seen in English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well because they are confident learners who are well taught and eager to improve. Progress in reading is particularly brisk, and parents play a strong part through the support they provide at home.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress made by some boys is a little slower than the girls in writing and mathematics. In mathematics, in particular, pupils do not always know what they should do to improve, and this slows their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There are good opportunities for pupils to read and write when they work in science, history and other subjects. This helps them to learn in those subjects and also improves their reading and writing skills. Opportunities for pupils to reinforce their mathematical skills in other subjects are not so widespread.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The few pupils speaking English as an additional language achieve as well as others in the school. Pupils make the best progress when the work is set at the right level of difficulty. In a few lessons, the most able pupils do not find the work hard enough and their progress slows. Disabled pupils, and those who have special educational needs, make good progress from their starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has used the additional funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium to give extra support for individuals and small groups, and provide specialist teaching for those who find learning difficult. These pupils generally make good progress but there are not enough of them to comment on their attainment in English and mathematics without identifying them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons run smoothly because teachers have high expectations of how pupils should behave, and pupils themselves make sure they are ready to learn. This means it is unusual for the flow of the lesson to be interrupted by misbehaviour. Those pupils who find it difficult to behave are managed very well by experienced and able teachers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers explain the work clearly and carefully. As a result, pupils know what to do and what they are expected to learn, they settle down quickly to work and little time is lost. In the best lessons, teachers act quickly when they spot misunderstandings or see that the work is too easy. However, in a few lessons, the work is not hard enough for the most able.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers give pupils helpful targets that let them know what they should concentrate on next. Marking in English is good. Pupils have detailed feedback on how well they have done and what they should improve, and this contributes to the brisk progress they make. There are too few helpful comments in teachers’ marking in mathematics, however.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most lessons, teaching assistants contribute well to pupils’ learning, particularly for disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and pupils who have difficulty learning. They help maintain pupils’ interest in their learning and ensure they persevere when stuck. Consequently, they are usually able to keep up with their classmates. Occasionally, their role when the teacher is talking to the whole class is not clear enough and, on these occasions, they are not as effective as they need to be and are in other lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A mixture of careful planning, interesting and exciting work and a close check on children’s learning helps them to get off to a good start in Reception. The children thrive, whether they choose activities for themselves or are taught directly by one of the adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 One of the reasons why attendance is high and pupils achieve so well is that they enjoy school and are eager and ready to learn. They take pride in their work and appearance, both of which are consistently neat and tidy. Pupils are invariably polite and respectful.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects. Art is very popular, and this is reflected in the wide range of good quality art on display. Pupils also enjoy using computers, including handheld mini-tablet computers, to help them learn. They treat equipment with great care.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are admirably calm when unable to play outside due to wet weather. Most pupils report that behaviour is usually good. They understand the rewards for good behaviour and appreciate the steps taken to dissuade those thinking of misbehaving.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 A few parents who completed the online survey said that the school does not deal well with bullying. Pupils report that instances are rare, but were confident that they are sorted out quickly by staff. They were also sure that staff would respond if they were worried about anything.

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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 safe in school and well looked after, and most parents agree. They know how to stay safe in different situations, including when using the internet. Older pupils, in particular, know that bullying can take different forms, and they appreciate the help they are given to deal with it should it arise.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders evaluate the school’s work accurately. They have a well-organised system for checking on teaching and learning that highlights what is working well and identifies what can be done better.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are ambitious for the pupils and have high expectations of themselves and how they will help pupils to succeed. They work well with leaders to improve teaching and learning. Good use is made of the information gathered from the assessment of pupils’ progress, and the checks made on lessons and books, to provide suitable training for individuals and the staff as a whole.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has supported the school’s work to improve teaching and learning well. The school also works effectively with a group of local schools, both receiving and providing expertise in important aspects of their work, for example in providing staff training in subjects, including in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders in English and mathematics make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning. As a result, above average standards in reading and writing are being maintained and improvement is being secured in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Many of the leaders of other subjects are receiving training in subject leadership. This is helping them to ensure that activities taught to pupils are lively and interesting across a wide range of subjects. Teachers’ lesson planning places a high priority on promoting pupils’ enjoyment and personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Good opportunities for pupils to write widely and for different purposes contribute to their good progress. There are fewer opportunities planned for them to use their mathematical skills in other subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well led and managed. Good leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage also enables children in Reception to achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Most parents and carers are supportive of the school’s work. A small minority do not feel that their concerns are listened to. The inspectors’ own judgement, however, is that the school takes all parents’ views very seriously and is anxious to work with parents to ensure that all feel fully included.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has received additional funding to extend sporting opportunities for pupils. Funding has been used to provide training for staff, enable pupils to take part in local sports competitions and provide an after-school dance club. This is increasing pupils’ enjoyment and skills levels.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have good systems to check on the work of the school. They receive regular reviews of the quality of teaching and the steps being taken to improve it. They use this information well to challenge school leaders and hold them to account.  Governors understand the information the school holds about pupils’ progress and ensures that judgements of teachers’ effectiveness are linked to their impact on pupils’ performance. They set challenging targets for the headteacher and ensure that teachers’ appraisals are carried out fairly and effectively. There are good systems to reward good teaching and tackle any underperformance.  Governors oversee spending well. They ensure that staff are deployed carefully to secure best value for money. They check that the funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used well to enable these pupils to raise their attainment.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors ensure that arrangements to keep pupils safe meet current requirements.

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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 120473 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 431212

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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 274 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev Bill Keast Headteacher Elizabeth McCaffery Date of previous school inspection 17 June 2009 Telephone number 01724 762259 Fax number 01724 764453 Email address enquires@scotter.lincs.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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