Tibberton CofE First School

Tibberton CofE First School Plough Road, Droitwich, WR9 7NL

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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.  The exceptional enthusiasm, drive and vision of the executive headteacher, well supported by staff and an outstanding governing body inspire pupils to thrive in all aspects of their academic and personal development.  Leaders ensure that teaching, learning and achievement are outstanding across the school. Teachers demonstrate excellent subject knowledge and promote learning exceptionally well.  Pupils are treated as individuals and, as a result, all pupils, including those eligible for the pupil premium and those with special educational needs, achieve well and are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 and by Year 4, when pupils leave for middle school, are significantly above those usually found in reading, writing and mathematics.  High-quality marking celebrates pupils’ achievements and ensures that all pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

know what they need to do next in order to improve.  Pupils’ exemplary behaviour contributes strongly to the outstanding quality of learning in lessons.  From an early age, pupils enjoy coming to school and this shows in their eagerness to learn and their consistently high attendance rates.  Rigorous assessment and tracking systems ensure the progress of individual pupils in reading, writing and mathematics is exceptionally well monitored. However, the school does not formally analyse pupils’ progress in other subjects.  Staff are exceptionally caring and supportive and, with governing body members, volunteers, and visitors to the school, create an exceptional place for learning.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in seven lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the executive headteacher. The inspector also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms and heard a number of pupils read.  Meetings and discussions were held with groups of pupils, governors, members of staff and a representative of the local authority.  The inspection took into account the 22 responses to the online questionnaire for parents and carers, Parent View, and the outcomes from the school’s recent consultations with parents.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including: the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Clive Lewis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well-below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (funding from the government to support pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed services) is well-below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is broadly average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average overall, but varies between year groups.  In the term prior to the inspection, the school formed a ‘collaboration’ with another local small school, Hindlip CofE First School. During the inspection week, meetings were being held to

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Information about this school

finalise the proposal for amalgamation of the two governing bodies with the aim of the two schools federating under one governing body later in the school year. The headteacher of Hindlip was appointed at the start of the school year to become the executive headteacher of both schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work to further strengthen the assessing and tracking of pupils’ progress by applying the excellent systems used in reading, writing and mathematics to other curriculum areas.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils across the range of year groups and abilities, including the more able, make outstanding progress from the starting points expected nationally when they join the school in the Reception class. This exceptional progress was reflected in the high quality of learning observed across the school during the inspection, and confirmed by the high quality of work in pupils’ books.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Attainment at the end of Year 2 has been significantly above the national average overall for the last five years. By the time pupils leave the school, at the end of Year 4, attainment in English and mathematics is exceptionally high.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make rapid progress because their programmes of support and additional help ensure that their needs are fully met.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieve well because of the high quality of teaching and support, effective links between the school, home and pre-schools and the wide range of activities provided within the indoor and outdoor classrooms.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils make particularly good progress in developing their reading skills. This starts by teaching younger pupils to read by linking letters to the sounds they represent (phonics). The teaching of reading through daily phonics lessons and guided reading activities continues through all age groups. As a result, pupils throughout the school read exceptionally well and older pupils read fluently, with expression, and a good understanding of their texts. Key Stage 1 pupils who read to the inspector were able to confidently use their phonic skills to break down and sound out difficult or unfamiliar words.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The learning needs of the few pupils eligible for the pupil premium are fully identified. There is no significant difference between the attainment of these pupils and their classmates. The school uses the additional funding very well to provide carefully matched additional adult support.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Most teaching is outstanding and it is never less than good in helping pupils to achieve their very best over time. Teachers and support staff make high-quality learning an extremely positive experience in lessons, and classrooms are stimulating places in which to learn. Success is celebrated and pupils are confident to ‘have a go’ even if they make mistakes.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers are adept at engaging pupils as full partners in learning as they constantly reshape tasks and questions in the light of pupils’ responses, ensuring pupils of all abilities develop their understanding.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers manage the behaviour of pupils very effectively, with the result that lessons are calm and purposeful where all pupils learn successfully. Pupils work hard and remain on task without the need for constant adult prompting.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is checked rigorously and tracked as they move through the school. Termly meetings about pupils’ progress are held to discuss the information gained. These meetings ensure that teachers have an excellent understanding of how well the pupils in their charge are achieving and the action to take to support and help them to reach their challenging targets. The school also collects data regarding pupils’ progress in some other subjects, but this is not currently formally analysed and so does not help teachers’ understanding of how well pupils are achieving in those subjects.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, good use is made of both the outdoor and indoor areas to develop children’s skills. Adults take every opportunity to extend children’s language and numeracy skills by regularly asking them about the things that they are doing.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 A scrutiny of pupils’ books shows that they learn very successfully and make at least good and often better progress because teachers provide challenging activities over time that make them think deeply about their work. Teachers reinforce learning effectively so that pupils deepen their understanding of the subjects they study. This helps to promote pupils’ confidence and enjoyment in learning as well as their spiritual and cultural development.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Good organisation in the classroom, coupled with high expectations of work and behaviour, ensure that teaching takes place in a purposeful and calm learning atmosphere. Pupils display a thirst for knowledge and a love of learning. This makes a significant contribution to pupils’ excellent progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 There is a clear focus on teaching pupils to read throughout the school. The teaching of phonics and other reading activities for all age groups further support the development of pupils’ reading skills and a love of books. As well as reading skills, pupils gain a wide range of skills in communication and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching assistants are used well to ensure that the work given to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, as well as others who need extra help, is carefully sequenced so that all make good progress towards their learning targets.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers provide work to stretch and challenge pupils so they realise their potential as learners. Pupils of all abilities respond well to the challenges they are given. The more able especially enjoy the challenge of the work they receive and show impressive maturity as learners.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers’ marking across the school is of a high standard. Pupils respond to the guidance they get positively and exchange ideas freely with teachers. Marking is helping pupils to check their own understanding of how well they are doing so they can improve.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. This is apparent in class, around the school, in assemblies and in the playground areas. Relationships between pupils and adults are extremely positive.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils demonstrate great enthusiasm for learning and appreciate the help they get from their teachers and their peers to do their best at all times. They discuss their ideas freely with other pupils in a wide variety of situations. They understand the importance of listening carefully and encouraging and valuing the views of others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Staff manage pupils sensitively and courteously and this leads to pupils feeling happy, safe and secure when at school. Pupils say they really enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their consistently high levels of attendance and punctuality.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Parents who contributed their views via Parent View indicated a high level of satisfaction with the way the school promotes pupils’ well-being, good behaviour and safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have a very good understanding of different forms of bullying, including any that might be encountered through internet sites. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe. They say they feel ‘very safe’ in school and are confident that any issues they raise will be dealt with promptly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils respond extremely well to the school’s excellent promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They have a very clear sense of what is right and wrong.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Leaders are rigorous in ensuring access to the school is secure and that staff are rigorously checked for their suitability. Staff are invariably caring and supportive. Consequently, pupils enjoy coming to school as their high rate of attendance shows.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The highly experienced executive headteacher and her well-established leadership team are relentless in their drive to improve the school and are highly ambitious for pupils and staff to achieve their best. Clear priorities for the future, under the new ‘federation’ arrangement with Hindlip CofE First School have been set. The school has successfully tackled the few issues raised at the previous inspection and, in so doing, has raised pupils’ achievement and teaching to outstanding levels.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Systems which take full account of the national standards set for teachers are used very well to check the effectiveness and consistency of teaching. Staff benefit from joint training opportunities with staff from Hindlip school and other schools in the local cluster, bringing back new ideas and spreading good practice. As a result, staff morale is high.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders create a harmonious and well-run school where all pupils and staff are valued. The progress of every pupil is regularly checked to identify any who are not on track to achieve highly, reflecting the school’s unstinting commitment to equality of opportunity. Pupils’ targets are regularly reviewed and readjusted.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The well-planned but flexible curriculum is a key component of pupils’ exceptional achievement. Staff are constantly seeking new ways to make learning a rewarding, memorable experience for pupils. French lessons and regular Forest School activities help widen pupils’ experiences. Staff foster pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well through their personal example and their teaching.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority has a secure overview of the quality of education provided by the school and, recently, has been closely involved in supporting and advising the governing bodies of both schools on the process of federation.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has used the primary sports funding well to provide additional physical education activities. These activities are led by skilled sports coaches, working with class teachers. This motivates pupils very well and is resulting in improved teaching skills among staff. This, in turn, is leading to improved physical skills, health and well-being. Systems are running for the full evaluation of the provision.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Subject leaders are highly effective in carefully tracking both pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching in their subjects. They use this information to ensure that targets for improvement are well directed because these are founded on good evidence and accurate data.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The small size of the school ensures that all pupils and families are known very well by staff. The school’s very positive relationships with parents and carers and its good links with a wide range of partners and the local community contribute significantly to improvements in pupils’ achievement and well-being.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school runs very smoothly on a day-to-day basis. The positive track record of improvement since the previous inspection, the new collaboration and the ambition for continued improvement underpin a strong capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is very well informed about all aspects of the school and provides strong support and challenge. It checks that safeguarding systems are very secure and that they meet all current regulatory requirements. The governing body understands what the quality of teaching is across the school and is effective in overseeing the arrangements for relating teachers’ pay to performance. It plays a fully active role in the school’s self-evaluation, monitoring and improvement planning processes. It understands the data on how well pupils achieve, and the comparative performance of the school in relation to similar schools. The governing body works effectively to check that pupil premium funding helps those who receive it to achieve well.

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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 116851 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 431540

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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 4–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 68 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Wynne Headteacher Carolyn Tew (Executive Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 7 July 2009 Telephone number 01905 345284 Fax number 01905 345284 Email address office@tibberton.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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