Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Chrismund Way, Great Tey, Colchester, CO6 1AZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils receive a good education at Great Tey Primary. They are well prepared for their future both academically and in their personal qualities.  The school has improved considerably since the previous inspection. The headteacher’s outstanding leadership and relentless focus on improving pupils’ progress through high quality teaching have had a considerable impact.  The headteacher and governors make excellent use of links with other schools and the local authority.  The school is a harmonious community where pupils feel safe and parents feel welcome.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy learning because learning opportunities are exciting, motivating and include visits and events.  They take pride in doing their best and work very hard. In all year groups, pupils of all abilities make good progress and achieve well.  Teachers and teaching assistants work extremely well together to ensure pupils have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the right sort of work and support to help them make the best progress.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They support the headteacher very well but are not afraid to challenge her.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few instances, more-able pupils are not given difficult enough work to do.  A small number of pupils do not read enough in school to help them make the best progress.  Reception children who find phonics (the sounds that letters make) difficult do not have enough opportunities to practise and consolidate their skills. Inspection report: Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 March 2014 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited six lessons and three sessions teaching phonics. Almost all visits were undertaken with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, governors and staff. The inspector spoke with three groups of pupils, including school councillors. A discussion was also held with a representative of the local authority. The inspector attended part of the school’s ‘Songs of Praise’ celebration in nearby St Barnabas Church.  The inspector looked at a wide range of school documentation including: the school’s own evaluation of its performance and its improvement plan; information about pupils’ progress and the support given to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  The inspector also looked at evidence of the headteacher’s monitoring of teaching and records relating to safeguarding and attendance.  The inspector looked closely at pupils’ work in all year groups and heard some pupils from Years

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Information about this inspection

1 and 2 read.  The inspector took account of 23 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspector also spoke with seven parents at the start of the school day and took account of the school’s own recent questionnaire for parents and the responses to the staff questionnaire from eight members of staff.

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Inspection team

Cheryl Thompson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 March 2014 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school has two classes. One class for Reception, Year 1 and 2 pupils and the other class for pupils from Years 3 to 6.  Each class is taught by two part-time teachers in a job-share arrangement. The headteacher teaches for two days per week in one of the classes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  A very small number of pupils are known to be eligible for pupil premium funding. In this school, this extra funding is for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  Since the time of the previous inspection, there has been a substantial change of part-time teachers. Owing to falling numbers of pupils, the school has reorganised from three mixed-aged

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement to outstanding by making sure that:  more-able pupils are always given sufficiently difficult work to do, especially in mathematics  pupils who find reading difficult have frequent opportunities to read suitable books  Reception children who find phonics difficult have enough opportunities to practise their skills so that they can make rapid progress. Inspection report: Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 March 2014 4 of 10

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children start in Reception, their skills and knowledge vary widely from year to year. There are small groups of children whose attainment is similar to that typically found and small groups who have complex difficulties, especially with communication.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups make good progress. They achieve well as a result of teaching that is rarely less than good and often outstanding. In 2012 and 2013, by the time they left the school, every Year 6 pupil had made at least the progress expected with an increasing number exceeding this. In 2013, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics was similar to that found in the top 20% of schools in the country.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ work and the school’s data about their progress indicate that almost all pupils are making expected progress in spite of a several changes of teacher. Pupils have a very business-like approach to learning. They acknowledge that they ‘have had a lot of teachers’ but also say that they know ‘we come to school to learn’.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Exciting topics created to motivate and widen pupils’ learning experiences include many visits and opportunities to work with experts. As a result, pupils are very enthusiastic about learning and their achievement in subjects such as science, art and music is also good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of the very small number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is good. There were no pupils eligible for the funding in Year 6 in 2013 to compare their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics with that of their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of the small number of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. The special work planned for each pupil is at just the right level to ensure at least good progress and high self-esteem from successful learning. The headteacher ensures that, if needed, pupils have specialist equipment to help them make the most progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well in mathematics. The strong focus on making sure pupils apply their knowledge in practical ways is very beneficial. Older pupils learn to persevere with complex problems involving long division and younger pupils have great fun using multiplication tables to quickly find the code for unlocking padlocks.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment in writing has risen since the previous inspection as a result of the headteacher’s focus on improving how writing is taught and used in other subjects. As a result, almost all pupils make good progress in developing their literacy skills. They use these well in longer stories or accounts of visits or writing-up their findings of science experiments.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Across the school, pupils enjoy reading for pleasure and researching their topics. Pupils who find reading a struggle make good use of their knowledge of phonics to help them work out unknown words. In the main, pupils make good progress in reading. However, there is a very small number who do not read enough in school and this slows their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the Reception group, most children have made good progress from their wide-ranging starting points in developing their knowledge of phonics. However, a very small number of children, who find the next steps difficult, do not have sufficient opportunities for practising their skills to help them remember all that they have learned.  The reason that achievement is not yet outstanding is that the proportion of pupils exceeding the expected progress in reading, mathematics and writing is not consistently above that found nationally. Pupils’ work indicates that more-able pupils work hard and make good progress. On occasions though, for example in mathematics, their work shows that they are given work that is not difficult enough for them. This restricts the progress they can make.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well in physical education and sport. The expert coaching by outside professionals together with teaching in science, have a strong impact on helping pupils develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves fit and healthy. Pupils are very keen to participate in the newly-introduced sports clubs and only a very small number do not belong to at least one club.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In both classes, there are excellent relationships between all adults and pupils. Highly proficient teaching assistants provide stability and are a valued part of the teaching team. They are used very effectively. Teachers set very high expectations for pupils to work hard and behave well. As a result, no time is wasted. Pupils settle very quickly to their tasks and persevere with challenging work when it is set.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are very enthusiastic about learning because teachers frequently plan lessons that draw together skills they learn in different subjects. For example, Year 1 and 2 showed considerable curiosity and respect when learning about the Hindu festival of Holi. They used their literacy skills well to compare similarities and differences with the Christian celebration of Easter.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The headteacher’s rigorous monitoring and high expectations have ensured that teachers’ marking of pupils’ books is of a very high standard. Pupils have clear guidance on how they can improve their work. Older pupils are in no doubt what their long-term targets are for learning and what they need to do to improve their work. They are very keen to do well and can discuss exactly where they are in working towards their targets.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of writing has been a focus for improvement since the previous inspection. Considerable improvement in standards and pupils’ enthusiasm is clearly evident in pupils’ keenness to write and the high quality writing on display. For example, letters to the Parish Council ask for the playing field shelter to be cleaned and painted. In all classes, basic skills such as correct letter formation and, later, joined-up writing are taught well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching for more-able pupils is good and often outstanding and ensures these pupils reach above average standards. In the main, challenging tasks are set for them. However, pupils’ books show that they often get all their work right and, on occasions do not always have sufficiently difficult work to do, especially in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. The tasks set to help individual pupils build on what they already know are appropriate.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They are polite to each other and to visitors. Whether at play or in more formal activities such as assemblies or at church celebrations, they show a very good awareness of how to behave.  A key strength is pupils’ mature understanding of the need to behave well and apply themselves to their tasks. Their books show that the presentation or amount of work they do does not vary when there are different teachers new to their classes. Pupils say, ‘We’re used to changes of teacher, it doesn’t slow us down’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils talk happily about what they enjoy doing at school. They think they have to work hard and like the way their teachers organise the days. The high quality presentation in their books and in their art work shows that they take pride in their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s carefully planned programme to promote pupils’ personal and social development has a positive impact on helping them grow into responsible and caring members of society. For example, pupils have considered personal qualities such as kindness and compassion and can say how these fit with a personal code of behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils take pride in belonging to their school and local community. Many pupils have leadership roles such as being members of the school council. They take their responsibilities seriously and particularly like being able to bring about changes such as having a better range of play equipment on the playground. Older pupils contributed significantly to the organisation of the school’s ‘Songs of Praise’ celebration in the nearby church.

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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 they feel safe in school. They have a very clear understanding of different forms of bullying and say that there is no bullying. If they have any concerns, they are confident that these will be dealt with to their satisfaction.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The headteacher makes sure that there are at least termly sessions to remind pupils about keeping themselves safe. As a result, pupils of all ages have a very good idea of how to stay safe, for example, when using mobile phones or computers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say they enjoy school a good deal and demonstrate this with their consistently above average levels of attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides outstanding leadership. She has sustained her ambition and clear vision for a school where all pupils can achieve as well as possible. In spite of considerable changes of teaching staff, the reorganisation of classes and a teaching commitment, the headteacher has brought about considerable improvements in pupils’ progress and attainment.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is supported by very well-informed governors, who also require nothing but the best in pupils’ achievement and behaviour. All staff and governors are committed to ensuring that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed in all they do.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has managed the changes in teaching staff very well. Through her rigorous monitoring of teaching, she has made sure that standards have not slipped and that teachers follow the school’s policies, for example, in marking pupils’ work. When undertaking joint observations of lessons with the inspector, the headteacher showed an astute understanding of how teaching could be improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 The present teaching staff are very new to the school and are employed either as a supply teacher or part-time. However, targets already set are challenging and closely related to pupils’ progress.  Through the excellent links with local schools and through training provided by the local authority, staff have had very good opportunities to update and extend their knowledge and skills. The impact of training is particularly evident for the teachers who have been at the school for a few months and for the headteacher in her teaching and management role.

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The leadership and management are good

 There are no leaders other than the headteacher. Consequently, there is a considerable work load, including being the special educational needs coordinator. The headteacher makes excellent use of links with the local network of schools, not only to provide a wide range of learning opportunities for pupils but also to develop her own skills and those of staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents are valued as partners in supporting their children’s education. They are provided with a good amount of information as to what their child is learning and how they can help at home. The Parents’ Forum provides parents with a way of asking questions and communicating their ideas. Almost all parents would recommend the school to other parents.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the stimulating and rich curriculum and links with the church and local community. This includes many opportunities for pupils to work together in the school and to mix and work with pupils from other schools, go on trips and residential visits and have visitors to the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the additional sports funding appropriately on training for staff and widening the range of sports clubs on offer. Each week, when teachers have time to plan lessons or analyse data about their pupils’ progress, their classes are taught by professional sports coaches. The impact of this is to widen pupils’ opportunities to try new sports and develop their skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides good support for the school in helping to improve teaching. The school also pays the local authority for further support for staff and governor training.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly committed to the school and work hard and sensitively to support the headteacher. For example, when sudden changes of teaching staff necessitated several supply teachers, the governors supported the headteacher while she planned and taught part-time in both classes.  Governors have well-organised committees that ensure governors make the best use of their individual expertise to scrutinise all aspects of the school’s work. They manage finances well.  Governors regularly review pupil performance information and the quality of teaching. They visit and check the work of the school at least termly and talk to staff and pupils about their work. They consult parents via a questionnaire and consult all the pupils via discussions with them about their perceptions of the school. They analyse the responses and act on these.  They are closely involved in school improvement planning and receive comprehensive updates

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The leadership and management are good

on progress towards improvement targets from the headteacher. They always question the headteacher’s reports. Governors are well aware of the falling number of pupils and have considered a range of options to address this. Governors make sure that safeguarding procedures meet government requirements. Inspection report: Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 March 2014 8 of 10

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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. Inspection report: Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 19–20 March 2014 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 115079 Local authority Essex Inspection number 425234

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 39 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary Williamson Headteacher Deborah Crabb Date of previous school inspection 12 September 2011 Telephone number 01206 210415 Email address admin@greattey.essex.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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