Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School

Greenford Church of England Primary School Chilfrome Lane, Maiden Newton, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 0AX

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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.  Children generally make good progress in Reception due to very effective teaching.  Pupils demonstrate good skills in writing by the time they reach Year 6.  Teaching is typically good. It provides challenging activities to enable more-able pupils to achieve the highest levels in both literacy and numeracy.  Teachers’ planning is thorough and builds on what pupils have previously learned. Stimulating learning activities help to motivate pupils to learn well and make good progress in their lessons.  Behaviour in the school is good and makes a strong contribution to how well pupils learn.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school. They get along together well and say that there are rarely any examples of unkindness.  School leaders at all levels have maintained the quality of teaching. As a result the progress pupils are making across the school has continued to be good.  Middle leaders, though new to their roles, are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

already making an impact by providing support and guidance to new members of staff. They have reorganised well the delivery of support to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Governors are very active in the school and provide a good balance of support and challenge to the senior leadership team.  Pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness is strongly promoted.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some pupils do not progress quickly enough in learning the sounds letters make in words.  Pupils in the previous Year 6 made slow progress in last year due to specific difficulties in providing stable levels of staffing.  Pupils do not always make the improvements to their work which are suggested by their teachers’ feedback when their books have been marked.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in eight lessons, and attended a whole-school assembly led by the headteacher and the teacher with responsibility for literacy.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the Chair and members of the Governing Body as well as with senior and middle leaders. The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of pupils’ workbooks.  A wide range of documents was examined, including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress, as well as planning and documentation about checks on teaching, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  The inspector also took account of the 48 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Greenford Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school is organised into single-year classes across the school.  There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority) is much lower than the national average. There are no looked-after children or children from families in the armed forces currently at the school.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs who are supported at school action is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

of pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been a number of changes to the teaching staff over the last year, particularly in the Year 6 class last year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching of the sounds that groups of letters make (phonics) so that all pupils, especially the more able, develop their understanding more quickly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils are consistently given time to improve their work in response to the feedback teachers provide in their marking.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Reception class with skills that are generally typical for their age. Through very good teaching they make rapid progress. In 2013 the proportion of children attaining the expected level of development was much higher than that seen nationally so that by the end of Reception pupils were well prepared for Year 1.  Pupils make good progress in Year 1, so that by the time they reach Year 2 their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above national averages, with more-able pupils achieving particularly well in reading and writing.  In 2013 the sudden and unavoidable departure of a key member of staff on health grounds, and the provisional appointment of a temporary classroom teacher, impacted on the outcomes for pupils in national assessments at the end of Year 6. Although pupils' attainment remained in line with national averages, the progress that pupils made dipped, and was less than that seen

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The achievement of pupils is good

nationally. The school acted swiftly to remedy the situation by re-structuring the teaching team already in school. The information the school holds indicates that progress currently being made by pupils in Year 6 is more rapid than that seen last year.  Pupils' skills in reading generally develop well over the time they are in school. Pupils in different year groups all say they enjoy reading. Older pupils read with fluency and confidence and can talk about the authors they enjoy. Some pupils however, do not learn the sounds letters make quickly enough, and over the last two years, too few pupils have reached the expected level in the national phonics screening check. An increased focus on these skills means pupils are increasingly able to apply their understanding of phonics to build up unfamiliar or trickier words when reading.  Written work in pupils’ books shows that pupils make very good progress overall. This is largely

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The achievement of pupils is good

due to much more effective teaching now taking place, especially in Year 6. The quality of the work produced by more-able pupils is high with some pupils consistently reaching the highest levels. The school’s own assessments, which have been externally audited and validated, are rigorous.  Pupils are now making faster progress in mathematics. The information the school holds on how well pupils are currently doing indicates that the gaps in pupils’ progress between their achievement in mathematics and that seen in literacy are rapidly being closed.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils in the school. The support provided by the teaching assistants is now more effectively provided and more closely linked with the work that is happening in the classrooms. Support sessions are provided alongside booster activities to ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to

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The achievement of pupils is good

achieve well.  Over the last few years only one older pupil has been known to be eligible for the pupil premium. The sample is therefore too small to assess performance in the external assessment tests against national standards. Lower down the school where a few more pupils attract the funding, their progress is generally similar to or better than that of their classmates. The school uses the additional funding effectively across the school through well-targeted small-group work to develop these pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons are well planned and teachers have good subject knowledge. Teachers help pupils with outlines of what they are learning and identify the expectations of pupils’ differing abilities. As a result, pupils have a clear understanding of what they are aiming to achieve, and learn well.  Learning activities are designed to provide suitable levels of challenge to pupils, matched closely to their ability. Improvements in the quality of teaching in mathematics over the last year have improved the rates of progress of pupils in mathematics across the school compared with those seen in the past.  Teaching assistants are used effectively in class, working to support both lower-ability and higher-ability pupils on different occasions. For example, a group of more-able pupils in Year 6 working on percentages were supported by a teaching assistant to achieve the highest levels, while in Year 5 the teaching assistant was able to use a range of resources to help lower-ability

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils work out decimals.  The system for setting pupils simple target to guide improvement work well. These help to provide pupils with good guidance on what skills they are working on over a longer period of time. Teachers review these targets regularly to check when pupils have achieved them, and new targets are then added.  Teachers help pupils reinforce their learning through the exciting use of information and communication technology. For example, Year 4 pupils have made their own animations of the planets as part of their project on ‘Space’, and the school has begun blogging pupils’ work to share and celebrate their achievements.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked and teachers provide pupils with clear guidance to help them develop their work further. In the best examples pupils act on this quickly but this is not consistently seen in all books, and improvements are not always made or followed up.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching activities linked to helping pupils develop their understanding of phonics are not always well structured within the lessons. As a result activities can be either too easy or too difficult for the pupils within the class and they do not make as much progress as in other lessons.  Classrooms are bright and welcoming. Pupils’ work that is on display in the classrooms and in the corridors is of a high quality.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good and contributes well to their learning. Pupils enjoy their lessons and work enthusiastically, both with their class teachers and with the teaching assistants. In lessons pupils engage well with their learning and demonstrate good skills in working in a variety of ways. They show that they can focus on their work working on their own when needed. In a Year 6 mathematics class a group of more-able pupils demonstrated these skills in reviewing each other’s work and then going on to debate with the teaching assistant working with them the best approach to take in a calculation.  The work in pupils’ books is neat and well presented. Pupils are proud of their school and of their achievements, both in lessons and in other activities out of the class such as sport, drama and the arts.  Around school pupils behave sensibly. Pupils say that the older pupils are not rough during break

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and lunchtimes. Pupils say there is no bullying in school. They say that although they may fall out with each other occasionally, incidents of unkindness are rare and they resolve issues quickly themselves. They also say they have staff on hand to go to if necessary. One pupil described the school as being a 'second home'.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel very safe in school and say that the adults look after them well. Pupils have a good awareness of personal safety and how to use social media games and sites on the internet sensibly. A visit to a local safety centre provided pupils with good guidance on being careful near roads, and on safety in the home. Within school, Year 2 pupils learned about using electricity safely through role-playing scenes that showed them the inherent dangers.  Older pupils take an active role in school as play leaders or reading mentors for younger pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

The school provides opportunities for pupils to take part in arts and drama, and helps pupils to develop skills and confidence in public speaking. Pupils recently took part in a Shakespeare festival in which they performed scenes from The Tempest to great credit.  Attendance is above the national average. The school is rigorous in making sure that pupils attend regularly, such as by no longer authorising absences for holidays in term time.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is led by an experienced senior management team who have addressed the development points from the previous inspection effectively, ensuring that weak and inadequate teaching has been eradicated. Leadership in the school has been strengthened this year by the appointment of new staff to the middle leadership team. The middle leaders have already made an impact on the quality of teaching through the mentoring and guidance they have shown to newer members of staff.  The support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs has been reorganised and now is more effective in improving the rates of progress these pupils are making.  Pupils’ progress is monitored carefully by the senior leadership team. This information is shared with the middle leaders who work with class teachers to provide additional support to those pupils who may not be making fast enough progress.  The outcomes for pupils are closely tied in to the system that rewards teachers with salary

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The leadership and management are good

increases and promotion. Some training opportunities have been provided by the local authority, for example in mathematics, to raise teachers’ skills. Senior leaders and governors have worked with the school improvement advisor to improve the rigour and accuracy of the school’s self- evaluation. Senior leaders recognise that some teaching of letter sounds and the way pupils respond to teachers’ marking are still areas to improve  The school provides a broad range of subjects, drawing on a range of outside groups and off- site learning opportunities as well as using the school grounds themselves to provide pupils with a wide range of interesting experiences and learning opportunities. Older pupils from visited a production of Macbeth, while the children in Reception explored the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in the school’s own wooded area. The arts are well supported within school through

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The leadership and management are good

drama and music.  The primary sports funding has increased the involvement of pupils in sport and to improve the quality of teaching of physical education within school. Staff work alongside professional coaches to teach lessons, while developing their own skills at the same time. Pupils have been able to try out new sports such as ‘unihoc’ and plans are in place for pupils to try out ‘mountaineering’ on a mobile climbing wall.  The school promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development very effectively through the values it promotes in assemblies, lessons and through links to the local church. Discrimination is challenged and inclusion is promoted within school.  Safeguarding and child protection arrangements are effective and meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors are increasingly effective in holding the senior leadership team to account for how

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The leadership and management are good

well pupils are doing. They are active in school, meeting teachers and reviewing the progress that different groups of pupils make, for example those pupils eligible for pupil premium funding, and pupils with specific additional needs. Governors have had regular training to have a good understanding of how well pupils progress compared with performance locally and nationally. The Chair of the Governing Body has met with the school improvement partner to discuss the quality of teaching in the school. Governors are aware of the link between teachers’ salary increases and the outcomes for pupils, and the recent issues in staffing have raised the awareness of the governors of the procedures for tackling underperformance. Through careful management of the school’s finances, governors have been able to reduce class sizes, and ensure that other sources of income, such as the primary sports funding, are used wisely. Safeguarding arrangements within the school are audited annually to ensure they

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The leadership and management are good

meet statutory requirements, and governors make sure that pupils are kept safe when in 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

Unique reference number 113762 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 431468

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 141 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jackie Webb Headteacher Franz Atkinson Date of previous school inspection 14 January 2009 Telephone number 01300 320644

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School details

Email address office@greenford.dorset.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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