Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Church Road, Carleton Rode, Norwich, NR16 1RW

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Pupils’ achievement is not consistently good across the school. Progress in mathematics and writing is not good for all groups of pupils.  Progress since the last inspection has not been fast enough in raising attainment in mathematics and improving the quality of teaching.  The tasks set for pupils do not always challenge the more-able pupils to reach the highest levels.  In mathematics, teachers do not give pupils sufficiently hard work or provide enough guidance for them through marking.  Too few of the more-able pupils reach the highest levels in reading, writing or mathematics.  The progress of pupils in mathematics is not yet monitored rigorously to ensure that staff respond promptly to any underachievement of pupils.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils make good progress in reading.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported well.  The new headteacher has improved the school in a number of areas, such as increasing progress in reading, improving behaviour and raising attendance.  Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They enjoy school and feel safe.  Pupils enjoy a wide variety of subjects which are helping to improve standards in reading and writing.  Pupils benefit from the opportunities to attend a wide range of after-school clubs.  Teaching assistants provide effective support for individual and groups of pupils. Inspection report: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 March 2014 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed teaching in seven lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspectors listened to two groups of pupils read and observed the teaching of early reading skills. They also looked at pupils’ work in books and observed the teaching of small groups.  The inspection took account of the 22 responses to the online Parent View survey. Informal discussions were held with a number of parents.  The inspectors took account of seven staff questionnaires.  A telephone discussion was held with a member of the local authority.  A range of information supplied by the school was examined. This included the school’s own information about how well pupils are doing, the school improvement plan, checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and systems to keep pupils safe.

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Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Piers Ranger Additional Inspector Inspection report: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 March 2014 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 Carleton Rode is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and those with a parent in the armed services) is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is well above average, and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also well above average.  There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2013 for the government’s floor standards to be applicable.  Since the last inspection, the school has formed a partnership with Eccles Hargham and Wilby Primary School and Kenninghall Primary School. The three schools now share a headteacher but

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Information about this school

have different governing bodies.  The headteacher was appointed in April 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by:  ensuring that lessons are well-planned and managed so that pupils do not spend time on activities that are not helping them learn  improving the quality of marking in mathematics so that pupils are given detailed advice on how to develop and improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement for all pupils, particularly in mathematics by:  raising teachers’ expectations of what can be achieved by pupils  providing more-able pupils with activities that help them to make quicker progress and reach the highest levels.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring leaders:  check the progress of individual pupils and groups more rigorously so that they can respond promptly to any underachievement, particularly in mathematics  to further develop the partnership with other schools to provide teachers with high-quality training and a better understanding of the features of good and outstanding teaching. Inspection report: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 March 2014 4 of 10

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because their overall progress is not good enough. This is because there is a legacy of underachievement from previous years that has not yet been dealt with.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 At Key Stage 2, pupils make slow progress in mathematics. In 2013, pupils were more than two terms behind similar pupils nationally at the end of Year 6. In writing, they were a half a term behind. In contrast, pupils made good progress in reading to reach higher than the national standard by the end of Key Stage 2. This year, the rate of progress in writing is accelerating rapidly because of the high-quality support and high expectations of the new headteacher.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children start school in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities that vary from year to year. Most pupils make the progress expected of them by the end of Year 2 and, in 2013, they achieved levels which were around one term behind those expected nationally.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The teaching of phonics has improved recently so that more pupils are now achieving well in the national phonics screening check. There was a significant improvement in 2013 because pupils had regular opportunities to learn their letters and sounds and to practice their skills at just the right level of difficulty.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are making better progress in spelling and reading. Teachers have good subject knowledge, and effective support is provided for those pupils who are not making rapid progress. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading. Older pupils read widely and talk confidently about their favourite authors.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress for the most-able pupils is not fast enough. This is because teachers do not expect enough from these pupils, particularly in mathematics. They are not always given work that is difficult enough to help them to learn quickly.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make good progress in other areas of the curriculum such as design and technology, music, physical education and art.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs has been slow. New and effective systems have been put in place by the special educational needs coordinator and the current rates of progress are now in line with those expected nationally.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium make good progress. In 2013, there were too few Year 6 pupils in this group to comment accurately on their attainment in comparison with similar pupils nationally. Throughout the school, pupil premium funding is used well to provide one-to- one support before school and to enable this group of pupils to work in small groups.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it does not yet support pupils to make good progress in writing and mathematics. Since the last inspection, there have not been enough improvements in the teaching of mathematics to increase the rate of progress made by pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils’ learning in mathematics is slow because teachers do not have high enough expectations Inspection report: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 March 2014 5 of 10

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are given work that is too easy for them and teachers’ marking does not give enough advice to pupils to help them to improve. This is particularly the case for the more able pupils, with the result that too few reach the highest levels in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In writing, the new marking policy is effective and pupils’ work is marked regularly and thoroughly. Pupils respond well to the feedback they receive from teachers, which is also improving.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Progress in reading across the school is good. The new headteacher has led significant improvements by raising teachers’ expectations of pupils. Good use is made of the strong partnerships with other schools to provide high quality training and support for all staff, who have responded positively.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils’ learning in writing is improving because teachers are using interesting activities to enthuse pupils. In one class, pupils worked enthusiastically on advertising scripts to rapidly develop their skills in persuasive writing. They worked hard throughout the lesson and were given good guidance by the teacher so that they could improve their work even further.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now good. The outdoor area is used effectively to broaden the range of activities available and increase the motivation for children. In an exciting Reception class, children improved their problem-solving and numeracy skills by designing an adventure obstacle course outside and recording the time taken by each another to complete it.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants work effectively with and provide good support for individual and groups of pupils. In a phonics lesson in the Early Years Foundation Stage, the teaching assistant provided high-quality support for a small group of pupils who made rapid progress because of her excellent subject knowledge and the way that she used her voice to grab the pupils’ attention.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good and has improved considerably since the last inspection. Systems for managing pupils’ behaviour are effective. Pupils say there is almost no bullying and that, when there are disagreements, they often sort them out themselves with the help of playground monitors. The school’s records show that there are very few serious incidents of poor behaviour and there have been no exclusions in the last year.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Responses to Parent View show that almost all parents are pleased with the behaviour in school, and this good behaviour was observed by inspectors during lessons, at break times and when pupils moved around the school. Discussions with parents and pupils showed that they think the school’s new behaviour rules have helped to develop a positive atmosphere where pupils can learn and improve.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good in all classes. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage play well together, take turns on the equipment and concentrate well during all activities. Older pupils work hard at whatever task they are given, even when the work is not hard enough. Pupils have high levels of concentration and are determined to finish successfully when working on group tasks and when working in the school grounds.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There are good relationships between adults and pupils. Staff create a positive atmosphere across the school and pupils are treated with respect. Pupils are courteous, kind and polite. They Inspection report: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 March 2014 6 of 10

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

show excellent respect for adults. Older pupils take great pride in looking after the younger ones and pupils of all ages play well together in the playground.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported well. Pupils have a good understanding of different cultures and beliefs. They are actively involved in raising money for charity on a regular basis. Pupils regularly take part in a wide range of local events, such as the village fundraising for Sport Relief and leading church services. Pupils are developing healthy lifestyles. Parents and pupils commented positively on the significant increase in sports clubs and competitive teams that have been set up since September.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All safeguarding requirements are met.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe in school. They know that if they hurt themselves, they will be well looked after. They know how to stay safe when using the internet, and are regularly reminded through lessons and an informative wall display of what they should do if they ever experience cyber-bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved significantly since the arrival of the new headteacher and it is now higher than the national average. The number of pupils who miss a lot of school has been reduced significantly.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school is improving but leaders and managers have not yet had sufficient impact on improving pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Since his arrival, the headteacher has improved the school in a number of ways. Pupils’ progress in reading has accelerated rapidly in all classes. The quality of writing is now much better, although some pupils are still not yet reaching the levels expected. Behaviour has improved significantly and the quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is much improved since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The progress of pupils eligible for the pupil premium and those who are disabled or who have special educational needs is monitored regularly and meetings are held with teachers to discuss what extra support should be given to those identified as falling behind. This has been particularly successful in improving the progress of these groups of pupils.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subject leaders are now developing their skills well. The quality of teaching is more carefully checked and is improving as a result. Informative and helpful guidance is given to teachers and effective training is provided for all staff. Teachers benefit from opportunities to enrol on the ‘improving teachers’ programme, with a focus on developing outstanding teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Standards in reading and writing have improved considerably since the last inspection, but the progress of pupils, particularly in mathematics, is not yet monitored rigorously to ensure that staff respond promptly to any underachievement of pupils.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

The curriculum has been reviewed and developed to be more interesting and stimulating. Topics such as the one on ‘Explorers’ have been designed to make learning more relevant to pupils’ interests. This is helping to improve standards in reading, writing and the broader curriculum but has yet to have a significant impact in mathematics. Inspection report: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 March 2014 7 of 10

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There are no signs of discrimination within school and all pupils have full access to the activities provided.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The extra money provided by the government to support the development of sport is being used effectively. In September, the school appointed a sports coordinator, who is shared across the partnership. This has led to an increase in the number of pupils taking part in extra-curricular activities and to the number of competitive teams, which is now extensive.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Parents’ responses to Parent View, and discussions with parents, show that they are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and appreciate the changes that have been introduced by the new headteacher.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is supportive of the school and its leadership. Governors have an accurate understanding of the schools’ strengths and areas for development. The new performance committee is holding the school to account in greater depth than previously. Governors are kept well informed about developments in the school and they provide appropriate levels of challenge to the headteacher. Governors have played their part in securing the schools’ improvements over the last year but they have not had high enough expectations of what needs to be done to improve the rate of progress in mathematics. Governors have a good understanding of performance management procedures and ensure that the pay of teachers and the headteacher are linked closely to their performance. Governors make sure that both the pupil premium funding and the extra money for sports are spent wisely. Recently, the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

Governors have sought external support to evaluate their own performance in order to improve further. Inspection report: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 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: Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25 March 2014 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 121110 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 430769

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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 52 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Neil Parsons Headteacher Sam Nixon Date of previous school inspection 14 June 2012 Telephone number 01953 789384 Fax number 01953 789384 Email address office@carletonrode-primary.norfolk.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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