Fladbury CofE Primary School and Preschool

Fladbury CofE First School Church Street, Fladbury, Pershore, WR10 2QB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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.  Most pupils achieve well. A good proportion in Years 3 and 4 make outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Standards are rising at a faster rate than that seen nationally; pupils have good quality educational experiences and are well- prepared for the next stage of their education.  Teaching has rapidly improved from inadequate to good since the last inspection. Work is more demanding and expectations as to what pupils should achieve are high. Activities are consistently well-matched to pupils’ capabilities.  Pupils are happy and safe in school, behave well and enjoy school life very much. Their attitudes to learning are good.  Excellent use is made of the grounds and outside facilities. Pupils make good use of the outdoor environment to develop their natural curiosity about the world and their enquiry skills.  The headteacher, senior leaders and governors, with the support of local authority

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improvement advisers, have worked very effectively to improve the school. Weaknesses identified in achievement and teaching have been quickly rectified.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small number of Year 1 pupils do not make the same good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as most other pupils.  Pupils’ speaking skills are not as good as they should be. Some pupils do not speak fluently and lack confidence when speaking aloud.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to learn about cultures that are different from their own.  School planning does not include a clear evaluation of the impact of primary sports funding on pupils’ lifestyles and physical well- being.

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Information about this inspection

 When Fladbury Church of England First School was inspected in January 2013, it was judged to have serious weaknesses. Subsequently the school was inspected on two occasions. At the last monitoring inspection in November 2013, the school was judged to be making reasonable progress towards the removal of the serious weakness designation.  Seven lessons and one assembly were observed. All teachers were observed teaching at least twice. Some pupils in Years 1 to 4 were heard to read. A sample of pupils’ work in writing and mathematics was evaluated.  The inspector looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the improvement plan and the progress made in achieving the objectives the school has set itself, the local authority statement of action, data about pupils’ attainment and progress, monitoring of teaching and performance management records, governing body minutes and

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding information, including the single central register.  The views of 30 parents were analysed through the Parent View website. The inspector also spoke to parents informally to seek their views about the quality of education provided.

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Inspection team

David Rzeznik, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are three mixed-aged classes. These comprise an Early Years Foundation Stage class (Nursery and Reception), a class of Year 1 and Year 2 pupils and a class of Year 3 and Year 4 pupils.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportions of pupils supported through school action or school action plus are both above average. There are no pupils currently on roll with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is below average. This is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those who are looked after by the local authority, and those whose parents are in the armed forces.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve Year 1 pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics by:  providing precisely tailored support for all pupils that are falling behind to ensure any weaknesses in their reading, writing or mathematical skills are quickly identified and addressed  fully implementing the new listening, speaking, reading and writing programme and closely monitoring its impact on the development pupils’ basic skills  implementing the new calculation programme, when it is introduced in September 2014, and monitoring its impact effectively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ speaking skills and confidence when speaking aloud by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to talk at length to the teacher, other adults and their peers, to make them more articulate, confident and fluent when speaking English  taking every opportunity to improve their vocabulary and sentence construction  encouraging pupils to regularly express their views, thoughts and opinions to further improve their communication skills  ensuring teachers, and other adults, use rich language, model the grammatical structures of English correctly, and encourage pupils to follow their example at all times when speaking and writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by:  producing and implementing a high quality action plan that clearly specifies the intended impact of primary sports on pupils’ lifestyles and physical well-being  providing more opportunities and activities for pupils to learn about cultures that are different from their own.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with basic skills that are typical for their age. Good quality teaching and stimulating and well-planned activities contribute to children making good progress in all areas of learning. Children enter Year 1 with basic skills that are exceeding expected levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Years 2 and 4 is rising quickly, and at a faster rate than seen nationally. A much greater proportion of Year 2 and Year 4 pupils are achieving the nationally expected and higher National Curriculum levels for their age compared to July 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The majority of pupils currently in Year 2 are on track to reach above average levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment was only average in these subjects in 2013. The attainment of current Year 4 pupils in reading is above expectations. It is at expected levels in writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils achieve well, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. A good proportion of pupils in Years 3 and 4 are making outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning and their keenness to achieve well are important ingredients in their success.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Leaders have rightly identified that some Year 1 pupils are making adequate rather than good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Some pupils have individual support plans designed specifically to close known gaps in their learning, but this is not the case for all the pupils identified as at risk of falling behind. A new calculation policy and new programme of study for English have been introduced with the aim of improving Year 1 pupils’ basic skills; however, it is too early to say what the impact of these initiatives will be because they are not fully embedded in the work of the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The attainment and progress of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in English and mathematics, is similar to their classmates. Pupils’ progress in reading is accelerating quickly because the teaching of letters and sounds is effective. Pupils’ writing skills are developing at a good rate. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are usually accurate and all pupils are taught effectively to write in a joined style. Pupils’ calculation and problem solving skills are developing well because teachers have focused on improving them in the last 15 months. Gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding are being closed quickly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils are making good gains in their learning because they are set work that is suitably demanding. The level of challenge in the work they are set is much improved, as are teachers’ expectations as to what they must achieve. Staff are used more efficiently and effectively to meet these pupils’ learning needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Sports funding is starting to make an impact, particularly in increasing levels of participation in sport in school and in the local community. Money has been appropriately used to ensure all pupils go swimming for part of the academic year. Pupils’ swimming ability is much improved, with a significant number of non-swimmers now able to swim a length of the local swimming baths.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ progress has accelerated quickly in Years 1 to 4 because the effectiveness of teaching has been significantly improved. This has had a very positive impact on pupils’ attitudes towards their learning, their behaviour and their progress. Teachers have high expectations and lessons are well-planned and structured. Activities are more challenging and the work set is more interesting and is well-matched to pupils’ capabilities. Teachers use assessment information effectively to plan work that reflects pupils’ capabilities and meets their needs. Consequently, most pupils are making good gains in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Early Years Foundation Stage staff plan interesting and worthwhile learning activities that children enjoy. All adults are used effectively to support children’s learning and welfare. Outdoor learning is of very good quality and helps develop children’s sense of enquiry and natural curiosity about the world. Teachers use activities, such as looking for mini-beasts, making mud pies and exploring in the undergrowth, very effectively to develop children’s scientific, physical and research skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and teach concepts securely. Teaching assistants are suitably deployed and help individuals and different groups of pupils to achieve the learning objectives set. Good support is provided for those who find learning difficult as well as for the most-able.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Questioning is appropriately targeted to find out what individuals know, understand and can do. Responses by pupils indicate that some pupils’ speaking skills are underdeveloped. Pupils are not always able to sustain a lengthy dialogue and too often give short answers using just a few words. Teachers do not always make the development of pupils’ speaking skills a priority or routinely model the grammatical structures of English to improve pupils’ speaking fluency.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is good and is much improved. Feedback is constructive and clearly indicates what must be improved.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good, both in class and around the school. Pupils are friendly, courteous and are very respectful. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently positive and have a good impact on the progress that they make.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Teachers and assistants manage pupils’ behaviour well and a variety of approaches are used to ensure learning is not disrupted and pupils are not distracted from their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Systems for managing behaviour have significantly improved and pupils respond well to teachers’ expectations. They try hard, cooperate well with one another and persevere with their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships between adults and pupils, and between the pupils themselves, are excellent. This ensures that learning is carried out in a very positive climate.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school life. They attend regularly and are punctual. There have been no fixed term exclusions this academic year and no permanent exclusions. Pupils show great respect for the school premises and equipment, both indoors and outside.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Records and discussions with pupils show that bullying is rare and pupils say that they feel safe and secure in school. The school has very effective measures to prevent bullying in all its forms.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is doing an outstanding job. She has turned this school around since she arrived in January 2013. Governors and local authority advisers have provided very good support, and together with senior leaders, have taken the necessary action to improve teaching and leadership in English and mathematics. All staff are now taking responsibility for improving the school’s performance. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors are ambitious and have high expectations for pupils’ academic and personal development. The leadership of English, mathematics and the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Leaders have systematically resolved weaknesses identified in previous monitoring reports to secure greater improvement, for example, in planning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Minor weaknesses in the completion of the single central register have also been suitably addressed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school improvement plan is well-focused and ambitious targets are set so that teaching has been quickly improved and pupils are recovering lost ground. Good quality monitoring ensures senior leaders and governors know the school’s strengths and what must be done to improve. The school has already pinpointed, in its self-evaluation, the key areas for improvement identified in this report.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors have used sports funding appropriately, for example, hiring sports coaches to work with teachers to improve the quality of physical education and to provide swimming lessons for all pupils. However, school planning does not evaluate explicitly the impact of sports funding on pupils’ participation in sports or the development of healthy lifestyles.

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The leadership and management are good

 Very good support has been provided by local authority advisers and the governor services department. They have delivered what they said they would in the local authority statement of action. Support has been carefully targeted to ensure that important weaknesses are rectified quickly and that the school has the leadership capacity to pursue improvements for itself.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has worked well with a local headteacher, who is also a leader in education. The partnership has also enabled teachers to learn from best practice elsewhere.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils effectively. Pupils take part in a range of activities to develop their social skills and are taught right from wrong. They acquire a good understanding of religious diversity but there are too few opportunities for them to learn about cultures that are different from their own.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are effective and they are helping to drive improvement at a fast pace. They regularly undertake rigorous checks of the school’s performance; for example, visiting classrooms to evaluate how well pupils are achieving or talking to subject leaders about the impact of initiatives on school outcomes. Governors are rigorous in calling senior leaders to account for the quality of education provided. For example, the curriculum and standards committee use a set of focused questions to check how well pupils are performing and to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning. A separate governors’ monitoring group is closely evaluating the progress being made with the school’s current improvement priorities. Good performance management of the headteacher, and other staff, has significantly improved teaching and learning and the effectiveness of leadership.

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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 116879 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 445996

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school First School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–8 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 63 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Clive Fairclough Headteacher Julie Wilson Date of previous school inspection 22 January 2013 Telephone number 01386 860301 Fax number 01386 860301 Email address office@fladbury.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 and 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

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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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