Great Orton Primary School

Great Orton Primary School Great Orton, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 6NA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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.  Whatever their starting point at Great Orton, most pupils make good progress because lessons are enjoyable and they are encouraged to aim high.  From an early age, the curriculum encourages pupils to explore and find out things for themselves.  Since the previous inspection, leaders, managers and governors have successfully tackled the weaknesses. As a result there have been improvements in leadership and management, teaching and pupils’ achievement and behaviour.  By the time pupils leave school at the end of Year 6 most reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are similar to the national average for their age. The proportion reaching higher standards is increasing rapidly.  The quality of care is a strength of the school, particularly in supporting pupils who need extra help and guidance.  Pupils say they feel safe and are well looked after. Their behaviour, relationships and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

attitudes to learning are good.  Pupils clearly enjoy and benefit from the many opportunities in sports and music which specialist visitors to the school provide.  All members of staff work well together in order to make an effective team that is ensuring the school continues to improve.  The headteacher has worked well with other professionals and has helped his teachers to gain the necessary skills to manage key areas of responsibility. As a result teaching and learning has improved.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of marking in pupils’ books is not always good. Sometimes, pupils are not given enough time to respond to teachers’ written comments.  Occasionally, activities are not adapted quickly enough when pupils find work too easy.  Pupils do not progress as rapidly in mathematics as they do in English. There are not enough occasions when pupils can develop their mathematical skills practically or through solving real-life problems.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in eight lessons. In addition, the inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons and listened to pupils read.  Discussions were held with: school staff; groups of pupils; senior staff and leaders with responsibility for a specific subject; members of the governing body; and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance, its development plans, records of pupils’ standards and progress, documents relating to attendance and behaviour, and pupils’ work in their books.  There were not enough parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) to generate a report but the inspectors talked to many parents. The school’s recent parental survey was taken into account as were the six responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Naomi Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sue Sharkey Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Great Orton is smaller than the average-sized primary school. As was the case at the last inspection, the number of pupils on roll continues to increase with several joining the school other than at the usual times.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is lower than that found nationally. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is much higher than that found nationally.  The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also much higher than average.  Most pupils are White British.  Since the previous inspection, a new classroom has been built. Pupils are now mainly taught in three classes. Class 1 comprises pupils from the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1. Class

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Information about this school

2 comprises Years 2 and 3. Class 3 comprises Years 4, 5 and 6.  Since the previous inspection the school has been supported by the headteacher of Wreay Church of England Primary School, who is a National Leader in Education. In addition there has been support from a mathematics consultant and from an English consultant, instigated through the local authority.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching even further and raise achievement for all groups of pupils by: – ensuring that pupils’ work is marked well so that pupils know how to improve their work and are given additional challenges – making sure that pupils are given sufficient time to respond to teachers’ marking – ensuring activities are quickly adapted to present harder work to challenge pupils when they find the work too easy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Speed up the rate of pupils’ progress in mathematics by ensuring there are enough opportunities across different subjects of the curriculum to practise applying numeracy skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Since the previous inspection a new classroom has been built allowing Reception and Year 1 pupils to have their own indoor and outdoor areas. They learn to play with friends, take turns and demonstrate friendly behaviour. This helps them to form good relationships with other children as well as adults at this early stage.  Most children start school with skills that are typical for their age, although their skill levels are sometimes lower than this, especially in reading and writing. Children now enjoy a wide range of exciting activities and have more opportunities to explore and find out things for themselves than they did previously. They make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.  The headteacher has rightly invested in phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) training for staff and new equipment and materials. As a result a higher than average proportion of current Year 1 pupils are in line to reach above-average standards in the Year 1 phonics

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The achievement of pupils is good

screening this year. Those who read to an inspector demonstrated their capability in blending letters and their sounds to work out unfamiliar words and their enjoyment of books.  This good progress is maintained throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards at the end of Year 2 can vary significantly due to the small number of pupils in each year group. In 2012, standards were above average in reading, writing and mathematics. The results of the small year group in 2013 shows a dip but nevertheless these pupils made good progress from their starting points. Current Year 2 pupils show an increase in the proportion working at the higher levels in reading and writing.  Since the previous inspection, improvements to the quality of teaching have resulted in consistently good progress now being made across subjects and year groups. At the end of Year 6, standards can vary from year to year. This is mainly due to the small numbers of pupils in

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The achievement of pupils is good

each year group, and because these small numbers magnify the impact on results of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the usual time. Nevertheless, most pupils leave with skills at least in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The number of pupils reaching the higher levels in reading and writing are higher than the national average. In mathematics, this number is increasing.  The most able pupils now benefit from strong links with the local secondary school, leading to an increase in the proportion of Year 6 pupils working at the highest Level 6 in mathematics.  The school now closely tracks the progress pupils make and carefully checks how well groups of pupils and individuals are doing. As a result any pupils who may need additional help are identified quickly and supported well. Consequently, the progress made by disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding make good progress. The school uses the pupil premium funding effectively to support these pupils. There are insufficient numbers in each year to make an overall judgment on the comparative attainment of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals. However, data make it very clear that they too make good progress.  Pupils who join the school part way through a year have a wide range of differing abilities and usually below that which is typical for their age. Their needs are identified quickly and support is put in place swiftly, if needed, to help them make good progress. The school ensures that each pupil has an equal opportunity to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Systems to raise the quality of teaching have been successful, so that it is now consistently good. Teaching is knowledgeable and there are good relationships with pupils. Teaching assistants give expert help to pupils and work well to boost their progress, often working one-to- one or with small groups. All classroom staff question pupils skilfully, checking regularly throughout lessons on how well they are learning.  There are now more opportunities in the Early Years Foundation Stage for children to choose activities which are of interest to them and move freely from the classroom to the outdoor area. During a topic based session on pirates, children were highly engaged in searching for treasure, which involved finding letters which they had been practising in their phonics sessions earlier in the day. Their understanding of letters and their sounds was skilfully being reinforced during this

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The quality of teaching is good

activity and pupils made good progress as they blended sounds to form words.  Good teaching provides pupils with regular opportunities to write across different topics and subjects. They are able to explore different styles and write at length, which builds up their confidence and contributes to their good progress in a variety of subjects.  In mathematics, pupils cover a wide range of work. However, progress in the development of calculation and problem-solving skills sometimes slows. This is because pupils do not always have regular opportunities to practise their number skills by tackling real-life problem-solving activities across a range of subjects.  Occasionally, when pupils find work too easy, activities are not adapted quickly enough to provide sufficient challenge for pupils and so their progress slows.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly but does not always provide comments to help pupils to

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The quality of teaching is good

understand how to improve their work. Pupils are not always given time to respond to the marking, and so they do not learn from their mistakes as well as they should.  The good mix of teacher-led activities, pupils working together in groups, in pairs or as individuals develops a wide range of learning and thinking skills. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 were captivated when the teacher was explaining she had left her alien friend at home who did not know how to make toast for her breakfast. With their partners, pupils eagerly discussed each step before sharing their thoughts with the rest of the class. Then, individually, they worked on a step-by-step list of instructions using ‘firstly’, ‘then’, ‘next’ etc to place instructions in the correct order. Pupils took pride in their work and all made good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Inspection evidence, school records and discussions with staff, parents and pupils show that this is the norm. Disruptions to lessons are unusual. However, a few pupils can become a little distracted when the activities are too easy for them. All parents who spoke to the inspectors believe that behaviour is well managed and feel that their children are well cared for and safe at school.  Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities. They volunteer to represent their classes on the school council and raise money for various charities.  A small minority of pupils exhibit challenging behaviour but the individual support provided by teaching assistants and the strong links with professional agencies beyond school contribute to supporting these pupils. The school provides a nurturing environment for pupils and their families.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe in school because they know that staff care about them and they are taught how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations. For example, Years 5 and 6 gain first-hand experience of how to stay safe beyond their village environment when they embark on their annual residential trip.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and, for example, clearly know how to stay safe when using computers in school and at home. They say that bullying is rare at Great Orton, but they would be able to talk to any adult if they thought that this was happening to them or someone else.  Incident logs show that there have been few incidents of poor behaviour. There are clear systems followed to praise good behaviour and help pupils to reflect on their actions.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly average and the vast majority arrive to school on time.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a very clear vision for the future success of the school. Areas for development identified at the previous inspection and during the HMI monitoring visits have been dealt with effectively in a relatively short space of time.  The local authority's successful instigation of a link with another primary school and with external consultants has provided opportunities for leaders and managers to see outstanding practice. This support has led to enhanced training opportunities for teachers to help them develop their own skills. For example, coaching for subject leaders and newly qualified teachers has led to improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and in pupils’ performance.  The headteacher has considerably strengthened the way in which teachers are accountable for their performance and does not allow staff to be rewarded with pay increases unless they are successful in helping pupils to make at least good progress. The quality of teaching and the

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The leadership and management are good

progress of pupils are more frequently and accurately checked so that things can be put in place rapidly to address any concerns.  The school has an accurate picture of its strengths and areas to be developed, and because of this the quality of teaching and progress of pupils is securely improving across all subjects and year groups.  The curriculum includes an emphasis on developing basic skills through topic work, which is already having an impact on pupils’ enjoyment of learning. However, there are fewer opportunities to apply numeracy skills across the curriculum than there are literacy skills.  The school uses the primary school’s sports funding to ensure that pupils experience a wider range of sporting activities, for example, gymnastics and football, and is pleased that this is already having a positive effect on pupils’ enjoyment, well-being and participation in more competitions with other schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and enhanced by, for example, a link with a school in France and through all pupils learning djembe drumming with a professional musician.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school: – The local authority has instigated external support for the governing body. Governors have developed their skills in keeping a close eye on the school’s finances. They contribute to discussions about how additional funds such as the pupil premium and the primary school’s sports funding should be spent and they check that it has a positive effect on pupils’ progress. Governors keep up to date through regular training. Visits to classrooms and discussions with staff complement their effective checks on the school’s work. The governing body has a clear understanding of how pupils are doing compared with others nationally. Governors know the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching and they make sure there are strong links between teachers, including the headteacher, meeting targets and their salary progression.

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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 112110 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 442371

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 52 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ellen Whitfield Headteacher Jamie Robertson Date of previous school inspection 20 November 2012 Telephone number 01228 711602 Fax number 01228 711602 Email address head@greatorton.cumbria.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

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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