Stoke St Gregory Church of England Primary School

Stoke St Gregory C of E Primary School Huntham Lane, Stoke St Gregory, nr Taunton, Somerset TA3 6EG

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a good school

 Teaching is consistently good. Teachers and teaching assistants work together effectively to help all pupils learn well.  All pupils make good progress from their different starting points. By the end of Year 6, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average.  Pupils’ behaviour in and around school is good. Positive attitudes to learning are evident in all classes.  The school works well to ensure that pupils understand how to stay safe.  Governors, school leaders and managers work closely together to drive the work of the school. They are committed to seeing the school improve continuously and have been successful in improving teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The school is a focal point for the community and parents value all that it provides.  The wide range of experiences that pupils encounter as part of their learning ensures that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not have enough access to the latest computer technology to broaden and enrich their learning.  Teachers have yet to take full advantage of their partnerships with other schools in order to develop best practice.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 12 lessons, including English and mathematics, in different parts of the school. Four observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector spoke to parents before the start of school and took account of the 46 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. She also considered a written note from a parent and the 16 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector looked closely at pupils’ work across a range of subjects and talked to pupils about their attitudes to school and learning.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the senior teacher and other members of staff as well as with members of the governing body. She spoke to an officer from the local authority to discuss the support the school receives to help its leadership and management.  The inspector examined a wide range of documentation, including the school’s tracking data, information about the checking of teaching, and minutes of governing body meetings. She also

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Information about this inspection

considered documents that relate to safeguarding pupils, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Marion Hobbs, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school serving a rural community on the Somerset Levels.  The school is led and managed by an acting headteacher, following the headteacher’s retirement. The governing body have appointed a substantive headteacher to take up the post in September 2014.  Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage.  Very few pupils are supported by the pupil premium. This is additional government funding for looked-after children, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed forces.  The proportions of pupils supported at school action, by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are below the national average.  The school is organised in four classes, a Reception class and three mixed age classes of Y1/Y2, Y3/Y4 and Y5/Y6.  The school holds the Healthy Schools Award.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets out the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the use of the latest computer technologies for all pupils to broaden and enrich their experience.  Secure deeper links across the partnership with local schools so that best practice is shared quickly in order to further strengthen teachers’ skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children join the school from the adjacent, separately run, pre-school. Close links between the two providers mean that the needs of individual children are well understood. As a result, each child is helped to make good progress through the Reception Year and is ready to join more formal learning in the Year 1 and Year 2 class.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is a strength and the proportion of pupils in Year 1 who meet the expected standard in the national screening check exceeds the national average.  Reading continues to be taught well as pupils move up the school through, for example, pupils having regular guided reading sessions. There is also a strong emphasis on personal reading every day in all classes and the school has a wide range of high quality texts to suit pupils’ needs and interests.  Attainment at both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics exceeds

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The achievement of pupils is good

national averages.  All groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for the pupil premium and the more able, make good rates of progress, with pupil premium pupils achieving as well as their classmates. It is not possible to compare these results with how well pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding performed in the national tests in 2013 as numbers are too small.  Pupils’ wider achievements, such as their ability to work in teams or to empathise with others, are supported through the mixed-age classes as well as the whole-school ethos. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching throughout the school, including in English and mathematics, is routinely good and some is outstanding.  Teachers have a good, shared understanding of what pupils need in order to achieve their best and work closely together to plan and deliver lessons that provide well for the needs of all pupils. Most able pupils are provided with work that challenges them and engages them in their learning. Teachers talk regularly about individual pupils and what helps them to learn well.  Teaching assistants are well trained and skilled in delivering a wide range of extra guidance in reading, writing and mathematics to those pupils identified as needing support. Pupil premium funding supports this work.  High expectations and strong subject knowledge mean that teachers’ questioning is strong and this contributes to pupils’ good rates of progress in lessons. Year 5 pupils were excited about their mastery of new vocabulary in French and the use of a French dictionary to help them find

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The quality of teaching is good

further useful terms.  Senior leaders monitor the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ attainment and progress closely through the school year and ensure that appropriate support is put in place for any pupil identified as being at risk of underachieving.  Marking and assessment across the school is accurate and thorough. Pupils understand their targets so they know how to improve their work. Teachers’ comments are helpful in showing pupils what they need to do in order to improve their work further.  Homework is set regularly for all classes appropriate to their age and stage of learning. Pupils are confident that this helps them to learn well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are happy and positive about all aspects of their school and its work. Behaviour is good both in and out of lessons.  The school provides a warm, caring environment. It is maintained to a high standard, with attractive, bright classrooms and internal spaces as well as a wide range of playground equipment that is clearly valued and loved by all.  Pupils are eager to learn and respond well to the range of activities provided. Outdoor learning and participation in annual traditional events such as maypole dancing and egg shackling are important to the school and its local community.  Disruptive incidents of any kind are very rare and, should they occur, they are dealt with swiftly and appropriately by adults.  Pupils are confident that bullying is not an issue in their school. The school has not recorded any form of bullying or racist incident. The school is effective in fostering good relations and ensuring

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

there is no discrimination.  Staff and the vast majority of parents are very positive about the work of the school and all that it does for its pupils.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are confident about their ability to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, including those related to e-safety. They talk confidently about how swimming lessons and ‘bikeability’ workshops help them as part of this understanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body and senior leaders are committed to seeing the school improve continuously.  All leaders and managers, including governors, understand data relating to pupils’ achievement well and regular meetings review all pupils’ attainment and progress. Effective support is put in place as necessary, to help pupils catch up with their peers, and this too is tracked closely.  Middle leaders are effective in their roles to ensure that the school works well to the benefit of all pupils. They contribute to both the planning and monitoring of teaching across the school, supporting the headteacher and senior leaders in their work.  A rigorous system is in place to check on the quality of teaching. Teachers’ performance is monitored through the year and there are strong links between pupils’ outcomes, staff training and the school development plan. Teachers’ pay and progression are linked to the Teachers’

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The leadership and management are good

Standards and are used to reward good practice.  The school has an accurate understanding of its work and performance. It benefits from the increasingly close partnership with three other local primary schools in the area, although it is not using this effectively to help develop best practice.  The local authority is confident that this is a good school requiring only ‘light touch’ support and recognises the contributions the school makes to the Taunton Learning Partnership as part of its work.  Pupils in all classes encounter an exciting range of subjects and activities, although information technology is not used extensively to broaden and enrich their learning. They are encouraged to make use of the surrounding area as part of their learning. Years 5 and 6 are currently exploring the effects of dredging on the Somerset Levels.  The school is very much at the heart of its community and a rich calendar of annual events sees

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The leadership and management are good

all pupils develop their wider skills through both performance and fund-raising. The summer concert and Maypole Dancing Social afternoon are just two examples of these much valued and enjoyed activities.  The government’s additional primary sports funding is being well used by the school to support pupils’ wider participation in physical education. A sports coach works regularly with pupils across the school and there are many opportunities for inter-school team sport tournaments throughout the year. The physical education subject leader is continuously seeking to widen the range of activities on offer to all pupils.  The governance of the school:  The governing body are an experienced group who are wholly committed to ensuring the best possible education for all pupils. They are managing the transition between one substantive headteacher and the next effectively by ensuring that an experienced colleague is in post for

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The leadership and management are good

one term to lead the school. Governors have a firm grasp of pupils’ performance in relation to that in other schools and understand well how pupil-premium funding is being deployed to support achievement. They manage the school’s finances efficiently. Governors take full advantage of training provided by the local authority and the diocese to ensure that they are able to fulfil their roles effectively and also work with other governing bodies in the local partnership of schools to share best practice. Governors are a regular presence around the school and monitor teaching for themselves through focus visits. They understand how good the quality of teaching is in the school and how staff performance is managed. They are aware of how teachers are rewarded for teaching well and what support has been provided to address underperformance in the past.

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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 123802 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 431093

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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 93 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Barbara Carpenter Headteacher David Gliddon (acting headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 12–13 July 2012 Telephone number 01823 490437 Fax number 01823 490145 Email address office@stoke-st-gregory.somerset.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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