Winterbourne Earls Church of England Primary School

School report Winterbourne Earls Church of England Primary School Summerlug, Winterbourne Earls, Salisbury, SP4 6HQ

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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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This is a good school

 Pupils achieve well and standards are above average, especially in reading.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding.  Teaching assistants help pupils of all abilities to learn well.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and their comments tell pupils precisely how to improve their work.  Pupils feel safe in school because adults look after them well.  Attendance is high because pupils enjoy coming to school.  Pupils who have a parent in the armed forces have excellent support for their emotional and academic needs.  The subjects pupils learn are interesting and support their spiritual, moral social and cultural development well.  There is a good range of activities for sport and music.  Leaders, including governors, know what the school does well and the actions they are taking are helping the school to get even better.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement in writing is not as consistently high as in reading and mathematics.  Pupils do not always have chances to apply the advice teachers give them when they mark their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 12 lessons and parts of lessons.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, other leaders in school, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and with parents and pupils.  The inspectors took account of 71 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as one letter received during the inspection and the views of parents and carers from informal discussions in school.  Inspectors considered information about school leaders’ understanding of how good the school is and their plans for school improvement, as well as information about pupils’ progress. They also looked at teachers’ planning, pupils’ work, documentation about safeguarding procedures and examples of the targets teachers are given as part of the management of their performance.  The inspection team analysed 16 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Jeanne Simpson, Lead inspector Additional inspector Martin Greenwood Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Winterbourne Earls is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The total proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (those eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and those who have a parent in the armed forces) is lower than average. However, the percentage of pupils who have a parent in the armed forces is higher than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is lower than average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school has been awarded the Gold Science Quality Mark and is working within the local area to support other schools in improving the teaching of science.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in writing by:  giving pupils more regular opportunities to practise their skills in writing through extended pieces of work in English lessons and in all the subjects they learn  raising the expectations of all teachers about the quality and quantity of pupils’ work to match that of the best.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that pupils have time to act on the advice given when teachers mark their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good and improving. Pupils make good progress throughout their time in school and the standards they reach by the time they leave are above average.  Reading is a strength of the school. The youngest pupils have a good understanding of the sounds that letters make and they read with confidence. As they get older they develop the skills they need to become fluent readers and they enjoy choosing from the wide range of books available, including in the recently completed library.  Achievement in writing is not as high as in reading and mathematics because pupils do not consistently have enough chances to practise their writing skills across different subjects.  When children start school their skills are broadly in line with those expected for their age, though skills in reading and writing are relatively low compared with other areas. They enjoy learning through a wide range of interesting experiences and they willingly help each other.

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The achievement of pupils is good

They show very good attitudes to learning and they are very keen to share their learning with anyone who will listen!  The more able pupils achieve well. The proportion reaching the higher levels in the national tests at the end of both key stages is above average.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have consistently improved and are now well above average. The good progress made by all groups of pupils continues during Key Stage 2 which means that, by the time they leave, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well. Their progress is often better than that of other pupils.  The achievement of pupils who are eligible for the additional support through the pupil premium funding has improved rapidly. Their progress is broadly the same as their peers in school but is better than similar pupils nationally and this is helping them to catch up. By the time they leave,

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The achievement of pupils is good

their attainment is sometimes above that of their peers by as much as a year, but there are wide variations because of the small number of pupils.  An increasing number of pupils have a parent who is in the armed forces and their progress and attainment are better that of their peers. They regularly meet together in a group called Bourne Forces and the high quality support they receive helps them effectively with both their academic work and their emotional needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy their learning because teaching is lively and interesting. Teachers plan carefully and they make sure that everything they need is well prepared which means that not a moment is lost.  Teachers and leaders regularly check on how well children are doing and they meet to discuss the progress of each individual child. As a result, pupils who are falling behind are quickly identified and are given the help they need.  Teachers have good subject knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils enjoy reading because they are taught the skills they need to read well and they are able to apply their mathematical understanding confidently in problem-solving activities. However, while pupils learn the skills needed to be good writers, there are too few examples in pupils’ books, both in English and in topic work covering other subjects, of opportunities to practise the skills through writing at length.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use information about how well pupils are doing to set work which provides good levels of challenge for pupils of all abilities, including the more able. They explain new learning clearly and they check how well pupils understand through the questions they ask. They frequently follow up their first question with further questions to provide more challenge and to help pupils to think at a deeper level.  In the Reception class, adults are quick to respond when they see that they can help children to make progress in their learning. They talk to the children about what they are doing and they sometimes change the task to provide more challenge. The words they use and the questions they ask are chosen carefully in order to help the children to learn and to develop their own communication skills well.  Teaching assistants help pupils of all abilities to learn well. They have good subject knowledge

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The quality of teaching is good

and good understanding of what pupils need to learn next. They ask probing questions to make pupils think for themselves and they know when to withdraw support so that pupils do not rely on their help.  Pupils know what they are learning and how to be successful because the teachers share this information with them. They also know how to improve their work through the detailed comments teachers write when they mark their books. However, pupils are not given regular chances to act on the advice, which means that opportunities to practise and improve further are sometimes missed.  Pupils and teachers get on well together and pupils want to please their teachers. While teachers usually have high expectations, occasionally they do not exploit pupils’ enthusiasm by making sure that they do the very best that they can, including the amount of work they produce and the care they take with presentation and handwriting.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They show high levels of respect to each other and to adults, holding open doors and offering help without being asked. They enjoy playing together in the spacious grounds and they co-operate well, sorting out any minor disagreements themselves.  They almost always behave well in lesson time and have good attitudes to learning. On the few occasions when there is low level disruption, pupils respond very quickly when reminded about expectations.  Pupils respect the school and they help to keep it smart and tidy, though they do not always have the same sense of pride in their work.  Pupils have many chances to be ambassadors for their school through becoming leaders for different aspects of the school’s work. There are play leaders, worship leaders and charity leaders as well as other roles such as librarians and grounds keepers. These opportunities encourage them to be responsible members of the school community and to be good role

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

models for others.  Pupils, staff and most parents think that behaviour is good. The few pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour are given good support and exclusions are rare. The records kept by the school show that behaviour over time is improving.  Pupils report that there is very little bullying and they are confident that any bullying which might happen would be dealt with. They understand about different forms of bullying appropriate to their age, including name-calling and cyber-bullying.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe because they know that all adults care about them. Leaders make sure that the school is a safe place in which to learn.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves and others safe in a variety of situations. Parents and pupils receive regular reminders about safe use of the internet.  Attendance is high because pupils enjoy coming to school and because the school has a rigorous

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

approach to following up any pupil’s absence.

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The leadership and management are good

 All leaders, including governors, know what the school does well and what needs to improve because they are involved in checking on all aspects of the school’s work. Their plans for improvement and the actions they are taking are helping the school to continue to get better.  There are no groups of pupils who are underachieving which shows the school’s success in promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination.  The headteacher provides strong leadership and she has the support of staff and the majority of parents. Some parents who responded on Parent View expressed dissatisfaction with a few aspects of the school’s work, but these views do not match the school’s own discussions with parents or the number of complaints received.  Teachers value the training they have, both through sharing the good practice in school as well as through the local cluster of schools and the wider community. They say that the targets they

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The leadership and management are good

are set for their performance are challenging and are helping them to get better.  Leaders in charge of subjects give effective support to their colleagues, using their good subject knowledge and their teaching skills to lead improvements in their areas. The new ideas they have introduced have made a difference to pupils’ achievement.  Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding is spent wisely. The support pupils receive is chosen carefully and progress is regularly checked so that changes can be made if necessary.  The subjects pupils learn are interesting and visits and visitors bring them alive for pupils. The school has particular expertise in science which has resulted in the pupils developing a love of investigation and exploration.  The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has high priority. The faith aspect of the school is very strong and pupils understand Christian values as well as

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The leadership and management are good

the key aspects of other religions of the world. Pupils enjoy a variety of musical and sporting activities and they take part in local festivals and competitions. They have a strong understanding of right and wrong and they are encouraged to be sensitive to the feelings of others from the moment they start school.  Good use has been made of the additional funding for the development of physical education and sport through the introduction of a wider variety of activities. The school works with others in the local area and new equipment has been purchased. As a result, more pupils are involved in sport. Pupils understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how this can be improved through keeping fit and eating healthily.  The school’s systems for safeguarding of pupils meet statutory requirements.  The local authority knows the school well and provides appropriate levels of challenge and support.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors play a full part in leading the school through the active part they play in checking how well the school is doing and in making sure leaders are taking the right actions to help the school to continue to improve. They use their skills well and they attend training to develop those skills further. They use the information about achievement to check that all pupils, including those who are eligible for the pupil premium, are doing as well as they should and that the quality of teaching is improving. They know what is done if teaching is not good enough and they make sure that only the best teachers are rewarded by progression through the pay scales. Funding is used wisely. Governors are proud of the school but they are not complacent and their effective partnership with the headteacher is helping to ensure that the school is improving.

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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 126372 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 439610

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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 179 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Joyce Headteacher Jenny Purchase Date of previous school inspection 4–5 March 2009 Telephone number 01980 611356 Email address admin@winterbourneearls.wilts.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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