St Martin's East Woodhay Church of England (Aided) Primary School

St Martin's East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School East End, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 0AF

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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

 All groups of pupils make good progress from their starting points. They regularly reach standards that are significantly higher than those seen nationally.  In writing and mathematics, around half of pupils in Year 6 are making better progress than that expected nationally.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress due to consistently good teaching.  Teaching across the school is typically good and some teaching outstanding. Its improvement is managed well by the headteacher and governors.  Teaching assistants are well trained and experienced. They provide good support for pupils of all abilities.  Pupils who benefit from additional funding make similar progress to their peers.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. This has a very positive effect on their learning and the progress pupils make.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and understand how to keep themselves safe.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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This is a good school

development is promoted well, and at times extremely well. Relationships are excellent.  The strong leadership of the headteacher is ensuring improvements in many areas of the school since the last inspection.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They challenge the school where appropriate and support its endeavours.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to ensure pupils’ achievement can be improved further.  Not enough pupils reach the highest levels at the end of Key Stage 2 of which they are capable. Inspection report: St Martin’s East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School, 13–14 May 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited nine lessons, three of which were jointly with the headteacher. All classes were seen. He listened to groups of pupils reading.  The inspector talked with a group of pupils about life in the school.  The inspector held discussions with governors, subject leaders responsible for the Early Years Foundation Stage, English and mathematics. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector looked at a wide range of documents. These included pupils’ work in Year 6, systems for checking progress, records relating to behaviour and attendance. Minutes from meetings of the governing body, the school’s strategic improvement plan and records relating to checks on the quality of teaching and safeguarding were studied.  He analysed completed questionnaires from 18 members of staff and 48 responses from parents to the online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Gavin Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: St Martin’s East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School, 13–14 May 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is well below average. This is additional government funding to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or in care.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The proportion of pupils leaving or joining the school, other than at normal times, is above average.  In some cohorts with very small numbers proportions can change considerably, and several groups of pupils at risk of not doing as well as their peers can form a very high proportion of the cohort.  The school did not meet the government floor targets in 2013, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school met the floor targets in previous years.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is taught in a single class. Other classes in the school have mixed age groups.  The governing body manages after-school club activities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching in order to raise achievement further by making it:  very clear to teachers how to improve their teaching from good to outstanding  possible for teachers to see and learn from a range of outstanding teaching in other schools.  Improve the quality of reading in order to secure the highest levels of attainment and progress, especially for the most able readers, by:  giving focused guidance and encouragement to parents, particularly in Key Stage 2, to support their children’s reading  ensuring the quality of reading in Key Stage 2 matches the best quality seen in Key Stage 1. Inspection report: St Martin’s East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School, 13–14 May 2014 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are broadly those expected for their age. Their speaking skills are much more advanced than their readiness to read. Children make good all-round progress during their time in the class, especially in their writing and social skills. They begin to make choices of what they wish to learn about and their independent skills are encouraged. They work well with others and show that they can settle quickly to take advantage of good teacher-led activities. By the end of Reception, virtually all are ready for the move to Year 1.  Pupils’ understanding and use of phonics (the links between letters and the sounds they make) in Key Stage 1 improved significantly over the last year. The phonics screening check for Year 1 pupils showed fewer reaching the national average in 2012. As a result of leaders’ actions to improve teaching of phonics, the latest check showed the proportion rose to above the national

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The achievement of pupils is good

average.  Teaching of reading in Key Stage 1 is stronger than in Key Stage 2. In addition, while parents are encouraged to support their children’s reading well at Key Stage 1, they do not tend to listen to their children read as much in Key Stage 2. As a result, the rates of progress and levels pupils reach by the end of Year 6 are hindered. This is particularly the case for the most able readers.  Attainment at the end of Year 2 improved in 2013. Reading and writing showed the biggest improvements. Currently, pupils are making similar good progress. Pupils’ work in books and checks on progress show that all pupils are working at the levels expected for their age, with around a quarter of pupils working within the higher levels.  While the trend in achievement is typically above average at the end of Year 6, attainment and progress dipped in 2013. The results were completely untypical for the school. They reflected

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The achievement of pupils is good

the larger than usual proportion of pupils at risk of not doing as well as their peers in this particular cohort.  Work in pupils’ books and the school’s own records of progress for Year 6 show the current pupils are already working at higher levels than at the same time last year. Overall, Years 4, 5 and 6 pupils in this class are working at levels above those expected for their age. Writing is promoted very well across the school. Pupils not only write in a wide range of styles but also use their skills in connection with science, history and religious education, for example.  Additional funds are providing extra support through trained assistants. Numbers of pupils who need extra help or receive support from additional funding are very small. Consequently, it is not helpful to compare them with national figures. However, individuals are making good progress from their different starting points and are rapidly closing the gap between themselves and their

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is typically good, with a small proportion of outstanding teaching. Evidence from pupils’ work confirms that this is the case and teachers are ensuring that pupils are making good progress.  Routines in the Early Years Foundation Stage are quickly established. Children are well aware of what they are expected to do and how to behave. Teaching is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Work is carefully planned and activities, such as the ‘Wellie walk’ are especially exciting. Phonic skills are taught carefully and children make good progress in their communication skills.  Teaching assistants work well with the class teacher and provide extra support effectively. As a result, pupils who receive their help make the same good progress as others in lessons.  Teachers’ marking is very effective. It both celebrates pupils’ successes whilst pointing to how pupils might make further progress. In many cases pupils make written responses to their

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The quality of teaching is good

Inspection report: St Martin's East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School, 13–14 May 2014 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

comments so that the teacher knows they understand the messages.  Relationships, between pupils and with adults, are very strong. As a result, little or no time is lost during lessons in order to correct poor behaviour.  Teachers extend pupils’ learning, and help pupils see how they might use their skills, by getting them to use them in a range of different subjects. For example, in Years 5 and 6, pupils were developing their speaking and listening skills as they discussed issues around smoking as part of their personal, social and health education work.  Teachers provide a wide range of good opportunities for pupils to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally in lessons and through visits.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes which contribute well to their learning. They listen carefully in class and respond with enthusiasm. They say they love school and that lessons are fun. As a result, their attendance is well above average.  Pupils show compassion and care for each other and respect for all. For example, older girls cared for a much younger child who encountered some stinging nettles. As playground ‘buddies’, older pupils take their responsibilities very seriously.  Cooperation is a feature of many lessons. Pupils sensibly discuss questions, plan work and check each other’s work. For example, in a topic lesson, pupils discussed photographs of a range of lights, trying to place them in date order. They also work well independently.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school regularly reviews safeguarding and child protection matters, ensuring that it keeps its pupils safe. At the same

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

time, pupils themselves understand how to keep safe, know the fire drills and are well versed in e-safety. Almost all parents responding to the survey say that they feel their children are safe at school and looked after well.  Pupils say that bullying is not an issue for them in school. On the very rare occasions it does occur, they report that staff are very quick to intervene and resolve issues. Although a very few parents disagree, the vast majority say that their children are looked after well and that the school deals effectively with any bullying issues.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, appointed three years ago, quickly gained the confidence of parents, staff and governors. He is ensuring that this is a good, and improving, school.  He has a clear understanding of what is going well and what needs to improve. Through his strong leadership, he is taking the right actions to bring about necessary changes. This gives the school strong capacity to improve further.  Having re-affirmed the school’s mission statement of ‘Faith in Learning’, the headteacher continues to support teachers effectively in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school has excellent values created through its close links to the church, its regular acts of worship and the celebration of pupils’ achievements.  The headteacher has secured clearer and more accurate checks on pupils’ progress and attainment through developing a much more rigorous system. The information gained from this

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The leadership and management are good

is used in newly-introduced pupil progress meetings, making teachers increasingly accountable for the success of their pupils. The information is used further to help tailor learning more closely to pupils’ needs.  The headteacher, and increasingly the leaders of English and mathematics, check and manage the quality of teaching effectively. Teachers receive targets as their performance is checked and these often link to the progress their pupils make. Where appropriate, this may lead to increases in salary. Teachers have not yet had opportunities to see and discuss outstanding teaching to Inspection report: St Martin's East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School, 13–14 May 2014 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

which they aspire.  Leaders for English and mathematics are receiving support to develop their leadership skills. They check pupils’ work, look at information on pupils’ progress, observe teaching and talk with pupils as part of an annual plan. They are making good progress in their development and are playing a growing part in the school’s development. Leadership of other subject areas is at a much earlier stage of development.  The ever-changing numbers in different year groups has meant that leadership has evolved different structures to address this issue. As the school grows and new buildings are planned, the headteacher works hard to ensure that the range of new developments does not take the school off track.  The school is already making plans to address the changes to how subjects are taught for next year. At the same time it is continuing to help pupils use their communication and mathematical

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The leadership and management are good

skills in a range of subjects through well-chosen topics.  The additional sports funding is used well. A specialist sports coach is employed by the school through the local school sports partnership. The coach works alongside teachers so they might observe and learn about good teaching of physical education. At the same time, pupils can try out new sports such as basketball and multi-sports. As a result, many more are taking part in club activities and in competitive sports events. All of this helps improve their health and well- being.  The local authority provides light touch support for the school. It has supported the new headteacher and helped in other areas such as developing the teaching of phonics and strengthening the role of middle leaders.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s current strengths and its areas for development. They have a good knowledge of teaching and learning, as many of them visit

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The leadership and management are good

the school regularly. They know how the headteacher checks on the quality of teaching and how good performance might be rewarded. They understand how the school checks on the performance of pupils and know how this is compared with pupils nationally. They are able to hold the school to account effectively. Governors have a very clear understanding of the issues which led to the weak performance last year and are equally clear about current good progress. They know how additional funding is spent and its impact on progress.  Governors ensure that safeguarding requirements are met, including for the before- and after- school clubs. Inspection report: St Martin’s East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School, 13–14 May 2014 7 of 9

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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: St Martin’s East Woodhay Church of England VA Primary School, 13–14 May 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 116356 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 439848

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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 120 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Colin Bonner Headteacher Peter Shelton Date of previous school inspection 5–6 May 2010 Telephone number 01635 253489 Fax number 01635 253880 Email address P.SHELTON@st-martins.hants.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

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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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