Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School

Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School The Village, Westbury-on-Severn, GL14 1PA

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school because:

 Children in Reception achieve well. They make a good start to their school life.  Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 to 6 in all subjects.  Attainment by the end of Year 6 in 2013 was above average in writing and average in reading and mathematics.  Teaching is good across the school and successfully engages the pupils.  Pupils receive effective guidance and support from teaching assistants.  Pupils show a very keen interest in their learning and participate with enthusiasm in the activities provided. The headteacher and staff have created a very positive climate where pupils thrive and develop.  Behaviour is exemplary in lessons and around the school. Pupils are considerate, respectful and willingly take on additional responsibilities.  There are highly effective procedures to make sure that pupils are safe. Pupils report that they feel safe and very well looked after by staff.  Attendance is above average.

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This is a good school because:

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well promoted.  The headteacher provides strong leadership in raising pupils’ achievement, developing teaching and building the school’s atmosphere. He is well supported by other leaders and staff.  Governors work effectively to challenge and support the school.  Parents hold very positive views about the school and are extremely pleased with the care and education provided for their children.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally in lessons, work is not at the right level of difficulty for different groups of pupils, especially the most able.  Teachers do not always give pupils clear enough targets to enable them to learn faster.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in 11 lessons. Some of these were seen jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, a representative from the local authority, governors, pupils and parents.  The inspector took account of 25 responses to the parents’ online questionnaire, Parent View.  Completed questionnaires from eight members of staff were analysed.  The inspectors examined school policies, information about pupils’ attainment and progress, teachers’ plans, pupils’ work, safeguarding procedures and the school’s development planning.

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Inspection team

Derek Watts, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  Most of the pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  A very small number of pupils receive additional government funding, known as the pupil premium. This provides support for looked after children and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school part way through the year is much higher than average.  The school is organised into three classes. One class has Reception children and pupils from

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Information about this school

Years 1. Another class has pupils from Years 2 and 3. The third class has pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning so that more is outstanding by:  making sure that work is always set at the right level of difficulty for different groups of pupils, particularly the most able  ensuring all pupils know precisely how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve to enable them to make faster progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s attainment on entry varies because a higher proportion than usual joins the school at different times of the year. The children in some year groups enter with knowledge and skills expected for their age, whilst others enter with below expected levels. Children in Reception get off to a good start. They achieve well because of good teaching and effective support.  In Reception, children make good gains in halving and doubling numbers up to 20. They used learning resources well, such as hoops, and objects effectively to support their learning. They show a good understanding of life cycles. Their writing skills are developing well. For example, they wrote clear diary entries about the growth of the bean they planted.  Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 to 6. The achievement information which shows the attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 can be affected by the small numbers

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The achievement of pupils is good

in the year group, and because of pupils joining and leaving the school other than at expected times. Attainment by the end of Year 6 in 2013 was above average in writing and average in reading and mathematics.  The school’s assessments indicate that attainment in the current Year 6 is generally above average. An above average proportion of pupils are on track to reach higher than expected levels. The most able are usually extended, but there are occasions in lessons when this is not the case because work is not always set at the correct level of difficulty for them.  In recent years, effective action has been taken to raise rates of progress in mathematics and to close the gap between boys’ and girls’ achievement. Boys are now making faster progress than in the past.  A very small number of pupils are eligible for additional funding. Good teaching and well- focused support help to ensure that those pupils make similar progress to other pupils .

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. They receive effective support and work is well suited with their needs.  Pupils make good progress in reading. The results of the Year 1 screening check in phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) were above average in 2012 and in 2013. Older pupils read widely and tackle challenging books well.  Pupils make good progress in writing and they apply writing skills successfully to different topics. The study of pupils’ work shows that those in Years 2 and 3 wrote clear factual accounts about animals of the Arctic. Older pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 wrote imaginative poems, letters home and clear news accounts in their work on ‘D Day Remembered, 70 years on’. Punctuation, spelling and grammar are developing well.  In mathematics, pupils acquire different mathematical operations well and apply these to their learning. For example, pupils in Year 1 made rapid progress in adding and subtracting multiples

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The achievement of pupils is good

of 10 to given numbers. They apply numeracy skills competently to solving problems.  Pupils are developing healthy lifestyles and physical fitness well through the school’s physical education programme and the additional sports opportunities provided.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good in all classes and this contributes significantly to pupils’ learning and achievement. All parents who completed Parent View stated that their children are well taught. Pupils informed the inspector, ‘Teachers make lessons exciting.’  Throughout the school, teachers establish strong relationships with their pupils. Teachers expect pupils to do their best in their learning and in their behaviour. Pupils rise to these expectations.  Good teaching in Reception helps to ensure that children make good gains in their learning. They receive effective guidance and instruction from adults. Children effectively gain new knowledge and skills.  Pupils know and understand what they are expected to learn because of teachers’ clear explanations and instructions.  The teaching of core skills of English and mathematics is effective. Pupils make good progress in consolidating and extending their understanding of phonics. Mathematical operations are

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The quality of teaching is good

taught well and pupils are given good opportunities to use their mathematical knowledge and skills to solve challenging problems.  In most cases, teachers make good use of the information about pupils’ attainment to plan their teaching and to set suitably demanding work for different groups of pupils. As a result, pupils are usually challenged well to improve their work and they are engaged in their learning. They make good gains in acquiring knowledge, deepening their understanding and applying skills. Occasionally, work is not set at the right level and so pupils, especially the most able, can find it too easy.  In a successful science session observed in Years 4, 5 and 6, pupils made good progress in investigating the wingspan of birds and how it is adapted to their habitat. Pupils interpreted the data provided well and they applied their numeracy skills effectively to create scaled paper model wings of different bird species. They considered how the birds’ wingspan suited its

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The quality of teaching is good

habitat. The teacher’s skilful questioning challenged the pupils’ thinking and effective feedback gave pupils a clear idea of how they were doing.  The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. Teaching assistants make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning. There is good support and tuition for pupils who need additional help with literacy and numeracy.  Pupils are set individual goals to guide their learning in writing and mathematics. However, there is variation in how well these are used by teachers in setting appropriate levels of work and how regularly they are reviewed. In most cases, pupils know precisely how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve, but this is not always the case.  The marking of pupils’ work is clear and helpful. Teachers provide encouragement and praise for good work. Constructive comments help to guide the next steps of pupils’ learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is also outstanding. As a result, pupils feel safe and very well looked after by the staff. Pupils’ very positive attitudes to adults and their learning and their exemplary behaviour in lessons contribute effectively to their good learning. Behaviour is also outstanding in the playground and in other areas.  All parents who completed the online survey, Parent View, stated that the school makes sure that pupils are well behaved and that it deals effectively with bullying. All parents who responded also believe their children are happy, safe and well looked after at school. These very positive responses to the survey reflect the findings of the inspector.  Children in Reception enjoy the interesting indoor and outdoor activities provided. They work collaboratively and play very well together. The strong relationships between adults and children

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

and the children’s excellent behaviour support learning well.  Pupils in Years 1 to 6 show an extremely keen interest in their learning. They participate with enthusiasm in the activities provided. Some of their comments included, ‘Learning is fun.’ ‘We learn from each other.’  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted extremely well. Part of the school’s very positive culture is the promotion of the ‘Three Bs’. These include: ‘Be respectful’; ‘Be kind’; and ‘Be a positive learner’. Pupils are considerate, polite, respectful and relate extremely well to adults and to other pupils. They work successfully in pairs or in small groups, where required to do so. They show a very good understanding of different religions and cultures.  Pupils thrive on the numerous responsibilities they are given. Member of the school council represent their fellow pupils well. Pupils also take on the responsibility of becoming ‘ministers’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

for learning, sport and the environment. They represent other pupils in promoting these areas. Pupils raise funds for a range of national and international charities.  The school’s records of incidents show that behaviour is typically of a high standard and has made consistent improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils show a clear understanding of bullying and the different forms it might take. They informed the inspector, ‘It does not happen in our school.’  Attendance has been generally above average over time. Recent data show that attendance is currently securely above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong leadership in raising pupils’ achievement, developing teaching and in building the school’s very positive atmosphere. He is highly regarded by pupils, staff, governors and parents.  Other leaders, staff and governors share the headteacher’s ambitions and expectations for the school. All leaders effectively promote good teaching and good achievement for pupils. The promotion of pupils’ behaviour, safety and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is particularly strong.  Discussions with staff and the results of the inspection questionnaire show that teamwork among the staff is strong, school policies are consistently applied and there is a clear consensus about the school’s values and direction.  There are clear systems for checking the school’s performance. The headteacher and subject leaders effectively identify what the school does well and what areas are in need of

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The leadership and management are good

improvement. Effective action has been taken to raise pupils’ achievement in mathematics and to close the gap between boys’ and girls’ achievement.  There are robust procedures for appraising the performance of teachers. Teachers’ targets are well linked to pupils’ progress and to the school’s improvement priorities. Effective training and support are provided to increase teachers’ skills. There are clear strategies for rewarding good performance and for robustly tackling weaker performance.  The school provides a wide range of subjects and topics which promote good achievement for pupils and positive personal skills. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the additional activities, such as clubs, sport and educational visits. The woodland and natural area and the Forest School provide opportunities for scientific study and other activities such as den building. There are no signs of discrimination in the school and all pupils have full and equal access to the learning

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The leadership and management are good

activities provided.  The primary school sports grant is used effectively to extend pupils’ opportunities and physical development. Specialist sports coaches provide good teaching for pupils and provide useful training to increase staff skills in physical education.  Additional funding is used effectively to provide eligible pupils with additional support, which is having a positive impact on their progress. A family support worker provides valuable support for pupils and their families.  The local authority provides appropriate support to the school.  The headteacher and staff have established very positive partnerships with parents. Parents hold very positive views about the school and their concerns seem very few. Typical comments from parents were ‘great school’, ‘wonderful atmosphere’ and ‘my child is doing really well’.  The governance of the school: − Members of the governing body are supportive and enthusiastic. They have a clear

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The leadership and management are good

understanding of pupils’ attainment and progress and of the quality of teaching. Governors are familiar with the school’s appraisal and performance management procedures and ensure that promotion and pay awards reflect the progress that pupils make. They know how the pupil premium funding is used and check that this is effective in raising pupils’ achievement. The governors have attended a range of useful courses and training to help improve their effectiveness. The governors ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 115701 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 439574

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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 77 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Colin Poole Headteacher David Crunkhurn Date of previous school inspection July 2009 Telephone number 01452 760303 Fax number 01452 760303 Email address head@westbury-on-severncofe.gloucs.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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