Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School The Oaks, Ashill, Thetford, IP25 7AP

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher, staff and governors have been very successful in bringing about rapid improvements in pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching and learning since the last inspection.  Dedicated staff and a well-planned programme of training have resulted in teaching being typically good. Some is outstanding.  Good relationships between staff and pupils create a positive climate for learning.  Teachers mark work thoroughly. They make sure pupils respond to their comments and challenges, and this has helped them to make accelerated progress.  Additional adults provide valuable support for the learning of small groups and individual pupils.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. They are friendly, polite and well-mannered, and are respectful to adults and each other.  Pupils are proud of their school. They say they feel safe and enjoy coming to school.  Children in Reception make a good start thanks

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to well-taught, exciting learning activities.  Governors know the school well. They work closely with leaders, ask challenging questions and ensure that development priorities are successfully tackled.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In some lessons more-able pupils are not sufficiently challenged to attain the higher levels of which they are capable.  Pupils do not develop a good understanding of the diversity of cultures that make up modern Britain.  Pupils are not given enough opportunities to practise the skills they learn in English and mathematics in other subjects.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 11 lessons, attended assembly and visited the breakfast club. Almost all observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their views of the school, listened to pupils read in Years 1, 2 and 6, looked at work in pupils’ books and observed them at play and lunch breaks.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, senior leaders, subject leaders and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 20 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and met some parents informally at the start of the school day. The inspector also analysed questionnaires completed by 18 members of staff.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including: the school development plan; the school’s own assessment data and analysis of its strengths and weaknesses; policies and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding; and information on pupils’ progress and

p.2

Information about this inspection

attainment, the performance of teachers and the work of the governing body.

p.2

Inspection team

Valerie Palmer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average. This is extra funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority.  Alternative provision is made for a very small number of pupils to be taught at Wayland Academy for part of the school week.  A breakfast club, managed by the governing body, runs on site every day.  There have been substantial changes to the school’s staffing since the previous inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

p.3

Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by giving more-able pupils work that consistently challenges them.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in writing and mathematics by giving pupils more opportunities to practise the skills they have learnt in English and mathematics in other subjects.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ understanding of the diversity of cultures that make up modern Britain.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and all staff have made huge strides since the last inspection, and raised the quality of teaching markedly. The resulting increase in pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics, has been dramatic throughout the school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ current work, the school’s rigorous and accurate information and the progress seen in lessons clearly demonstrate that pupils are now making rapid gains in all year groups, and are swiftly making up for lost time. Previous weaknesses in teaching that held back progress for pupils in Key Stage 2 have now been resolved. An overwhelming majority of the parents who responded to Parent View agree that their child is making good progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The current Year 6 pupils are making good progress this year. The school’s own information shows that the percentage on track to reach the nationally expected Level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics is vastly improved on last year and compares favourably with the national figures for 2013.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Reception with skills that are broadly typical for their age. They get off to a good start in a happy and inviting environment, make good progress in all areas of learning and achieve a good level of development by the time they enter Year 1. After a weak performance in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 in 2013, all groups of pupils are making good progress in Key Stage 1 and attainment is rising again.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Systematic teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) by skilled adults enables pupils to develop good reading skills from an early age. Young pupils are able to tackle unfamiliar words with confidence and older pupils speak with enthusiasm about favourite authors. As a result, the proportion of pupils achieving the required standard in the national screening check for reading in Year 1 improved greatly in 2013, and was above the national average.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Strategies to improve standards in writing are working well. Consummate teachers and teaching assistants provide support such as word banks and recording apparatus to enable pupils to use complex vocabulary and sentence structures to improve their quality of writing. This was seen in a Year 1 and 2 literacy lesson where pupils relished writing detailed and entrancing descriptions. One wrote, ‘In the distance, I saw, just a glimpse of a tiny island…’ However, pupils do not generally have enough opportunities across the school to write at length in other subjects.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils supported by the pupil premium generally make similar progress to their peers in reading, writing and mathematics because their needs are carefully identified and effective support is provided for them. There were too few eligible pupils in Year 6 in 2013 to comment on their attainment without risk of identifying individuals.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because of the good teaching and support they receive in lessons and tailored additional help in small groups and on a one-to-one basis. The school keeps a close check on the achievement and attendance of the few pupils who attend Wayland Academy to make sure they benefit.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils do not always make good progress in English and mathematics as the work is not always challenging enough. The school is aware of this and has implemented a number of strategies, including additional specialist mathematics teaching, to boost their progress.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved rapidly since the last inspection. This is due to accurate, assessments of pupils’ work, appropriate training, the sharing of skills and expertise, good subject knowledge and excellent questioning skills. Marking is exemplary and the school policy is applied consistently across all year groups. Literacy and numeracy targets inform pupils about what they need to do to further improve their work.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Well-planned learning experiences and careful monitoring of progress help children in Reception to learn and develop successfully. Children settle well, work cooperatively and concentrate on tasks for long periods of time. They are able to explain what they are doing, speak confidently to adults and support each other. Teachers and teaching assistants interact well and join in with children’s imaginary scenarios. They act as able pirates aboard the carefully constructed pirate ship to extend children’s thinking and as players in the snakes and ladders number game to extend number skills, and help children to paint carefully, encouraging fine motor skills.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers choose topics and themes which inspire pupils to become engaged and motivated. Frequently, they encourage pupils to work together in pairs and groups. In a Year 3 and 4 mathematics lesson, pupils were enthralled by the mathematical Olympic investigation activities. Each group had to read their activity and demonstrate the task to the remainder of the class, and then move around the room completing all the tasks. Pupils challenged one another over answers, worked together as a team, extended their mathematical knowledge and supported each other if somebody was unsure. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills in other subjects.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly for those who are supported by the pupil premium and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They are well briefed by teachers, help plan and adapt work and have the necessary skills to help pupils make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is a particular strength of the teaching. Regularly and thoroughly marked work shows that pupils make good progress over time. Comments are detailed and pupils are clear about what they have to do next in order to improve their work. Each class has a daily time slot for pupils to read the comments and respond. Pupils in the Year 5/6 class were asked to respond to challenges relating to mathematics and literacy from the previous day. Pupils say they enjoy this time and it helps them to improve their work.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are well-mannered, considerate and helpful. They welcome visitors, relate well to one another and speak respectfully to adults. They generally concentrate well in lessons and have good attitudes to learning.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are proud of their school, the school council and the charities they help. Pupils play well together. Older pupils are ‘play leaders’ and help to look after younger pupils at break and lunchtime by encouraging them to join in games. In doing so they further develop their own and others’ social and leadership skills.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The friendly, caring philosophy is promoted through the strong relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils say they ‘want to come to school’ because ‘being together is fun’ and ‘teachers respect us’. They say that bullying is rare and are confident that if they have any concerns an adult will sort it out immediately.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe at school and understand that bullying may take many forms. Older pupils are aware of cyber bullying and how to keep safe when using computers. Younger pupils talk about keeping safe on the roads and understand the dangers of fire and water because ‘the police and fire brigade visit school’.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The very large majority of parents who responded to Parent View agreed that their child was safe, well looked after and happy at school. An overwhelming majority of parents felt that school was welcoming and responded well to any concerns raised.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is broadly average. The school monitors attendance carefully and exclusions are rare.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The breakfast club is well attended by many pupils. It provides a healthy breakfast, a calm, settled atmosphere and a range of activities for pupils to take part in before the start of the school day.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The inspirational headteacher, well supported by knowledgeable and dedicated subject leaders, provides strong leadership and direction for the school. Since the last inspection, she has been the driving force in bringing together the whole school community and ensuring rapid improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. Her high expectations are shared by all staff and the governing body.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Leaders use rigorous arrangements for checking the quality of teaching. Senior leaders regularly visit classrooms to observe lessons and check pupils’ work to ensure they are making good or better progress. Any areas identified for improvement are tackled quickly. Teachers have clear targets set for their performance, linked to pupils’ progress and the school improvement plan. Teachers are aware of the link between pay rises or promotion and pupils’ achievement.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses is accurate and based on rigorous analysis of information on pupils’ attainment and progress, work in books and lesson observations. This level of detail ensures the school improvement plan is effective, with success criteria and timescales for monitoring. The school has been successful in accomplishing the action points identified at the last inspection.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils benefit from many visits and visitors, and a rich variety of after-school clubs that encourage sport, music and creativity. They enjoy a wide range of subjects with interesting themes that stimulate their imagination, although the thematic approach is not yet fully used to develop their key writing and numeracy skills. There are close links with local churches and the school’s values are known to all pupils. All pupils are given equal opportunities to succeed. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils also have many opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills and awareness. However, they are not helped enough to develop an awareness of the diversity of cultures within modern Britain.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school has made good use of the primary school sports funding to train staff and play leaders, purchase new equipment for lessons and break times, and increase the opportunities for pupils to participate in local sporting activities. As a result, pupils are taking part in a greater range of after-school sporting initiatives, teachers are more confident in teaching physical education, pupil play leaders encourage the use of small apparatus at playtimes and there are many more opportunities for all age groups to participate in local competitive sporting events.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided appropriate bespoke support to the meet the needs of the school, including through the ‘Norfolk to Good and Great’ programme to help local schools improve.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governors have worked well with the headteacher in tackling issues raised at the last inspection. They know the school well, attend events, offer support and ask challenging questions. They, too, are ambitious for the school and ensure they undertake all appropriate training to keep themselves up-to-date in all areas of governance. They regularly monitor the school budget and are fully aware of the impact of funding such as the pupil premium on standards, the progress and attainment of all groups of pupils and the actions taken to improve achievement through the headteacher’s detailed reports. They are aware of the quality of teaching and learning and the link between pupils’ achievements and staff pay rises. They undertake the formal review and monitoring of the headteacher’s performance, and ensure the school meets national safeguarding requirements.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 121026 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 442044

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 105 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robbie Fulcher Headteacher Kelly Scott Date of previous school inspection 24 January 2013 Telephone number 01760 440403 Fax number 01760 440403 Email address head@ashill.norfolk.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10