Canewdon Endowed Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Canewdon Endowed Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School High Street, Canewdon, Rochford, SS4 3QA

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as they move through the school.  The achievement of boys in 2013 was lower than that of girls at Key Stage 2, particularly in mathematics, grammar, spelling and punctuation. It was also lower at Key Stage 1 in writing.  Although improving, the teaching of the sounds that letters make has been too variable.  Teaching requires improvement because expectations of what pupils can achieve, including the more-able, are not always high enough. These pupils are not always given harder work so that they achieve more.  While there is some good teaching, this effective practice is not shared well enough to improve teaching quickly, especially in mathematics.  Some pupils are not clear from the marking about their targets and what they need to do next to achieve them.

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The school has the following strengths

 Senior leaders have worked effectively with the partner school, local authority and interim executive board to turn the school round so that all aspects of its work are improving, including the quality of teaching.  As a result, attainment and progress rates are rising throughout the school and especially at Key Stage 1.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and are quick to say how much they now enjoy school.  Attendance has risen. It is now above average.  Pupils feel safe. Their parents agree that they are safe.  The school is improving rapidly. June 2014 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons taught by five staff and attended an assembly. Two of the lesson observations were carried out with the headteacher. The inspector also observed a range of activities which the school provides to support individuals and small groups of pupils.  In addition to looking at pupils’ work in lessons, the inspector carried out a scrutiny of pupils’ work jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, staff, a representative of the local authority and a group of pupils. The inspector spoke to parents in the playground before school and had a telephone conversation with a member of the Interim Executive Board.  In planning and carrying out the inspection, the inspector took account of the 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the school’s own survey of parents. The inspector also took account of the 19 responses to a staff questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector looked at the school’s improvement plan, data on pupils’ attainment and progress, records of the monitoring and evaluation of teaching, a wide range of policies and procedures, and the school’s arrangements for the safeguarding of children.  The inspector listened to pupils reading.  During the inspection, some year groups were on a school residential trip. This resulted in some changes to staffing.

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Inspection team

Michael Sutherland-Harper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector June 2014 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of the pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is below the national average. This is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  An Interim Executive Board has been put in place very recently for the school, composed of members from the local authority, diocese and the partner school, following concerns from the

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Information about this school

local authority and the diocese about the effectiveness of the governing body. There has been an agreement by all partners to consult parents about federating the two schools in January 2015.  The executive headteacher has been in post since September 2013. She is also headteacher of the partner primary school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils make good or better progress by:  sharing best practice more systematically, especially in mathematics  making sure that work is not too easy, especially for the more-able and that staff have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve  making sure that marking helps pupils to understand how well they are doing in relation to their targets, and that they are given clear guidance on what they need to do next to achieve them.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in English and mathematics by:  providing pupils with more opportunities to write at length  improving boys’ skills in mathematics, spelling, grammar and punctuation at Key Stage 2 and in writing at Key Stage 1  making sure that pupils’ early reading skills, particularly their understanding about the sounds that letters make (phonics), are secure and are reinforced as they proceed through the school. June 2014 4 of 10

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as they move through the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2013, Key Stage 2 results in mathematics and in grammar, punctuation and spelling were below the national average, especially for boys, and lower than in reading and writing. Girls were above in mathematics but otherwise below average. Current data indicate that mathematics and writing are slightly weaker than reading but that all three areas are not yet securely good. Nevertheless, progress rates are rising.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills at, and sometimes slightly below, the level expected for their age; they are stronger in moving and handling, health and self-care and personal development and weaker in creative skills. The school checks attainment on entry in the first few weeks. Current data indicate that the majority of children are now making good progress from their starting points which sets them up well for Year 1 and subsequent stages but this is a recent development.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Data has not been reliable enough in the past to give a clear picture of achievement across the school. The new leadership has addressed this so that it can now accurately judge how well pupils and groups are doing and use this information to improve progress rates even more.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress in Key Stage 1 is now good although boys’ writing has been weaker than girls’. In 2013, Year 2 pupils’ attainment was significantly above those nationally in subjects overall and particularly so in mathematics. This was an improvement on previous years and current data, plus inspection observations, confirm that this improvement is being maintained.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The results in the end of Year 1 screening check on phonics (pupils’ understanding of the links between letters and the sounds they make) dipped below the national average in 2013, having been above the year before. These pupils started school with lower attainment on entry than other year groups. The school was quick to review its ways of teaching phonics and to help these pupils catch up. This has been highly successful so that a much higher percentage are on target for achieving the required level this year. Pupils’ phonic and spelling skills throughout the school are improving but are still variable.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment in reading was above average in 2013 at Key Stage 1, a strong improvement on the previous year; at Key Stage 2, it had also improved but was still broadly in line with the levels expected. Pupils are now making at least expected, and sometimes better, progress in reading because of a range of initiatives: the school has refurbished the library to make reading more attractive to pupils, increased reading in small groups and ensured that pupils read regularly at home and in school. Pupils say they enjoy reading and are now always ready to have a go at difficult words.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 More-able pupils have not always been reaching the highest levels because expectations of what they should achieve have not been high enough. An increasing number are now making more rapid progress to reach higher levels, but some inconsistency still remains, which the school is working effectively to address.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In Year 6 in 2013, the number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium was too small to comment on their attainment without risk of identifying individuals. Throughout the school, pupils eligible June 2014 5 of 10

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

for the pupil premium are making good progress. They are currently about a term and a half ahead of others in reading and mathematics and about two and a half in writing because of the effective targeting of the additional funding. The gap has closed recently because the increasing amount of good teaching in the school and careful support put in place is accelerating the progress of all pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making progress in line with their peers and sometimes better. They are well supported in class and in small group work to reinforce any weaker area.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Primary sports funding has been effectively used to increase the number of sports on offer and encourage more pupils to take part in competitive sport. Staff have been trained in the teaching and assessment of physical education skills. Work to develop pupils’ understanding of health and fitness has proceeded well at the same time.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s keen emphasis on equal opportunities for all now and insistence that there should be no discrimination of any kind has been helped by pupils’ increasingly positive attitudes to learning and desire to help each other.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching has improved since the arrival of the new headteacher but it is not yet ensuring that all pupils, including the more-able, make good progress throughout the school. Inadequate teaching has been eradicated but some teaching still requires improvement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Despite the school’s recognition of weaknesses in mathematics teaching and some professional development to address this, pupils’ progress in mathematics remains erratic.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Expectations of what pupils should achieve have been inconsistent and sometimes too low in the past. The situation is now rapidly changing as the result of better planning, regular progress meetings and work with the partner school to ensure a consistent quality of teaching. Pupils too now have a clearer understanding of what is expected of them in the classroom. Even so, some inconsistency remains and the sharing of good practice is still under-developed.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils have increasing opportunities to write at length but these are still too few in some year groups. Mathematics skills, such as calculation skills, are now being reinforced more frequently across other subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The work of support staff has been refined and expectations made clearer. Support staff work closely with disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to ensure that they make the same progress from their starting points as others now. They encourage the pupils, but without doing the work for them.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Effective teaching of more-able pupils is now enabling them to make more rapid progress and reach higher levels. Staff are more actively looking for materials to interest and extend pupils. Even so, in a few cases teachers do not act quickly enough when pupils have completed the work set or show signs of disengagement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Assessment procedures have improved and marking is regular. This has had an impact, for example, on presentation of work, which is neater. Teachers are giving more guidance on how to improve, but not all marking clearly suggests what pupils need to accomplish to reach their June 2014 6 of 10

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

targets. Pupils have increased opportunities to assess their own work and themselves suggested the recent ‘prove it or move it’ strategies to encourage more rapid progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good and has improved significantly in the past year. Parents and pupils alike comment on the improvement and its impact on learning. From the Early Years Foundation Stage onwards, pupils are increasingly aware of the standards which the school expects and help to promote those standards, for example, through their work on the school council.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave well even on occasions when lessons do not immediately interest them. They are enthusiastic and want to show how much they know now. Parents say that their children are eager to come to school in the morning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are courteous to visitors and adults and ready to help each other. They work closely with other pupils in class and listen to others respectfully. Rarely do teachers have to remind them about their behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Expectations of behaviour are made clear in assemblies, through the school’s policies and through displays in the corridors around the school. Good behaviour leads to rewards and stars, which pupils are keen to earn.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that bullying is rare. Pupils are able to explain the different types of bullying, such as hitting someone, name-calling and cyber-bullying. They know how to stay safe on the internet. They understand that it is important to speak to an adult should any difficulties arise. Exclusions are rare, as are racist incidents. The school follows up promptly and relentlessly on any concerns.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe and their parents and staff agree. Child protection procedures are rigorous. The school site is safe and is regularly patrolled. Pupils know the importance of being fit and of healthy eating. Staff are vigilant in and out of the classroom.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved and is now well above national averages. This is because the school has taken a rigorous and effective approach to absence during term time, including the taking of holidays at that time and because the experiences that pupils have now mean they do not like missing school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher has transformed the school since her arrival in September. All aspects are now improving quickly. Working closely with staff from the partner school, the local authority, the diocese and interim executive board, and ably supported by her deputy, she has quickly established effective management systems. The close partnership arrangements and the shared expertise in teaching and leadership and management are already having a clear impact in rising attainment and better teaching. Behaviour has improved and pupil progress is accelerating.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders are now focused on raising achievement and improving teaching. Staff are more aware of what good teaching looks like. This is reflected in the recent improvements in teaching. June 2014 7 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

Parents and pupils say that the school is much better now from the time children begin in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders are in place for all subjects. Some are subject leaders for both schools in the partnership and the school is now beginning to draw on the best practice in both. They are working well to secure improvement by regular scrutiny of work, checking pupils are secure in their learning and progress, and reviewing planning to ensure increasing challenge, including for the more-able. Senior leaders check the effectiveness of subject leaders’ work through regular observations of teaching with a clear focus on what must be improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 Management of staff performance is rigorous. Procedures in place apply to both teaching and support staff. Staff are judged against the Teachers’ Standards and the progress of pupils in their classes so that the quality of what is going on in the classroom continues to improve. Where improvement does not occur, prompt action is taken to support staff development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is currently under review as part of the preparation for implementation of the new National Curriculum in September. Display around the school and a good range of clubs and activities encourage pupils to explore different subjects and enrich their experiences well. The school has been successful in engaging pupils in their studies by making sure that topics covered interest them and relate to their experiences.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has had very close links with the school in the drive to raise achievement and the quality of teaching, both of which are now improving. The local authority and diocese are working closely with the school in discussions about possible federation with the partner school. Local authority officers and advisers have visited regularly to support and improve learning but links are decreasing now as the school has shown a clear trajectory of improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is securely promoted. The school has links with the church and diocese to promote spiritual understanding which is also reinforced by assemblies and school values. Displays and topics promote appreciation and understanding of other cultures, lifestyles and beliefs. The school is extending these through links with other schools in this country and abroad.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents are kept well informed about school events by newsletters and encouraged to contact the school with any concerns. They receive regular information about their child’s progress. Their positive views are reflected in the online survey (Parent View) and the school’s own surveys of parents.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has the capacity for sustained improvement because the senior management team, local authority and diocese are working effectively together to secure improvement, which has been increasingly rapid over the past year. Self-evaluation is accurate. The quality of teaching is improving and this is reflected in the increased progress pupils are now making in most areas.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The interim executive board supports the school effectively. They pay close attention to the performance of staff, the quality of teaching and how to develop it. The financial picture has improved significantly because of regular reviews, including how effectively the pupil premium funding is used. Members of the board have a very secure understanding of safeguarding. Safeguarding policies and practices meet all current requirements. They have a good understanding of the school’s assessment data and what these are telling them about progress. As a consequence, the school is now well governed. Succession planning is in place. June 2014 8 of 10

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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. June 2014 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 115091 Local authority Essex Inspection number 442014

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 116 Appropriate authority Interim executive board Chair Phil Preston Headteacher Lorna Pigram (Executive Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 03 October 2012 Telephone number 01702 258238 Fax number 01702 258891 Email address head@canewdon.essex.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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