Marshchapel Infant School

Marshchapel Primary School Sea Dyke Way, Marshchapel, Grimsby, DN36 5SX

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school is well led and managed. The executive headteacher and the head of school, supported by staff in the school and across the federation, have taken action to improve teaching and raise achievement.  Teachers ask useful questions, teach interesting lessons and usually challenge pupils to do well.  High quality marking helps pupils to make good progress across a range of subjects in all year groups.  Achievement in reading is strong and progress in writing and mathematics has improved markedly.  The curriculum is interesting and varied and encourages pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Children make a good start in the Nursery and Reception class, where effective leadership and skilful teaching ensure that that they make rapid progress.  Pupils enjoy school and attendance has improved so it is now above the national average.  Pupils behave well, have good manners and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

feel safe in the school.  Parents are extremely positive about the work of the school and speak highly of the education and care provided by the staff.  The establishment of the federation has strengthened leadership, broadened the range of activities for pupils and provided professional development opportunities for staff.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not consistently pushed to make more rapid progress.  Subject leaders do not routinely challenge staff to improve teaching and achievement in their areas.  Though governance is effective in general, the governing body is not yet doing everything it could to move the school to outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 parts of lessons, all which were observed with either the executive headteacher or the head of school.  The inspector also listened to pupils read, looked at their work and observed behaviour at the start of the day, during break time and at lunchtime.  Discussions were held with the executive headteacher; the head of school; subject leaders; the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Board; pupils and parents. A conversation was also held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector looked at policies, self-evaluation and development planning documents, monitoring records related to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding, information about pupils’ progress and minutes of meetings of the governing body.  Responses from 15 parents to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, the school’s own parental surveys and 13 returns of the staff questionnaire were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Simon Mosley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  As a result of small numbers, the proportion of pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which provides schools with additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for the free school meals and those in local authority care, varies from year to year. It is currently below average.  An above average proportion of pupils join or leave the school at times other than the usual starting or leaving dates.  The school’s most recent results can not be compared to the government’s current floor standards, which sets out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress,

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Information about this school

because there were not enough pupils to make such comparisons meaningful.  The school became part of the Fenland Federation with Grainthorpe Primary and North Cotes Church of England Primary in September 2012. The schools share a governing body, the executive headteacher and some staff.  Little Sheep Marsh Nursery opened within Marshchapel Primary School in September 2010. Children, who join the nursery in the term after their third birthday, learn alongside reception aged children in their own designated room.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by ensuring that pupils are consistently stretched and challenged to do their best work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the school’s leadership by making sure:  subject leaders hold staff to account and improve teaching and progress in their areas  all members of the governing body have the skills, knowledge and understanding to fully challenge senior leaders in their drive to be an outstanding school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children often start Nursery and Reception with skills that are below average for their age. The vast majority make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage due to high quality teaching and well planned learning experiences which stimulate their curiosity and lead to rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in Key Stage 1 was broadly in line with the national average in 2011 and 2012. However, as a result of the strong foundations in the Early Years Foundation Stage and good teaching in Years 1 and 2, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was above average in 2013. Evidence seen during the inspection, such as the school’s own data, the pupils’ work and progress observed in lessons, show that this standard has been improved further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The 2013 screening at the end of Year 1 showed that pupils’ knowledge of the sounds that letters represent (phonics) was above average. Their reading has continued to improve very well in Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in all year groups show enthusiasm for reading. Most pupils read fluently across a wide range of texts and less confident readers draw upon a wide range of strategies to help them to work out words and understand texts.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in Key Stage 2 has improved year by year since the last inspection. As a result of good teaching, targeted support for individual pupils and positive attitudes to learning, pupils now make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There were not enough pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium support in Year 6 in 2013 to comment on their attainment without identifying them. Eligible pupils currently in the school are making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results of the 2013 national tests show pupils made good progress in reading. Progress in mathematics and writing was not as rapid. However, the school’s current data, observations of pupils’ learning and the quality of work in their books confirmed that the school’s actions to improve achievement in writing and mathematics have resulted in the vast majority of pupils making good progress in all these subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There is no difference between the progress of pupils of different abilities, including the most able, and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. However, although many pupils in different year groups are making rapid progress in a number of areas, this is not yet consistent enough to result in outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good because teachers have high expectations of pupils, question pupils well to help learning, have good subject knowledge and teach interesting lessons. For example, pupils in one class were enthralled when a teacher presented them with a bag and they had to consider what was in it and then work out from its contents what conclusions they could make.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching in Nursery and Reception is good. Teachers and other adults plan an interesting variety of challenging activities to encourage children to work well with each other and practice what they have learnt. For example, a group of pupils had been taught how to use an implement to pick up objects at the start of the day and, later, one child chose to use and improve these skills in another activity.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons start promptly and pupils are keen to learn. They complete appropriate homework tasks and take pride in their work, which is neat and presented well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Books are marked consistently well throughout the school. Staff use positive comments and make clear the next steps pupils should take, to encourage them to learn. Pupils reflect on the comments and respond to them so they do better in subsequent pieces of work and improve their progress. As a result of the marking, the pupils understand what is expected of them and they value the comments that staff make about their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff work well as a team. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. They work closely with class teachers to plan and provide activities for groups of pupils. The class teacher usually keeps a close check on how well the tasks are working and to ensure they are leading to good progress. For example, they break tasks down into smaller steps when required.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading, writing and mathematics are taught well throughout the school. Teachers show pupils why they are learning the things they are, for example by using ‘real life’ situations to develop skills in these areas. For instance, good progress resulted from one group of pupils using photographs of buildings to explore different types of angles.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils read regularly and opportunities are taken to carry out writing tasks and develop numerical skills in subjects other than English and maths. This has contributed to improvements in achievement in both writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching makes a significant contribution to pupils’ excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils work extremely well with others, consider what is right and wrong, study a range of faiths and cultures, have a good understanding of history and take part in musical, sporting and technological activities. The range of these activities has been extended through collaboration with other schools in the federation.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Classrooms and other areas of the school are attractive learning spaces and use thought- provoking displays to assist pupils in their work and to celebrate their successes. Pupils use a range of resources to aid their learning including computers and thesauruses. However, they do not always push themselves to do their best work unless directly supervised. The school is experimenting with ways to push and challenge them through providing additional stimuli, such as ‘working walls’ and ‘pupil mentors’ to aid their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. It is managed well. Pupils feel that that other pupils behave well and all parents and staff who expressed a view agreed. They listen carefully in lessons and respond positively to the clearly established routines.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There have been no permanent exclusions and almost no fixed term exclusions since the last inspection. Pupils who have experienced difficulties in other schools settle in well and records show that poor behaviour is very rare but dealt with effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school. Attendance is now above average. Pupils wear their school uniform with pride and are keen to take responsibility. They usually work hard, but occasionally will sit and wait for a member of staff rather than trying to move on by themselves.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour at break time and lunchtime is good. Pupils are often involved in purposeful activities, led by play leaders, and the atmosphere as the pupils ate their lunch was extremely pleasant. Pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming. They have excellent relationships with the staff and each other.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Consequently, pupils feel safe in all classes and all parents who responded agreed that this is the case. Pupils are taught to stay safe, including when using the internet, crossing the road or when they are close to water, and they behave in a way that helps them to remain safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils understand what it means to be unkind to someone and they are aware of different kinds of bullying. They are confident that staff will deal quickly and effectively with any unkindness if it happens.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. The school works extremely well with other agencies and families to try to ensure that pupils who are most at risk are very well protected.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher and the head of school, supported by staff in the school and across the federation, have taken decisive action to improve teaching and pupils’ progress, particularly in writing and mathematics Actions have included setting challenging targets for pupils, monitoring progress towards these targets and taking action to make sure that all pupils make the progress that is expected of them.

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The leadership and management are good

 Regular checks on the quality of teaching, which include observations, the monitoring of pupils’ work and analysis of progress data, mean that senior leaders have a good understanding of strengths and areas which need further improvement. When necessary, they have provided support and challenge for individual teachers to make sure that teaching is at least good, using expertise across the federation. Decisions about teachers’ pay are linked well to the progress pupils are making.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders, staff and governors are ambitious for the school and have high expectations. Every member of staff who completed the questionnaire confirmed that the school is well led and managed. They know what the school is trying to achieve, and they feel they are involved in improving the school and that their training needs are being met. Teachers work well together across the federation.

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The leadership and management are good

 Good leadership in the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures that children make rapid progress as a result of good teaching. This strong start eases their transition into Year 1.

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The leadership and management are good

 As a result of subject leaders having responsibility across the federation, this aspect of the school’s leadership has improved since the last inspection. However, subject leaders are not yet fully effective in challenging staff to improve their teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is rich and varied. Activities in the classroom are supplemented by a wide range of trips and visits, visitors are used to promote learning and themes are explored across a range of subjects.  The school has used primary sports funding to increase participation in physical activity and sport and to promote healthy lifestyles. For example, pupils can access different sports and activities across the federation and the school is part of the Wolds School Sport Partnership which provides a range of activities for pupils, access to specialist coaches, training for staff and a variety of competitions. As a result of this, more pupils, including the least active, are involved in many activities, staff are better trained to deliver sport and some pupils are participating at a regional level.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided good support to the school. The most recent report highlights clear strengths and areas for development and suggests actions that the school needs to take to improve further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are aware of how the school’s results compare to similar schools and all schools nationally and look at the progress of individuals and groups within the school. They have first-hand experience of the quality of teaching and use this when discussions take place about the performance of teachers. They understand how the performance of teachers is managed, ensure that the best teachers are rewarded and make sure that teachers only get pay rises if their pupils make good progress. With support from the local authority officer, they have also effectively managed the performance of the executive headteacher. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body have strategic meetings with the executive headteacher and the head of school. Some governors go into school frequently to hear children read.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although governance is effective, not all governors have the skills, knowledge and understanding to challenge senior leaders enough to move the school on to be outstanding. Though key areas are discussed in governors’ meetings, and there is evidence of some challenge to the executive headteacher, governors do not play a full part either in evaluating the impact of the school’s strategies, including its spending, or in developing plans to drive school improvement.

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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 120461 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 444180

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 68 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marilyn Bell Headteacher Anna Coney Date of previous school inspection 8 December 2009 Telephone number 01472 388371 Fax number 01472 388371 Email address info@marshchapel.lincs.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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