Olveston Church of England Primary School

Olveston CE VC Primary School Elberton Road, Olveston, South Gloucestershire, BS35 4DB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 proportions of pupils achieving and exceeding nationally expected progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 are high in comparison with the national profile.  Pupils show good attitudes towards learning and want to do well. Their behaviour around the school is calm and courteous.  The headteacher, managers and governors have worked closely together to bring about improvements with determination.  Most teachers have high expectations of pupils. They plan lessons carefully which interest pupils and which help them to learn well.  Governors are very knowledgeable about the school and what needs to be done to improve the school.  Attendance is high.  Parents feel that their children are happy and safe in school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is a small minority of teaching which requires improvement. This is because teachers are not always using the system that the school has in place for assessing the stages that the pupils are at in their learning precisely enough to accelerate progress.  Teachers check that the pupils are responding to their marking, but do not always do so regularly enough to ensure that pupils’ learning is moving on as quickly as it could.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 11 teaching sessions, two of which were joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors also listened to pupils from Years R and 1 read and observed pupils during break time and around the school.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plan, the school’s own assessment data, moderation documents from the local authority, minutes of governor meetings and the school’s safeguarding documentation. A wide range of pupils’ books was seen in lessons. Inspectors also looked at a collection of examples of pupils’ work in subjects other than English and mathematics.  The inspectors held meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors, the local authority consultant, senior members of staff and a group of pupils.  The inspectors also took account of 82 responses to the online Parent View survey, letters which were sent into school from parents and comments that were shared by parents informally at the

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Information about this inspection

start of the school day and 14 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Graeme Burgess, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lesley Voaden Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Olveston CE VA Primary School is smaller than most primary schools.  The current headteacher was appointed to the post in September 2012 and there have been a number of staff changes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is lower than other schools. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is much lower than most other schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority) is much lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils whose first language is not believed to be English is also much lower than the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teachers’ use of the school’s assessment practices in order to plan work which moves pupils on more quickly to the next stage in their learning.  Use marking more effectively to accelerate learning by checking that pupils are putting into practice the next steps for improvement identified by the teachers in their books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils' standards of attainment declined after the last inspection because of turbulence in the leadership and management of the school and also in staffing. This led to some underperformance in teaching, which in turn led to a drop in pupils' progress.  Since her appointment, the headteacher has tackled the school's underperformance with the full support of the governing body and the local authority. This has led to an improvement in the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils are now making faster progress than they previously did in nearly all year groups.  The standards that the pupils are reaching by the end of Year 6 are high in comparison with the national averages. The proportions of pupils who are making expected progress from their starting points, or better than expected progress, is also higher than the national average.  Reception children enter school with skills and knowledge which are just above that expected for

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The achievement of pupils is good

their age. They make good progress over the year and the proportion that leaves Reception with skills and knowledge which are better than expected for their age is high.  Pupils then continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1 and leave Year 2 with attainment which is much higher than the national averages.  Phonics (the sounds letters make) are taught well and pupils are reaching levels in reading which are above those nationally in the phonic screening check in Year 1.  Progress in Key Stage 2 is also now good as a result of the good quality of teaching. Most teachers are now using the school’s system for tracking individual pupils’ performance accurately to identify what pupils need to do next to continue to make good progress in their learning.  However, a small minority of teachers are not using this system precisely enough to move the learning of all pupils on rapidly and, as a result, achievement is not yet outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics because they have work set for them which is challenging and which engages their interest.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled, or who have special educational needs, making more than expected progress is high in comparison with other pupils.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for additional funding making progress which is expected, and better than expected, is higher than that being made by those non pupil premium pupils nationally. The school is using its funding to provide additional support for these pupils in the classroom and on a one-to-one or small group basis outside of lessons.  Pupils apply their developing skills to other subject areas effectively. For example, pupils in Year 5 use their writing skills creatively in science to explain the journey of a water droplet through the different stages of the water cycle.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of teaching is good because school leaders have worked hard to eradicate under performance. They have provided training and coaching to enable teachers to have a much clearer understanding of how to move pupils on more quickly to the next stage of their learning.  As a result, most teachers have high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. They plan work which interests the pupils and encourages their engagement. As a result, pupils’ attitudes towards learning are positive. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers and learn well.  There is a positive climate for learning throughout the school as a result of the school’s caring ethos. The pupils say that they enjoy their lessons. Most pupils listen carefully to their teachers and respond thoughtfully in lessons. Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively together to ensure that pupils needing extra help with their learning are well supported and make good

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The quality of teaching is good

progress in their learning.  The agreed approach to marking is used consistently across the school. Teachers write comments which celebrate what the pupil has done well and what they need to do next to improve further. However, a small minority of teachers are not checking regularly enough that pupils have taken note of these improvement comments and, as a result, opportunities for improving learning for some pupils are lost. This means that teaching is not yet outstanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils’ attitudes in the classroom and around the school are consistently positive. Pupils respond quickly to staff instructions and there is usually very little low-level disruption within the classes. This leads to high levels of engagement and good learning.  In a small minority of lessons there is not the same high level of engagement, especially when teachers do not engage pupils' interest  Pupils told the inspectors that they feel happy and safe in school. They know about the different types of bullying and anti-bullying week and say that bullying is rare in the school. If it occurs, they know who to report it to and how it will be dealt with. They say that it does not usually happen again.  They also know about keeping safe using the internet and that there is a filter in school which restricts the type of information that can be accessed by pupils using the internet. This helps

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

them to stay safe. Their understanding of internet safety is enhanced by regular visitors who come into school to talk about e-safety.  Pupils conduct themselves well in and around the school and their attendance is high in comparison with the national average.  The majority of parents who met with inspectors, together with the parents who completed the online questionnaire and the school’s own questionnaire for parents, agree that their children are safe and well looked after in school. A small minority of parents expressed their concerns regarding the progress that their children are making. The views of the school staff are overwhelmingly positive.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, working closely with the governing body and the local authority, has brought about improvements to the quality of teaching with determination. New teachers have been appointed to the school and, although this initially caused some disruption, the progress the pupils are now making is good.  The headteacher and two acting assistant headteachers have high expectations for the school. These are clearly communicated to staff and well understood. They have monitored the quality of teaching and learning effectively and provided training and coaching to staff to help them to improve.  The system for assessing pupils’ learning which has been put into place is accurate and robust. It allows the senior leaders to monitor closely the progress of each individual pupil and report their findings to the governing body.  Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated. Middle leaders, such as the teachers responsible for

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The leadership and management are good

the provision of English and mathematics in school, have a clear understanding of how to check the impact of support for pupils at risk of underperforming. They work closely with the school’s special needs coordinator to ensure these pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. They provide support for those pupils at risk of falling behind. They check the progress these pupils are making regularly.  The arrangements for performance management of staff are good. Teachers have measurable targets based on pupil progress. Decisions about pay are closely linked to how successfully teachers meet the targets set.  The curriculum promotes pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, well. Exciting links are made through English to other areas of the curriculum. In addition, the school is using its primary school sport funding to increase the range of activities at the beginning and end of each school day. The result has been that a greater

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The leadership and management are good

number of pupils have been able to take part in a variety of sport organised and led by the school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is acutely aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and what needs to be done next in order to improve. Governors who have skills in particular areas outside of education are used to good effect within the school. One such set of skills is applied to the school’s performance data. Knowledge of pupil performance is sharp and this allows the governors to understand areas for improvement and set challenging targets for the headteacher. Governors visit classrooms regularly, know about the quality of teaching and what is being done to tackle underperformance. They are fully aware of their responsibilities regarding teachers’ pay and the systems for setting targets for teachers. Governors know about the pupil premium and primary school sport funding and how it is being used

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The leadership and management are good

effectively. There is a nominated governor for health and safety and governors ensure that procedures for keeping pupils safe meet requirements.

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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 109170 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 443997

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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 198 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ms Jan Winter Headteacher Mrs Amanda Luke Date of previous school inspection 24–25 January 2011 Telephone number 01454 613299 Fax number 01454 616388 Email address olvestonprimary.school@southglos.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

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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