Rodmarton Primary School

Rodmarton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6PE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 Requires improvement 3

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

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics is not consistently good, given their different starting points. This has resulted in a gap in their attainment between English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Teaching over time, especially in Key Stages 1 and 2, has not ensured that all pupils make good progress in mathematics. This is because teachers do not ensure pupils’ basic calculation skills are secure and improve as pupils progress through the school.  Leaders have not checked teachers’ performance regularly enough to ensure that teachers successfully help pupils to achieve well.  Teachers have not used assessment information carefully enough to plan work that is neither too easy nor too hard. As a result, pupils’ learning is not always developed quickly enough.  Senior leaders have not checked upon the school’s work rigorously enough since the previous inspection. This has led to a decline in the school’s effectiveness. They have not

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

always identified areas that need improvement quickly enough.  Middle leaders, including those responsible for subject areas, lack the skills required to monitor the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement effectively.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils’ achievement in English is good. Better teaching in this subject helps pupils to review and improve their work.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children have a good start to school.  Pupils are well behaved and they like learning. They feel safe, are highly respectful and are very proud of their school.  The two interim headteachers have quickly tackled aspects of the school that needed urgent attention.  Governors have taken effective steps to improve their capacity to hold school leaders to account.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in eight lessons, three of which were undertaken jointly with the interim headteacher. He also observed small-group teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make).  The inspector listened to some pupils read, looked at pupils’ work in their books and spoke to others about their work and other aspects of school. He observed pupils at playtime and attended an assembly.  He held meetings with the interim headteacher and members of staff. He discussed pupils’ progress in literacy and numeracy and the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  The inspector examined a range of school documentation including records of the quality of teaching, the school’s information on pupils’ progress, the sport funding action plan, the school improvement plan and records of behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  A meeting was held with three governors, including the Chair. The inspector met with two

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Information about this inspection

advisors from the local authority.  The views of parents were taken into consideration, including the 42 who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View. The views of several parents, gained at the start of the school day, were also taken into account.  The opinions of staff expressed during discussions were also considered.

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Inspection team

John Cavill, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Rodmarton is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  The school is currently led by an interim headteacher, who has been in post since April 2014. Prior to this the headteacher of a local school provided interim headteacher cover for a term. This has been required due to the long term absence of the substantive headteacher.  There has been considerable staffing changes at the school. All current teachers have joined the school since the previous inspection.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a Reception class. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are taught separately in the mornings, but together in the afternoons. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are taught together, as are pupils in Years 5 and 6.  Year groups vary in size from five pupils to 15.  Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and who need

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Information about this school

extra support is average. The proportion of those who need more extra support or who have a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  Only a very small number of pupils are supported by the pupil premium. This funding supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 by making sure teachers:  use information on pupils’ prior achievement to plan lessons that builds on their existing skills and knowledge  move pupils’ learning on when pupils demonstrate that they understand what they are doing, particularly for the more able  adopt a consistent approach when marking pupils’ work, using the good practice they use in literacy to improve marking in mathematics.  Raise pupils’ achievement in mathematics by:  providing a better planned programme of work in mathematics, adding to pupils’ mathematical skills systematically as pupils progress through the school  improving teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics so teachers can provide appropriate work for pupils to make faster progress  ensuring pupils develop their calculation skills in a variety of ways.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 developing middle leaders’ skills to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement, through more rigorous monitoring  leaders making better use of accurate information on pupils’ achievement to help judge the school’s performance and remedy weaknesses identified  strengthening the procedures in place to judge teachers’ performance by rigorously checking the impact they have on pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because their progress in mathematics in Key Stages 1 and 2 has not been good enough for some time. It has been substantially less than for reading and writing.  An analysis of pupil progress information indicates that too few pupils have exceeded the expected rate of progress in mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2. Progress in mathematics made by pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 is still not quick enough. As a result, standards in mathematics at the end of Year 6 are lower than those in English.  The school does not have an effective programme to teach basic skills in mathematics systematically. Teachers’ weaker subject knowledge in mathematics limits their ability to address gaps in pupils’ understanding. Teaching does not allow pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills in different ways. Consequently, as pupils progress through the school the gap in their understanding of basic mathematical skills widens.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 A scrutiny of current pupils’ work indicates that the achievement of different groups of pupils is similar, with progress in English stronger than in mathematics. The most able pupils are achieving much better in reading and writing than in mathematics. Teaching does not always provide appropriate work to develop their learning to higher levels.  Progress in reading and writing is good. This is due to better teaching over time. Pupils are learning the basic skills in literacy well and are building on these skills as they progress through the school.  Children join the school in Reception with skills and understanding that are typically similar to those that would normally be expected for their age. Effective teaching ensures that children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit from additional support provided for them by teaching assistants. Their progress requires improvement, however, as

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

these pupils make similar progress in mathematics as their peers from their individual starting points.  Results of the Year 1 phonic screening check have been well above the national average for the last two years. Pupils are confident readers and are able to use the phonic sounds well to make good progress in their reading and writing. Pupils read regularly at home and enjoy reading aloud in school, so their language development is good.  In this school, additional funding is used well to support eligible pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There has not been enough good teaching in mathematics over time to result in good achievement for all groups of pupils. Consequently, teaching requires improvement.  There has been considerable instability in staffing over recent years, which has contributed to some of the variations in pupils’ achievement. Teaching has improved since the arrival of the interim headteachers, but it is still not consistently good and remains weaker in mathematics in Key Stages 1 and 2.  Teachers do not always plan work in mathematics that reflects pupils’ abilities or builds upon what pupils already know. This means that often work is too easy or repetitive. Consequently, some pupils, especially the most able, do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Good teaching in the Reception class ensures children make good progress. Resources are used well to promote children’s development. For example, children had made a simple sundial and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

were marking the shadows at different times of the day on the playground. This helped them towards learning to tell the time.  Marking and guidance to pupils are regular. Pupils review and improve their work regularly, particularly in English. Teaching ensures that checks help pupils improve their work. However, marking in mathematics is not as effective and is often limited to ticks to indicate if the answer is correct. This is limiting pupils’ ability to improve their mathematical skills and understanding.  Pupils make most progress when they are enthused by teaching and activities interest them. Years 1 and 2 pupils used pictures of animals they had seen on their trip to a wildlife park to practise their descriptive writing using words with similar sound patterns. They were able to make good progress because they used resources that captured their imagination and supported their learning.  Despite weakness in teaching, all parents who spoke to the inspector felt that their children’s

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are proud of their school and, despite weaknesses in teaching, are keen to learn. They are polite, respectful and friendly. They attend regularly and arrive to school punctually.  Pupils mix well, both around the school and in the playground. The atmosphere in the playground is happy and welcoming. Older pupils help younger ones to enjoy themselves at school and can be seen playing games together. They are considerate and relationships between pupils and their teachers are strong. Pupils say teachers are ‘good, friendly and helpful’, reflecting how much they value their support.  When pupils arrive into lessons they quickly get themselves organised and ready to work. They settle quickly to the tasks given to them and get equipment they need without fuss. They listen to each other carefully and respect other pupils’ views in discussions.  There are high and shared expectations by staff and pupils for acceptable behaviour. However,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

behaviour is not yet outstanding, because pupils’ attitudes towards their learning in mathematics are not as strong as in English. This results in pupils losing concentration and wasting time, as the work is not challenging enough.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school, a view shared by all parents who spoke to the inspector.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. Advice from the police about cyber bullying has enhanced pupils’ awareness. Pupils understand the different forms of bullying, such as physical bullying and racist name calling.  School records confirm the views of pupils, and parents who spoke to the inspector, that bullying is rare, with only a very small number of incidents. However, pupils and parents say that staff quickly and successfully deal with any problems. Pupils report that they have confidence in the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

adults to help them if it were necessary.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because school leaders did not monitor teaching and learning rigorously enough in the past to prevent the decline in standards in mathematics.  The school has successfully halted the decline in standards and outcomes are starting to improve. However, these improvements are recent and standards in mathematics still trail behind English, so leadership and management are not yet good.  Previous information on pupils’ progress was found to be unreliable. This led to an unclear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and plans for further improvement did not focus on essential priorities. The interim headteacher, along with other leaders and governors, is now starting to use this information more effectively. Plans for improvement are now more focused on essential priorities.  There has been a lack of rigour in checking on the quality of teaching. Teachers were not

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The leadership and management require improvement

regularly challenged about how their performance linked to pupils’ achievements. New systems have helped secure recent improvements in teaching, as staff are now more involved with identifying ways of improving their expertise.  Middle leaders, including those who are leading a subject area, lack leadership experience. As a result, they have not been able to effectively monitor, and take actions to improve, the school’s work in their area. Some professional development for these leaders has been made available this year, especially for the special needs coordinator.  The wide range of subjects taught provides pupils with many opportunities to extend their experiences of the local and wider community. Mathematics activities do not always develop pupils’ skills systematically. School events, such as the Mad Science day, however, allow pupils to work and learn together. Regular trips and visits, such as those to local wildlife parks, help

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The leadership and management require improvement

pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills well.  The school has used the primary sport funding appropriately to widen the range of sporting opportunities for pupils, and to improve pupils’ swimming skills. The school has employed a coaches to provide additional sports coaching in tag rugby, dance and multi-skills. Plans to develop the skills of staff to improve pupils’ skills are at an early stage.  The school has undertaken a thorough review of safeguarding procedures with the local authority. This has ensured that systems safeguard children well. The staff do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, ensuring that all pupils have equal opportunities to participate in the full curriculum.  A significant proportion of parents had responded to the Parent View online questionnaire prior to the inspection. Discussions with parents at the school highlighted the major concerns parents

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The leadership and management require improvement

had with leadership at the school prior to the arrival of the previous interim headteacher. All parents spoken to by the inspector reflected on how much better the school is now.  This year the school has received a good level of support from the local authority. It is supporting the effective leadership provided by the current interim headteacher. Together with an improved governing body, they have taken some difficult decisions to make sure that the school is improving and becoming more efficient.  The governance of the school:  The local authority has provided good support to the governing body in the last year. As a result, governors have notably increased the rigour of their procedures to check the school’s work. The governing body has undergone a reconstitution and has increased its capacity to challenge the school effectively. This followed a full external review of governance by the local

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The leadership and management require improvement

authority and governors have implemented all of the review’s suggested actions. This included identifying the range of skills represented. Three additional governors have been appointed to increase the governing body’s capacity to challenge the school to improve. As a result, a further review of the governing body’s work is not considered necessary. Governors have a good understanding now of the effectiveness of the school compared to others locally and nationally and are determined to improve it. They have a good understanding of the quality of teaching over time, as well as currently within the school. They understand the relationship between performance of staff and pupils’ performance and know that salary progression is linked to improvements in pupils’ achievement. The governors have agreed the use of additional funds to the school to help boost its effectiveness further.

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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 115535 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 444341

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 68 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Biddulph

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Interim headteacher

Colin Jones Margaret Gwynne Date of previous school inspection 12–13 May 2010 Telephone number 01285 841284 Fax number N/A Email address admin@rodmarton.gloucs.sch.uk 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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Interim headteacher

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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Interim headteacher

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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Interim headteacher

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Interim headteacher

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