The Corsham Regis Primary Academy

Corsham Regis Primary Academy Kings Avenue, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 0EG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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This is a good school

 Pupils’ achievement is good. They make good progress in reading and mathematics but progress in writing is not as rapid.  Standards are consistently well above average in reading, and mathematics by the end of Year 6, but not always in writing.  Teaching is consistently good across the school and this supports pupils’ good achievement.  Children in the good Early Years Foundation Stage benefit from high expectations and a stimulating range of activities that help them to develop their skills quickly and securely.  Behaviour is outstanding in all parts of the academy. Pupils’ tolerance and kindness to each other is seen both in lessons and all other activities.  All leaders and managers, including governors, are committed fully to seeing the academy continue to improve across all aspects of its work.  Parents and carers are highly positive about the school and all that it provides.  Pupils have a very good understanding of how to

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This is a good school

stay safe in a range of different circumstances.  A wide range of sporting and other activities beyond the confines of the classroom mean that all pupils have many opportunities to broaden skills and understanding. These help them to be well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The standard of pupils’ writing throughout the school is not consistently high enough.  The most-able pupils do not always make the rapid progress they should.  Middle leaders do not always have the skills to develop the teaching of writing in order to promote rapid progress in writing.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons and made a number of shorter visits to other lessons. Four lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher and senior leaders.  Inspectors talked to parents and carers before the start of school and took account of the 46 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire. They also considered a letter written to the inspection team and the school’s own parental survey carried out last term.  Inspectors noted the views of staff returned through the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their attitudes to school and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the senior and middle leadership teams and with members of the governing body. They spoke to the executive headteacher and a member of the Academy Board to explore the strategic impact of the academy’s work.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation including the academy’s data relating to pupils’ attainment

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Information about this inspection

and progress; information about the checking of teaching and learning; minutes of governing body meetings; along with documents relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Marion Hobbs, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school.  Corsham Regis Primary Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 January 2013. When its predecessor school, Corsham Regis Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in writing across the academy by ensuring:  pupils write at length in different subjects  best practice from local partnerships is shared with middle leaders in order to enrich and promote consistently high standards of writing throughout the academy  Improve the achievement of the most-able pupils across the academy by ensuring:  work is always hard enough.

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The leadership and management are good

 All leaders and managers, including governors, share and communicate high expectations to all staff to see the academy continue to improve.  The headteacher, senior and middle leaders all work closely to ensure pupils’ good achievement. Teaching and learning are carefully checked through the year and additional support is put in place quickly to help any pupil at risk of underperforming. Governors in turn oversee this and are well qualified to ask searching questions that ensure actions are appropriate and modified where necessary.  The academy has a robust system to manage teachers’ performance and this is aligned to pupils’ outcomes and to the academy’s priorities. Teachers’ progression in terms of pay is linked to the Teachers’ Standards and is used to reward good practice.  The academy works closely and effectively with its partner secondary school. Aspects of budget and school management are shared together along with many varied opportunities to give pupils wide

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The leadership and management are good

educational experiences. These include use of an artist in residence, sporting tournaments and the development of the latest information and communication technologies.  Partnerships with other local schools allow senior and middle leaders to share good practice and the academy takes full advantage of these. The academy recognises, however, that a focused network to support writing would be a means to help raise the attainment of writing across the school.  Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is deployed effectively to provide support to identified pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. These pupils are currently attaining one term ahead of their peers in reading and at the same level in writing and mathematics.  The range of subjects provided by the academy is rich and varied and is under constant review by staff.  Topics and activities are designed carefully to ensure that pupils have a sound understanding of what it

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The leadership and management are good

means to live in modern Britain. Literacy, communication and numeracy skills are threaded through pupils’ learning supporting their good rates of progress in English and mathematics.  Equality of opportunity and diversity are central to the ethos of the academy and are reflected across pupils’ work and their wider educational experiences. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning is promoted at every opportunity.  The academy is using the government’s additional primary sports funding effectively. Professional sports coaches work with all pupils both during and after school to develop team and ball skills as well as to train teachers to enhance their delivery of physical education lessons. A significant take up of participation in local tournaments and competitions has seen pupils enjoy hockey, football, tag rugby, lacrosse, cricket and swimming.  The academy’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. Child protection processes

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The leadership and management are good

are robust. Any issue relating to vulnerability is managed swiftly and sensitively by senior leaders.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is determined to ensure the best education possible for all pupils. Governors have a clear, strategic vision for the academy’s future and an accurate understanding of its performance in relation to others. They monitor all aspects of the academy’s work closely with the headteacher, providing strong support but also asking searching questions. Governors have a good understanding of how the teaching staff contribute to the overall performance of the academy and are involved in the recruitment of high calibre candidates to join the academy. They ensure that there is a secure link between salary progression and teachers’ performance. Governors manage academy finances rigorously. This includes the deployment of the pupil premium grant and sports funding. Governors are

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The leadership and management are good

fully involved in the daily life of the academy and always available to meet the needs of parents and carers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding at all times. In every class an understanding of tolerance and kindness is evident and pupils are confident in managing their learning for themselves.  Pupils are welcoming and friendly. They are proud to talk about their school, the work that they do and to explain to visitors the wide range of high quality work that is displayed throughout the academy.  Staff encourage pupils to take responsibility for their actions in different ways. For example, the school council is an active organisation that takes forward pupils’ ideas; equally, the house system enables pupils to work together in another setting.  The headteacher, staff and governors ensure that there is a wide range of outdoor equipment available to facilitate pupils’ play at breaks and lunchtimes. Behaviour in the playground is supportive with older pupils happy to look after younger ones.  Any disruption to learning is rare but should it occur it is dealt with swiftly and appropriately by adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Staff, parents and carers are all highly positive about the school and all it does for its pupils.  The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, including those related to e-safety.  There are very few incidents over time relating to any form of bullying or inappropriate racist language. Pupils understand what constitutes different forms of bullying but are definite that these are not an issue for them.  Attendance is average and improving. Staff work hard with parents and carers to stress the importance of good attendance and its impact on learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good throughout the academy and this supports pupils’ good rates of progress.  Teachers and other adults who work with pupils have high expectations and strong subject knowledge. Pupils’ learning is secure because it is checked regularly and pupils’ understanding is questioned.  Tasks for the most able are not always as challenging as they should be and as a result the most-able pupils do not always make rapid progress.  The headteacher, senior leaders and governors closely monitor teaching and the progress of all pupils. Additional support is put in place quickly to help any pupil identified as at risk of underachieving and this too is reviewed on a regular basis.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide additional help in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and accurately. Pupils like the comments their teachers write in their

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The quality of teaching is good

books and say these help them to understand how to improve their work further.  Homework is set for all classes at the appropriate level. This enables pupils to deepen their understanding and skills across different subjects.  The academy uses its topic-based approach imaginatively. Whole-school theme days and weeks enable pupils from different year groups to share their learning together. This in turn supports the development of social skills and another strand in helping pupils be well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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is good

 Pupils join the academy with skills, knowledge and understanding that is below the level expected for their age. Good teaching and broad, imaginative provision help them to make good progress in readiness for Year 1.  Children’s attainment on entry to the Reception class varies from year to year as does the attainment of mid-year pupils entering the academy. Although all groups of pupils make good progress, standards at the end of Year 2 fluctuate to reflect this.  School information shows that pupils in Key Stage 1 made expected progress in reading and mathematics but were a term behind national expectations in writing. The academy is successfully addressing this shortfall through targeted support to small groups and revised methods of teaching writing.  From their starting points most pupils make rapid progress by the end of Key Stage 2. The slight dip in mathematics in 2014 reflected the individual circumstance of a very few pupils. However, the academy is

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is good

taking rigorous steps to enhance the teaching of mathematics for all to ensure that this does not happen in the future.  The attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils are in line with, and improving in relation to, that of other pupils nationally and in the academy. They are currently one term ahead in reading and attaining at the same level in writing and mathematics.  The most-able pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 attain at a higher level than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics in the academy but do not as yet attain at the highest Level 6, when compared to their peers nationally. The headteacher, senior leaders and governors are working successfully to address this through specific teaching approaches and wider opportunities for these pupils.  All pupils enjoy reading and reading for pleasure. The academy has a well-stocked library to cater for pupils’ different interests and tastes.

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is good

 Those pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are well supported in their learning and make progress in line with their peers. Additional adult support is deployed effectively to provide the special help individual pupils need in order to be successful.

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is good

 Children join the Reception year with skills and understanding below those expected for their age. All groups, including the most able and disabled children and those with special educational needs, make good progress because of the good teaching they receive and the well-planned range of experiences provided. This means that all children are well prepared for the start of Year 1.  High expectations from the outset support the good growth of social skills, for example getting ready for physical education and explaining choices for lunch.  Children are interested, keen learners. They listen carefully both to each other and to the adults who help them. They are happy to share resources and to take turns in activities.  Children’s behaviour is outstanding and demonstrates clearly how safe they feel. They are especially mindful of those who are disabled or with special educational needs and take great care to include these

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is good

children in their play both in class and outside at break and lunchtime.  The academy ensures that parents and carers are well informed about their children’s progress. The open-door policy at the start of each day means that parents and carers can stay to settle children into their work as well as talk to adults about any concern they may have.  Senior leaders monitor the early years provision with care and are quick to put in place additional support for children who need extra help. They work closely with external partners where appropriate to ensure that needs for individuals are met.  The academy has an accurate understanding of the provision and makes sure that teachers and other adults have access to high quality training that in turn impacts on teaching and learning.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 139023 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 447831

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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 Academy Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 173 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helen Hynes Headteacher Gareth Spicer Date of previous school inspection 21–22 September 2011 Telephone number 01249 712294 Fax number 10249 712294 Email address office@corshamregis.wilts.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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