Shipley CofE Primary School

School report Shipley Church of England Primary School Shipley, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 8PL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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This is a good school

 Effective leadership and management, with strong support from governors, ensure that the quality of teaching is good, and pupils achieve well.  Teachers plan interesting activities to motivate pupils and build their confidence as learners. They ensure that pupils make good progress and reach at least average standards in basics skills of communication, literacy and numeracy.  Pupils enjoy school and behave well. Attendance is above average, reflecting pupils’ positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very strongly within the revised curriculum. New arrangements for assessment are well underway.  Parents hold the school in high regard. They are confident that their children are kept safe and are looked after well.  Children make good progress in the Reception year. Effective teaching is underpinned by warm relationships. A wide range of stimulating activities

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This is a good school

encourages their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A few pupils at Key Stage 2 are not making the same good progress in writing and mathematics as other pupils.  Pupils are sometimes not sure of what they are expected to learn because they find teachers’ explanations difficult to understand. The use of teaching assistants in lessons is not consistently effective.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited 11 lessons. Most observations were shared with the headteacher. He also made a number of other short visits to classrooms.  The inspector heard pupils read and looked at samples of their work.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including the school improvement plan and records on behaviour, safety and attendance. He also looked at information on individual pupils’ progress, anonymised records of teachers’ performance, and records of meetings held by the governing body.  The inspector met with pupils and teachers and spoke to parents. He also spoke to members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The views of parents were obtained through the 23 responses to the online Parent View survey. Written comments from 11 members of staff were also considered

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Inspection team

Rob Crompton, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage attend full time in the mixed Reception/Year 1 class.  Most pupils are White British, with fewer than one in 10 being from a range of minority ethnic groups. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion (10%) of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is less than half the national average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for children who are in the care of the local authority or those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion (10%) of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is broadly average. The proportion (7%) supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. These needs relate mainly to moderate learning

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Information about this school

difficulties.  Pupils are taught mainly in mixed-age groups: Reception and Year 1; Years 2 and 3; and Years 4, 5 and 6. Year 6 pupils are taught separately in the morning.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the few Key Stage 2 pupils who are not making good progress in writing and mathematics increase their skills by:  encouraging them to use the vocabulary and sentence structure they come across in their reading, in their writing  improving their fluency in handwriting  ensuring pupils build up their calculation skills as they move through school  teaching pupils to set out calculations neatly in order to avoid making careless mistakes.  Improve teaching by:  ensuring teachers use everyday language when explaining what pupils are expected to learn  ensuring teaching assistants are deployed as effectively as possible during lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since her appointment in January 2014, the headteacher has successfully sustained a culture in which core values, including high quality teaching and good behaviour, are shared. With strong support from the senior teacher, she sets high expectations for the performance of staff and keeps a watchful eye on pupils’ progress.  In this small school, all pupils are very well known. Leaders ensure that all pupils are given equal opportunities to succeed. Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully so that those needing support or further challenge are quickly identified. Parents receive comprehensive, highly personalised reports about their children’s progress. Checks on pupils’ progress are being revised and new systems are scheduled to be established by January 2015.  Any anomalies in trends over time are spotted quickly and result in well-focused plans. The quality of teaching is carefully monitored and staff performance is well managed. Governors are kept well informed.

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The leadership and management are good

Morale is high and staff feel valued. They benefit from regular training organised in conjunction with other local schools.  All staff willingly take on additional responsibilities that in a larger school would be assigned to middle leaders. They are well supported in these roles and make an important contribution to school improvement. The local authority provides light touch support and is confident in the school leadership. Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because the quality of teaching is not yet outstanding.  The new curriculum has been introduced successfully. A wide range of topics and activities stimulates pupils’ interest and engagement, and contributes significantly to their academic and personal development. Plans are adapted to meet the needs of pupils in the mixed-age classes and, where appropriate, the most able pupils join an older class for some lessons.  Elections for the school council and Eco-group contribute to pupils’ secure understanding of democracy

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The leadership and management are good

and British values.  The extensive grounds, which include a butterfly garden, pond and prayer garden, are used very effectively, particularly in promoting pupils’ spiritual development and their understanding of the natural world.  Extra funding is used well to support disadvantaged pupils to help ensure that their achievement closely matches that of other pupils. Additional funding for sports is being used effectively for staff training, increasing participation in inter-school competitions and extra resources. Older pupils are being trained as sports leaders. As a result, pupils increasingly participate in sporting activities that promote physical skills and a healthy lifestyle.  Safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors carry out their duties very effectively and strike a fine balance between supporting school leaders and holding them to account. They consult parents regularly and help to ensure a common

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The leadership and management are good

agreement on the ethos of the school. Governors have a sharp awareness of pupils’ progress information and how it compares with similar schools nationally. They also use this information to support leaders in ensuring that good teaching linked to pupils’ achievement is suitably rewarded. Governors seek assurances that pupil premium funding is used effectively and are regularly updated on how different groups of pupils are getting on. They gain insights into how the new curriculum is being implemented and how the school is modifying its systems for checking pupils’ progress. During visits they observe and talk to pupils, and discuss things with staff. Governors participate in regular training and keep their effectiveness under review. They ensure safeguarding arrangements fully meet statutory requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils show kindness and respect for each other, for staff and for visitors. A caring ethos pervades the school. Older pupils are keen to look after younger children and are sensitive to the feelings of others. Such factors indicate very effective support for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school is effective in promoting positive relationships and ensuring there is no discrimination. Pupils said that behaviour is usually very good, but agreed with one of their peers who remarked, ‘Sometimes a few pupils let the school down.’ Pupils understand the different forms that bullying can take but are adamant that it is extremely rare. Pupils make a good effort with their work and cooperate well. More often than not, pupils take care to present their work well, but this is not consistent and sometimes leads to inaccuracies in mathematics.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Governors ensure that the school is a safe place and that risks are properly checked. Site security is reviewed regularly.  Pupils are supervised carefully when taking part in adventurous activities outdoors or on a school trip. At the same time, they are encouraged to assess any risks for themselves and make rational choices.  Safeguarding and child protection procedures meet all requirements. Pupils say that they feel very safe and parents are entirely confident that their children are looked after well. The school provides appropriate guidance for pupils on safety, for example how to avoid potential pitfalls when using the internet.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils have very positive, mature attitudes to learning due to lively, stimulating teaching. Challenging tasks keep them on their toes and sustain their interest and engagement. Teachers set work at the right level that builds on their starting points, so they do not cover old ground or find the work too demanding. Younger pupils often benefit from working alongside their older classmates.  The systematic approach to teaching phonics (letters and the sounds they make) enables pupils to make a good start in reading. Parents and carers play their part by hearing their children read at home and adding comments to the home/school diaries.  A good range of tasks stimulates pupils’ enthusiasm for writing, and close attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar contributes much to the quality of their written work. Pupils say they gain confidence by exchanging ideas, and this helps to improve their writing. The most able pupils said that,

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The quality of teaching is good

when writing, they use ideas from their reading to ‘engage the reader’. However, opportunities for encouraging other pupils to make these links are sometimes missed.  A consistent approach to teaching mathematics helps the vast majority of pupils to build up their knowledge and understanding, and to hone their calculations skills as they move through the school. That said, a few pupils at Key Stage 2 have weak basic numeracy skills and this restricts their learning.  Marking provides useful pointers for improvement. Pupils rise to the expectation that they complete their work in class within the allotted time and they make good efforts to complete homework tasks.  Teaching assistants play an important role in supporting pupils’ learning, particularly when working with small groups. Occasionally, they are not directed effectively enough during lessons to support pupils in their work.  Most lessons begin with an explanation of what pupils are meant to learn. Occasionally, these explanations

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The quality of teaching is good

are expressed in language which is difficult for pupils to understand. This leads to some confusion when they settle down to the set tasks.

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is good

 The small numbers in each year group skew comparisons with national test information considerably. Last year, for example, there were only seven pupils in Year 6, and 12 in Year 2. The inspection, therefore, explored the extent to which each group of pupils is progressing from the various starting points. These groups included each year group, the few disadvantaged pupils, and the few who are disabled or who have special educational needs.  Although the standards reached by pupils at the end of each key stage vary from year to year, the big picture is that all groups achieve well. The school’s information indicates that the proportion of pupils making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics within each year, and from when they start at the beginning of each key stage, is above expectations.  Work seen in English and mathematics books and the use of key literacy and numeracy skills in other

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is good

subjects indicate pupils have made good progress over time. In almost all of the lessons observed, pupils were making good, and sometimes extremely rapid, progress.  Pupils gain increasing confidence in reading unfamiliar words due to the systematic teaching of phonics. Again, comparisons with national figures for the Year 1 phonic check are not conclusive due to the very small numbers. Sampling pupils’ phonic skills indicated that even the less confident pupils are well versed in sounding out letters and groups of letters when coming across unfamiliar words. For example, a pupil read ‘block’ as bl-ock, and another read ‘May’ as m-ay.  Although most pupils do well, the school’s tracking identifies a few who are not reaching their full potential. Some of their writing lacks flair and includes a limited range of vocabulary. They are hesitant when putting pen to paper as their handwriting lacks fluency. Some do not have a secure grasp of key

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is good

ideas in mathematics, such as the value of each numeral in numbers such as 365, that is three hundreds, six tens and five units.  The most able pupils achieve well and typically reach the higher levels in the Year 2 and Year 6 national tests. This is because they are routinely challenged by the work set in lessons and for homework.  The progress of the few disadvantaged pupils closely matches that of other pupils. They benefit from support programmes in reading and mathematics during lesson time or before school. There were no pupils supported by the pupil premium in the Year 6 group in 2014, and one in the previous year. The few pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are well supported and build well on their starting points.  The very small number of pupils from different minority ethnic groups all achieve well.

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The early years provision is good

 Children enjoy school and soon settle in due to the warm relationships adults establish with them. Effective teaching channels their enthusiasm and they make good progress in learning. Children start school with levels of skill that are below those expected for age. They typically build progressively on their starting points and achieve well.  A strong emphasis on personal development contributes to children’s eagerness to learn. The children are attentive when working with adults. When following their own interests, they also sustain concentration and cooperate well with one another.  Children respond enthusiastically to the many opportunities for playing and learning indoors and outside. This was evident as children chose from a wide range of engaging tasks at the beginning of the day. They delighted in tossing objects along a number track and identifying the number it had landed on. Others grinned happily as they wore number placards around their neck and tried to line up in the correct order

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The early years provision is good

for a photograph.  Adults generate a real sense of belonging which results in children behaving well and feeling safe and secure. This was illustrated as children sat chatting with adults around a campfire, drinking hot chocolate and eating toast that they had ‘helped’ adults cook.  The provision is managed well, particularly in ensuring Reception children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, whilst at the same time working happily alongside the Year 1 pupils. Staff keep track of children’s progress systematically, identify the next steps in their learning and plan accordingly.

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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 125992 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 444053

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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 66 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Fiona Gallagher Headteacher Alison Retallick Date of previous school inspection 5–6 May 2011 Telephone number 01403 741289 Fax number 01403 741517 Email address head@shipley.w-sussex.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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