Five Lanes CofE VC Primary School

School report Five Lanes CE VC Primary School

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Blackberry Lane, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 5NZ

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The very dedicated headteacher, middle leaders and governors are an effective team. They have been successful in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They appreciate the approachability of staff and the way their children are known as individuals.  A new and exciting curriculum has been put into place. Leaders ensure that pupils have memorable experiences and opportunities to apply their skills across a range of subjects.  Pupils are well motivated and enjoy their learning, especially using the new technology provided by the school. They behave well and feel very safe because the school provides a secure place to learn.  All groups of pupils achieve well. Attainment has risen across the school as pupils are making faster progress.  Most pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils benefit from teaching that is consistently

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

good. Teachers are particularly effective at ensuring that the work gains pupils’ interest and encourages them to succeed.  The early years’ provision is good so that children make a positive start at school. They settle quickly and happily into school routines.  Reading is taught well. Pupils quickly become fluent readers, acquire comprehension skills effectively and develop a love of books.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching does not ensure all pupils achieve to the highest levels.  The full impact of the work of recently appointed middle leaders has yet to be evaluated.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed a range of teaching across the school, in conjunction with the headteacher. In addition, she made a number of short visits to classrooms, the dining hall and the playground.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body and school leaders. The inspector consulted with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 20 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and written correspondence. In addition, she met informally with parents before the start of the school day. She also took account of the 18 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents including the school’s improvement plans. She examined information on pupils’ current progress, the governing body minutes and the plans for the use of the school’s sports fund.  The inspector heard pupils read, talked to them in classrooms and evaluated samples of their work.

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Inspection team

Sandra Woodman, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It is situated on two sites based in the villages of Potterne and Worton.  Recently, the number of classes was reduced to four, all of which are mixed-age.  All pupils in the early years provision attend full time.  The very large majority of pupils have a White British background.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who are children looked after by the local authority. Currently, there are no children on roll who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported at school action is above average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher works as an advisory headteacher for the local authority, supporting a local primary school.  The leadership and staffing of the school have experienced significant changes since the previous inspection.  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 teaching to outstanding by ensuring teachers set work that ensures that all pupils achieve to the highest level.  Extend the skills of middle leaders so that they make a fuller contribution to the monitoring and development of teaching and learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in the leadership and staffing of the school. However, the very dedicated headteacher has formed a strong staff team now and the new middle leaders are becoming increasingly effective in their roles.  The headteacher has instilled a strong sense of ambition in the school, supported well by her staff and the governors. She has brought a greater clarity to how the school judges its effectiveness, and uses this information astutely to prioritise areas for improvement.  A strength in the leadership is in the way staff are encouraged to share their skills to improve teaching and learning. Staff training has a high priority and is linked to teachers’ ‘improvement targets. As a result, good teaching is being consolidated and further developed.  Leadership and management are not outstanding because teaching has not been good enough over time

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The leadership and management are good

to enable all pupils to achieve as well as they should.  Middle leaders have introduced some good improvements in their areas of responsibility. However, it is too soon to judge the full impact of their work on the quality of the teaching. This means that they are less successful in providing additional support or challenge to staff.  Teachers have targets for improving their performance. They know that salary increases are linked to pupils’ progress.  Pupils’ learning experiences across a range of subjects in the new curriculum are rich and memorable. Innovative activities contribute strongly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are well prepared for living in modern Britain.  Checks on the use of the sports funding show that more pupils are actively taking part in competitive sports. In particular, the younger pupils have enjoyed participating in a dance festival and new activities

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The leadership and management are good

such as learning circus skills. Extra funding is helping staff develop their skills by working alongside sports specialists to help sustain these activities.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They appreciate the good levels of communication from the school about how well their children are doing. They praise the way that the headteacher and her staff go that ‘extra mile’ to ensure pupils are well cared for and make good progress.  Equality of opportunity is promoted at all times and any discrimination is tackled well. There are no recorded incidents of harassment in recent years. The school tailors its support carefully for those pupils supported by additional funding in order to raise their achievement.  All statutory requirements for safeguarding are met and systems are managed efficiently. Staff training in child protection are up-to-date.  The local authority provides ‘light-touch’ support for this good school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are very well organised and knowledgeable about the school. They have a clear understanding of the school’s performance and how it compares with schools nationally.  They check the school’s work for themselves. This means that they are able to give good levels of support and challenge to the school’s leaders about the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  They keep their skills up-to-date through good-quality training from the local authority.  They understand how the performance of teachers is being managed and how this is aligned to their pay progression.  Safeguarding has a high priority. Governors are rigorous in ensuring that staff have the appropriate training and they check the health and safety procedures in school regularly.  Governors manage their budget effectively, including the recent allocation of funds to upgrade the range of technology to enhance pupils’ learning. They know how the additional funds to support eligible

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The leadership and management are good

pupils and the development of sporting activities are allocated. They are clear about the impact they are having on pupils’ achievement and physical health.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Typically, they are friendly, polite and very considerate of each other.  In classrooms, pupils settle to work quickly, concentrate hard and persevere well with their tasks. This contributes significantly to the good progress they make.  Relationships throughout the school are effective and secure because pupils are well known to staff. The school is successful in fostering good relations and tackling discrimination. The playground is a pleasant and harmonious place because pupils make good use of the stimulating range of play equipment.  Behaviour is not outstanding because of occasional lapses in concentration when activities are not set at the right level. When this occurs, learning does not challenge all pupils sufficiently and some time is wasted.  Pupils enjoy taking on roles and responsibilities, such as school councillors, eco-warriors and recycling monitors. The sports funding has been used to train pupils as sport leaders and they undertake this role

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Behaviour

with relish. They like the new ‘house’ system that they helped to devise, which rewards effort and good behaviour.  Pupils, their parents and the school staff are positive about standards of behaviour. Instances of poor behaviour are few. The very few pupils who have behavioural needs have benefited from carefully planned support. This is helping develop their confidence as learners and eliminating the need for exclusion.  Attendance has improved and is in line with the national average. This is due the rigorous steps taken by the school over the past year to promote punctuality and good attendance.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel very safe in school. All parents who completed the online questionnaire, or who spoke to the inspector, agree.  Pupils are clear that bullying, derogatory or aggressive language are rare. They know what constitutes bullying and the different forms this can take, such as cyber or homophobic bullying. They are adamant that this is not tolerated at this school.  Pupils have strategies for keeping themselves safe, for example through ‘Bike-ability’ training, which helps them keep safe when using busy roads.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good. It is not outstanding because teachers do not always set work at the right level to enable all pupils to achieve their potential.  Overall, pupils learn effectively because teachers plan purposeful learning activities that capture their interest, particularly when it involves using new technology. For example, older pupils were able to write knowledgeably about The First World War, due to the depth of research they had undertaken on the internet. ‘This is my best topic ever!’ was one such comment from a pupil, and others agreed with this.  Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of pupils’ learning and their behaviour. They work together well to challenge and support pupils’ learning. Pupils respond well to these challenges and increasingly take pride in their work.  Teachers plan activities carefully and use their subject knowledge well. They ensure that tasks build on

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils’ previous knowledge and understanding, both in school and in the stimulating homework activities. Teachers give clear explanations and question pupils skilfully so that they learn quickly and develop their understanding well. Teachers check on the learning during sessions, often adapting the activities to speed up progress. Pupils say that teachers’ marking is very helpful and enables them to improve their work.  Teachers develop pupils’ skills in writing, reading and numeracy well. Pupils have good opportunities to practise and apply their skills across other subjects, such as in science and history. Teachers are effective in extending pupils’ thinking and ideas, and deepening their understanding.  Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in helping pupils overcome any difficulties. The work set for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and pupils supported by additional government

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The quality of teaching is good

funding, is well targeted. This ensures that they make good progress.  Teachers are keen to improve their practice still further. They work well together to share good practice and introduce new ideas from training events they have attended.

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is good

 Achievement is good for all groups of pupils. In recent years, attainment has fluctuated due to the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. In 2013 Year 6 pupils made good progress to attain standards that were broadly average because of the good progress they made year on year from their low starting points.  From the school’s own unvalidated information, progress is speeding up across the school so that by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, the most-able pupils are on target to reach higher standards.  Pupils make good progress in all subjects throughout the school. They explain their ideas clearly in lessons and they discuss their work with great confidence. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress on the whole because of the carefully planned support they are given. Their classmates are very considerate in supporting their friends.

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is good

 Pupils supported by additional government funding are making good and often faster progress than their classmates. The numbers of pupils are too few to compare their attainment in English and mathematics with others at the end of Year 6. However, gaps in attainment are now less than two terms and closing because of the effective extra help they are given.  The most-able pupils are making good progress as their work is usually challenging and requires them to apply their knowledge and skills well. However, achievement is not outstanding because the progress of the most-able pupils is not consistent across the school and some pupils could achieve more.  In 2014, Year 1 pupils reached well above average standards in the Year 1 phonics screening check. This reflects the greater emphasis on the teaching of the sounds letters make (phonics), so that pupils are becoming fluent readers more quickly. Older pupils speak knowledgeably about different authors, read

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is good

widely across a range of literature and demonstrate a clear understanding of their reading.  Greater numbers of pupils are taking part in a wider range of sport and competitions supported by the school sport funding. Pupils say that are more active now and enjoy competing in sports such as hockey and athletics.

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is good

 The majority of children join the school with skills that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress, especially in their personal development. They start Year 1 as confident learners, demonstrating the skills and understanding expected for their age.  Teaching is of good quality. The work is planned carefully to ensure that children enjoy their learning and achieve well. Disabled children and those with special educational needs are nurtured well and make progress generally in line with others. The most-able ones have the opportunities to try more challenging activities.  There is a good balance of activities that arise from the children’s own interests and those directed by the adults. The adults check children’s learning carefully and use this information to adjust the learning to better suit their needs.  Children are enthusiastic learners and are keen to join in the learning activities. They behave well and

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is good

develop a good sense of how to keep themselves safe indoors and out.  Parents are closely involved in school and are kept well informed about their children’s progress through good communication with the staff.  Leadership and management are good. Staff are well trained and, as a result, children make good progress. However, checks on the quality of teaching are not yet precise enough to ensure that all children are sufficiently challenged and achieving as well as they could.

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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 133233 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 444312

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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 103 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Frank Marshall Headteacher Sarah Garbutt Date of previous school inspection 25–26 May 2011 Telephone number 01380 723068 Fax number 01380 723068 Email address head@fivelanes.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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