Staveley CofE School

Staveley CofE School Brow Lane, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Staveley is a stimulating place for pupils to develop a love of learning from an early age.  Children settle well into their Reception Year and, through play and exploring and finding things out, achieve well.  From their individual starting points, most pupils make good progress throughout their time at school.  Pupils who have additional needs are provided with a good level of support and usually make the same good progress as others in school.  By the time they leave Year 6, most pupils reach standards that are above the national average in reading and mathematics. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to plan activities which ignite pupils’ imaginations.  Attendance has improved since the previous inspection and is above average. Pupils are keen to come to school.  The curriculum provides an extensive range of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

stimulating experiences which pupils clearly enjoy. Trips and residentials enthuse and inspire them.  The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They are extremely mindful of one another and the adults around them both in lessons and during breaks.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and learn how to keep themselves safe in other places beyond the community in which they live.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They engage well in the arts, sports and in using new technologies.  The school is extremely well led and managed by the dedicated headteacher. All staff share his commitment to developing every child’s full potential, both academic and personal.  Leaders and managers at all levels, including the governing body, have secured improvements in the achievement of all groups of pupils and in the quality of teaching. The school continues to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not always make the same rate of progress in writing as they do in other subjects.  Strategies to improve pupils’ spellings are at an early stage of development.  The school’s marking policy is not consistently followed across all subjects so that pupils have a clear understanding of how to improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in eight part-lessons taught by teachers and sessions led by teaching assistants. She also listened to pupils read.  Discussions were held with: school staff; groups of pupils; the headteacher; governors; and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance, its development plans, records of pupils’ standards and progress, documents relating to attendance and behaviour, and pupils’ work in their books.  There were 43 parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) which were taken into account. The inspector also received a letter from a parent. She reviewed the school’s own parental surveys. Thirteen responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff were also reviewed by the inspector.

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Inspection team

Naomi Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Staveley is smaller than the average-sized school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is much lower than that found nationally. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is similar to that found nationally.  Though most pupils are from a White British heritage, there are a few pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The early years provision is full time.  The headteacher is a Local Leader of Education and works with the local authority in supporting headteachers who are new to their roles.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning so that more pupils make outstanding progress in order to raise pupils’ achievement further, particularly in writing, by:  establishing the school’s recent focus on improving spelling and encouraging pupils to check the accuracy of their spelling across all subjects  ensuring the school’s marking policy is followed, especially with regard to providing ways in which pupils can improve their work and giving them time to respond to teachers' marking and learn from their mistakes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is exceptionally well led by the headteacher. He has created a strong staff team who share his vision to bring out the very best in pupils’ personal development and academic achievement through a wide range of experiences.  The school improvement plan covers the main areas for further development and self-evaluation is accurate. This is because school leaders check effectively on the quality of learning and teaching in the school and have a clear view of how they can continue to raise standards. There have been missed opportunities to help pupils raise their accuracy in spelling but this is now being addressed.  Teachers, including those newly qualified, are well supported with opportunities for training and linking with other schools to share ideas. Leaders and managers at all levels use the tracking system to check on pupils’ progress. When additional help is needed, tailored support is swiftly put in place and monitored.

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The leadership and management are good

 The rich and vibrant curriculum engages pupils well. Learning is made real by using the environment in which they live. For example, when learning about people who keep us safe, the younger pupils visited the local fire station and pharmacy where they were encouraged to ask questions and find out about what people do in these places of work. This brings learning to life, as does growing vegetables in the school grounds.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They have a good understanding of British values and learn about faiths which differ to their own. High-quality artwork linked to Buddhism was on display during the inspection and pupils talked about enjoying finding out about aspects of this religion before they embark on their visit to a Buddhist Temple in the near future. Many pupils learn to play musical instruments to a high standard.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively. It is directed towards supporting the very few disadvantaged

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The leadership and management are good

pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals so that they make the same good progress as their classmates.  The very few who speak English as an additional language are given bespoke support. Staff work closely with parents to encourage family learning beyond school. This ensures that these pupils make the same good progress and reach standards similar to their classmates. The school ensures there is no discrimination and every pupil has equality of opportunity to succeed.  The primary school sport funding is used to good effect to broaden sporting opportunities for pupils, while developing the expertise of staff, using specialist coaches. Staff and pupils now clearly enjoy learning to play lacrosse. Many pupils represent the school in sports competitions in which they do well. They are being encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles and keep fit.  There is light-touch support from the local authority in recognition of the capacity of the senior leadership

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The leadership and management are good

team to drive school improvements. The headteacher is highly supportive in developing the skills of other headteachers who are new to their roles.  The governance of the school:  Governors bring with them a wide range of skills from within and beyond education. Those who spoke to the inspector have a good understanding of data showing pupils’ achievement and how this compares with other schools. They are kept well informed by senior and middle leaders. Governors have a very accurate overview of the quality of teaching and how it is directly linked to the salary structure of staff. They understand how any underperformance would be tackled.  The staffing structure is currently under review in the light of the declining number of pupils on roll and the impact on the school budget together with the planned retirement of the headteacher. The school’s finances are efficiently managed.  Governors are conscientious in the way they undertake all their statutory duties. All required checks on

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The leadership and management are good

adults are meticulously recorded and staff are extremely well trained in child protection. Governors make sure safeguarding arrangements meet requirements so that pupils and staff are extremely safe.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  This view was shared in all responses to the staff questionnaire, in the views of parents who met the inspector and almost all of the views expressed on Parent View. Several families do not live in the village but choose to travel here because of the school’s deservedly good reputation.  The behaviour of pupils in lessons and around school is exceptional. From an early age, pupils are encouraged to develop exceptionally positive attitudes to their learning and are very caring towards each other and the adults around them. An atmosphere of mutual respect enhances the school.  For a very small minority of pupils who struggled initially in learning to use appropriate behaviour, the highly skilled staff are consistent in their application of rewards and sanctions. This has led very successfully to improving the behaviour of these pupils within short timescales. Incident logs show that

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Behaviour

poor behaviour is very rare indeed.  Older pupils are trained to a high standard as young leaders. They encourage the younger children to learn and play new games at break times and they are very proud of this and their many other responsibilities. They are excellent role models.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils say they feel extremely safe in school. They thoroughly understand different forms of bullying. One pupil was adamant when she told the inspector, ‘There’s just no bullying here, we’re like a family.’ and other pupils unanimously agreed with her. The work the school has done to ensure pupils understand prejudiced-based bullying has resulted in pupils being very clear that we are all different and everyone deserves respect.  There are strong links with external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. Staveley is highly successful in supporting pupils who have experienced difficulties in other schools. This is because of the high levels of support from all staff.  The website provides parents with information on how Staveley promotes tolerance of, and respect for,

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Safety

people of different faiths and their cultures and lifestyles. Pupils are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain with everyone following the school’s Golden Rule of, ‘Treat other people the way we would like to be treated.’  All parents who responded to Parent View believe their children feel safe at school.  Pupils develop an excellent understanding of how to stay safe in other places. For example, during the inspection, Key Stage 2 pupils were developing their understanding and experience in staying safe when riding their bicycles on the road. They experience city life through, for example, residential trips to York. They are encouraged to be adventurous, but reminded how to keep safe, when they visit outdoor pursuit centres.  Attendance is higher than the national average and reflects the success of the school’s strategies to improve attendance since the previous inspection. Punctuality is excellent.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good or better teaching is the norm at this school. Staff work exceptionally well as a team to provide a breadth of opportunities beyond the classroom so that pupils can learn from their experiences. Pupils are inquisitive and keen to find out new things because of, as one pupil put it, ‘Teachers making learning enjoyable.’  Classrooms are organised well and displays around the school illustrate the pride that pupils take in their work. Trips to places outside of school and visitors to the school capture pupils’ imaginations. For example, the recent Year 6 residential trip allowed pupils to visit York Minster, a museum and also experience what life would have been like in a Viking village. Pupils were able to draw on these experiences, which resulted in high-quality extended pieces of writing seen in their books.  New technologies are skilfully used by pupils across many subjects to speed up their learning. In Key

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The quality of teaching is good

Stage 2, some pupils were working independently on a mathematics programme which gave instant feedback on the accuracy of their work. This way of working highly engaged and motivated pupils to aim high. Good progress was being made.  Phonics (matching letters to the sounds that they make) is exceptionally well taught. In early years and Key Stage 1 not a minute was wasted as pupils went about learning new sounds. For example, Reception- aged children thoroughly enjoyed ‘action songs’ to reinforce their understanding of the sound ‘z’ before then carefully practising writing the letter. Some Key Stage 1 pupils practised saying the ‘or’ sound. They then listened very attentively as the teaching assistant read out words with this sound. After practising saying the sound themselves they then used magnetic letters to spell these words. Rapid progress was made by all pupils and this reflects how well pupils achieve in the Year 1 reading screening check.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There has been a recent drive to improve the quality of marking and ensure that pupils know how to improve their work. There remain some inconsistencies across some subjects but pupils are now being encouraged to improve and edit their work.  There are increased opportunities for pupils to write at length and for different audiences. However, strategies to improve pupils’ spelling are at an early stage of development. There are still too many spelling errors in pupils’ written work across a range of subjects.  Effective teamwork by teachers and teaching assistants ensures a high level of support for all groups of pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Almost all pupils normally achieve the expected level in the Year 1 reading screening check. This is because teachers and teaching assistants are highly skilled in the teaching of phonics. The very few pupils who struggle to read are given very effective support and this usually leads to rapid improvements.  Since the previous inspection, standards reached at the end of Key Stage 1 have risen as a direct result of improvements to the quality of teaching. Standards reached in reading, writing and mathematics are higher than average. However, fewer pupils reach the higher levels in writing than in reading and mathematics but standards in writing have, nevertheless, risen steadily in the last three years.  In 2014, Year 6 data show that almost all pupils reached at least the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion reaching the higher levels in reading and mathematics is higher

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The achievement of pupils is good

than the national average. Almost all pupils made at least the expected rate of progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion making better than expected rates of progress is consistently higher than average in reading, average in mathematics but not as strong in writing.  Results of the punctuation, grammar and spelling tests in 2014 were disappointing because of pupils’ weaker spelling. The school has introduced strategies to address this. However, evidence in pupils’ books across a range of subjects showed that there are still too many errors in their spelling.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. This is because their additional needs are identified early and are fully met by high-quality one-to-one and small-group sessions delivered by highly skilled teaching assistants.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively. It is directed towards supporting the very few disadvantaged

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils so that they make progress which is as equally as good as their classmates. The number of disadvantaged pupils in each year group is too small to compare meaningfully the standards they reach with other pupils in school and nationally.  The very few pupils who speak English as an additional language do as well as their peers and make good progress in all core subjects. This is because the school promotes the speaking of English from an early age both in school and when pupils are at home with their parents.  The most able pupils make good progress. Year 6 pupils likely to attain at the highest levels in mathematics benefit from being taught at a local high school. This raises pupils’ aspirations and speeds up their learning.

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The early years provision is good

 Strong links with and between nurseries, home and school ensure that children settle well into school routines. They are placed in ‘family’ groups with pupils of different ages, including their siblings if they too attend school. This helps the younger children to form friendships across the school.  Staff check thoroughly what children can and cannot do when they join the school. This means the school has an informed and detailed foundation on which to start their assessment and record of every child’s progress. Key workers regularly observe children’s learning and carefully record their achievements. Staff use this information meticulously to ensure children benefit from high expectations, challenging activities and probing questions, and so learn well.  Children’s well-being and safety are given high priority. They are very well cared for and this was seen as the older pupils led play groups at lunchtime supervised by adults. Excellent behaviour is encouraged at all

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The early years provision is good

times. They have learnt to take turns when they are given opportunities to choose areas in which they want to play. The well-resourced classrooms and extensive outdoor areas support children’s learning and progress very effectively.  Children’s ‘learning journeys’ give a detailed account of their good progress. Parents are kept well informed about how to support learning at home and are encouraged to contribute to their child’s ‘learning journey’ and so be fully involved in their learning. Learning journals are continued throughout their school life showing pupils’ good progress from their Reception Year to the time they leave school. They are a source of great pride to the children and their parents.  Children achieve well in the early years because of the good quality teaching from the dedicated staff team, which is well led and managed. Children are inquisitive about their surroundings and engage

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The early years provision is good

wholeheartedly in their learning because of the encouragement and nurture they receive. Activities inside and outdoors are extremely imaginative and motivate children so that they want to learn. For example, children recently celebrated Diwali, by creating their own lamp light using a candle and natural materials gathered from outdoors on their ‘Muddy Monday’ activity. They were rightly proud of their efforts and demonstrated an understanding of the Hindu belief that light brings goodness.  Children’s progress in reading, numeracy and personal and social development is particularly strong. The proportions reaching a good level of development are higher than the national average. Children are well prepared for learning in Key Stage 1, whether they are children in receipt of additional funding, disabled, children with special educational needs, the most able children or children who speak English as an

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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 112264 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 448429

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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 117 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Guy Kenyon Headteacher Mike Prince Date of previous school inspection 15 March 2010 Telephone number 01539 821218 Fax number 01539 821218 Email address admin@staveley.cumbria.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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