Cotsford Primary School

Cotsford Junior School Third Street, Horden, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 4EH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Outstanding leadership and management have significantly improved pupils’ achievement and progress since the last inspection.  Outstanding care, support and guidance remove barriers to pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils achieve well because they feel extremely safe and secure in school.  Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Staff set high expectations and constantly challenge pupils to improve. As a result, pupils are highly motivated and determined to succeed.  Pupils with special educational needs, disadvantaged pupils and those who are potentially vulnerable make rapid progress in developing their skills. Teaching assistants and those supporting emotional health and well-being make an excellent contribution to pupils’ achievement.  An exciting and relevant curriculum engages and promotes a love of learning. It has contributed strongly to pupils’ much-improved achievement and to their excellent personal development.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Marking and feedback are highly effective in telling pupils how well they have done and what they need to do next to improve even further.  Behaviour in and around the school is excellent. Without exception pupils are polite, kind and considerate to one another and adults. They take great pride in their own achievement and in their school.  The school is highly successful in engaging parents and carers in their children’s development, health and well-being. This has resulted in improved levels of attendance. Pupils’ attendance is consistently well above average.  Governors make an excellent contribution to the success of the school. They are ambitious for pupils and the local community. Staff and governors work as one to provide high-quality learning, raise the aspirations of pupils and their families and improve the life chances of all the pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching does not always result in a pattern of rapid pupil progress and high achievement in all year groups.  Not all pupils use their knowledge of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) to read unfamiliar words accurately.  Occasionally opportunities are missed for pupils to practise their skills in spelling and grammar and apply them consistently in their written work.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was completed by one lead inspector. The inspector observed 10 lessons to check on pupils’ learning. All observations of lessons were carried out jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, members of staff, groups of pupils, members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at development plans, records of pupils’ progress, arrangements for safeguarding, the work in pupils’ books, attendance and behaviour records and arrangements relating to pay and performance. In addition, the inspector listened to groups of pupils read.  The inspector was unable to take account of the online questionnaire (Parent View), due to insufficient responses, but considered the school’s recent survey of parents’ views. The inspector also spoke to some parents during the inspection to gain their views of the work of the school. In addition, the views of staff

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Information about this inspection

were considered through 10 responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

David Wilson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Cotsford Junior School is a smaller-than-average junior school.  Almost all pupils are of White British backgrounds. Very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above the national average.  Currently, there is a well above average proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding. (The pupil premium is additional funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The school provides a breakfast club each day available to all pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and senior leadership team have been appointed. The local authority makes good use of the school’s expertise to support other schools in the area.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching and learning and so raise pupils’ achievement to outstanding, by:  developing pupils’ reading skills, including the consistent and accurate use of their knowledge of phonics, to identify and read unfamiliar words  reinforcing the need for accuracy in spelling and correct grammar in all written work  ensuring that the best practice in teaching is identified and shared more widely across the school in order to support the professional development of all staff, particularly those at an early stage of their career.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides inspirational leadership. Together with two highly effective and skilled deputy headteachers, she has established a strong leadership team with a focus on all pupils and staff achieving their potential. Leadership and management are highly effective at all levels and this is having a significant impact on raising standards. Senior leaders are supporting improvements in leadership and management in several other schools within the local partnership of Peterlee.  Senior leaders and governors check the progress of pupils regularly. They not only consider pupils’ academic needs but also focus on ensuring the social and emotional needs of all pupils are met. As a result, the gap in achievement and progress between disadvantaged pupils and others is closing rapidly. The success of disadvantaged pupils is also a result of the effective use of the pupil premium funding.  Teaching is well led and managed. Middle leaders make an excellent contribution to improving the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

achievement and progress of all pupils. Regular reviews of teachers’ planning, pupil progress meetings, lesson observations and pupil work scrutiny are used to drive learning forward. However, identified best practice in school is not always fully used to improve standards and support teachers who are at an early stage in their career.  Pupils are highly engaged and excited by the range of learning the curriculum provides. They talk excitedly about the many occasions they have to visit places of interest, sporting opportunities and the chance to take part in residential visits. These activities make a major contribution to pupils’ life experiences and are used effectively to promote key skills of communication, reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted at every opportunity. Pupils are knowledgeable about their local heritage and show an increasing awareness of life in modern-day Britain

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and the wider world.  Excellent use is made of the additional primary school sport funding. Additional sports teaching and coaching has increased the opportunity for all pupils to take part in a range of high-quality sport and physical education. The school has been extremely successful in many sporting competitions and events and holds an impressive array of sporting trophies and awards. Strong links with Sunderland Football Club and Hartlepool United Football support the promotion of sport, including opportunities for parents to engage in ‘Family Learning’ and work towards recognised coaching awards.  Safeguarding and child protection procedures meet requirements. Staff are highly trained and skilled in identifying any pupil who is potentially vulnerable.  The local authority has a detailed and accurate view of the school’s performance. It recognises the leadership and management expertise in the school and makes excellent use of this to support other

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The leadership and management are outstanding

schools within the local partnership. Feedback from parents, including through the school’s own parent surveys, shows a high level of support for the school. This is evident in the increasing involvement of parents in ‘Family Learning’ schemes and in the consistently high levels of pupil attendance.  The governance of the school:  Governors make an outstanding contribution to the success of the school. They have an excellent knowledge of the school’s priorities for improvement and are actively involved in monitoring the impact of teaching and learning. Through regular visits, meetings with senior staff, teachers and pupils, they provide an excellent balance of support and challenge to maintain the focus on helping pupils to achieve as well as they can. They take every opportunity to extend their knowledge and skill through additional training. They also ensure performance management is used to ensure the quality of teaching is highly

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The leadership and management are outstanding

effective.  Governors are acutely aware of the needs of the community that the school serves. They have made a significant contribution to the setting-up of a range of school-based services to support the needs of vulnerable pupils and their families. Well-established services to support the social and emotional well- being of pupils are having an outstanding impact on pupils’ overall achievement and progress.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Without exception pupils are friendly, polite and show consideration and respect for each other and adults. They willingly take responsibility for their own learning and their behaviour. Many pupils said how much they enjoyed coming to school. A typical response from one pupil stated they ‘didn’t like school holidays because it was much better being in school’. This is supported by the consistently high levels of attendance.  Excellent staff role models, high expectations and regular use of praise and encouragement all contribute to the pupils’ excellent attitudes to their learning and good achievement. This is evident in all lessons, in after-school clubs and in the well-attended breakfast club.  Pupils’ behaviour in and around school is excellent. In classrooms, the dining hall and on the playground, behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are sensible and responsible at all times. They move around the building

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Behaviour

extremely well, with little or no fuss as they go from activity to activity.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Senior leaders and governors invest heavily in ensuring pupils feel safe and supported. They do all they can to create an environment which supports pupils’ social, emotional and educational needs. Staff are well trained in child protection and in procedures to support pupils’ safety, health and well-being. As a result, pupils thrive in this caring, supportive school. One pupil stated, ‘Everyone looks after you all the time and no one can hurt you.’ Available evidence from parents supports the view that pupils are happy and feel safe and secure in school.  Excellent use is made of counselling services to support pupils through difficult times such as family bereavement, family break-up and illness. The work of trained counsellors, initiatives such as play therapy and ‘listening matters’ makes a significant contribution to the emotional well-being of many pupils.

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Safety

 Pupils are very aware of the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. They were quick to tell the inspector that bullying did not happen in school, and if some friends ‘fell out’ with each other, the grown-ups would sort things out quickly and fairly.  Pupils are very clear about keeping themselves safe. They are knowledgeable about the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse and are aware of the importance of road safety, particularly on dark nights after school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching and the quality of classroom support are never less than good and are sometimes outstanding. Pupils enjoy their learning because teachers make learning practical, interesting and fun.  Teachers and teaching assistants use highly effective questioning skills to find out what pupils already know so they can pitch the learning at just the right level. Where progress is rapid, pupils are encouraged to think creatively and work things out for themselves or with a partner. Constant challenge puts pupils’ thinking to the test, such as in mathematics when pupils were working out angles on a straight line or angles around a point.  The systems for teaching reading are well established across the school. Pupils of all ages are encouraged to read at every opportunity and to use their reading skills in other subjects. Much progress has been made in the use of guided reading to support writing. However, on occasion, when pupils read

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The quality of teaching is good

independently, they do not always use their knowledge of phonics to read unfamiliar and longer words. As a result, reading is sometimes inaccurate. Writing is taught well but occasionally teachers do not insist that pupils apply their skills of spelling and correct use of grammar in their finished work.  The teaching of mathematics is particularly good. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used well to support learning, particularly in mathematics. Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in supporting different ability groups when using computers as part of learning. For example, the use of hand-held computers to construct and record a range of triangles increased pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the properties of regular shapes.  Teachers mark work regularly and accurately in English and mathematics. As a result, pupils are clear about how well they have achieved and what they need to do next to improve even further.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants play a key role and are well deployed to support individuals and groups of pupils. Support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils is excellent and this is one of the reasons why these pupils make progress in line with that of their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are quick to settle in the school as a result of the supportive and stimulating environment. From starting points that are low on entry, progress in reading, writing and mathematics has accelerated rapidly since the previous inspection.  At the end of Year 6 in the 2014 national tests, provisional results indicate that standards in reading, writing, mathematics, spelling, punctuation and grammar show sustained improvement over time. Standards are now broadly in line with those found nationally across most groups. In 2014, boys’ reading was slightly below that of similar groups nationally; this was due to a higher proportion of pupils with specific learning needs in the year group.  School data show that disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium make good progress and achieve well across the school. In 2014, this group attained results in Year 6 similar to those found nationally in reading; attainment in writing, mathematics, spelling, punctuation and grammar was about a

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The achievement of pupils is good

term ahead of that found in similar groups nationally. National as well as school data indicate that there is no gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils in the school.  Pupils with special educational needs and those who are potentially vulnerable make the same good progress as their classmates. In some areas, notably mathematics, grammar, punctuation and spelling, achievement and progress are more than two terms ahead of those of similar groups nationally. This is because their individual needs are accurately met; they receive timely and high-quality support and are confident in their own ability.  Careful consideration is given to the most able pupils and they receive high levels of challenge and support. As a result, their achievement is consistently rising. In 2014, two pupils achieved the highest level, Level 6, in mathematics. In the current academic year, several pupils are receiving regular additional

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics tuition through the local academy high school, to meet the needs of this group and increase further the proportion of pupils achieving at this very high level.  Pupils’ achievement in reading is generally good. Pupils’ comprehension skills, including their ability to make deductions and inferences, are well developed through challenging guided reading sessions. The school successfully promotes a love of books and reading for pleasure. However, on occasion, some pupils do not fully use their skills in phonics to read unfamiliar and complex words. As a result, pupils do not always understand the full meaning of the text when reading individually.  Pupils make at least good progress in writing and there have been good improvements since the last inspection. They write neatly and take pride in their presentation. By Years 5 and 6, pupils increasingly write at length for a wide range of purposes. However, spelling and use of grammar are not always

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The achievement of pupils is good

accurate.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is good. It is sometimes outstanding. Pupils use and apply their calculation skills well when solving mathematical problems and investigations based on real-life situations. They have a good knowledge of shape and measure and most are accurate and precise in their work.  Pupils’ achievement in a wide range of other subjects is good and sometimes outstanding as a result of specialist teaching and coaching. The school is successful in a number of areas; it has won many awards and achieved quality marks in art, design technology, science and physical education.

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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 114150 Local authority Durham Inspection number 448762

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 129 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair A Evans Headteacher Beverley Jones Date of previous school inspection 16 June 2010 Telephone number 0191 5864660 Fax number 0191 5183923 Email address p2532.admin@durhamlearning.net 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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