Padfield Community Primary School

Padfield Community Primary School Rhodes Street, Padfield, Glossop, SK13 1EQ

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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

 The school is led and managed well. Senior leaders, managers and governors have successfully improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.  The quality of teaching is good and the management of the performance of all staff is rigorous and effective.  Standards are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. They are higher than at the previous inspection.  The school provides well for children in the early years. The children make good progress.  Behaviour is exemplary and pupils’ attitudes to learning are outstanding. Attendance is high.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and display a keen desire to learn and do well. They are very proud of their school.  School leaders ensure that safeguarding, including child protection, is given high priority. As a result, pupils feel very safe in school and know how to keep themselves and others safe.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and cultural development exceptionally well in all of its work. It also ensures that pupils understand and subscribe to traditional British values.  The school prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education, and for life in modern Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching throughout the school to secure excellent progress for pupils over time. Consequently, not enough pupils make better than expected progress in Key Stage 2.  Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 do not have enough opportunities to write at length.  In Reception and Year 1, children’s ability to work out and read new words for themselves is sometimes hindered by the staff not teaching them how to pronounce consonants correctly.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited 10 lessons. The headteacher shared one of the observations. The inspector also observed pupils’ behaviour at play and lunchtimes.  A number of documents were examined, including: the school’s data on current pupils’ progress, the school’s self-evaluation and its improvement plan, other planning and monitoring, documents relating to safeguarding, and records relating to behaviour and attendance.  The inspector looked at the work in the books of pupils currently in the school, talked with pupils, formally and informally, listened to them read, and observed sessions where phonics (letters and the sounds they make) were being taught.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, governors, senior leaders, staff and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 39 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. She also gathered parents’ views at first hand at the start of the school day and considered emailed

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Information about this inspection

communications from parents.  The inspector received and considered the views of the 14 staff who completed the questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Doris Bell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Although larger than at its previous inspection, this school is still much smaller than the average-sized primary school. The number on roll is increasing rapidly.  All pupils, including Reception-aged children, are taught in mixed-age classes. Reception children attend school full time.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is approximately 10 per cent. This is below average. This funding is for pupils in local authority care and/or those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is approximately eight per cent. This is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school participates in the School-Centred Initial Teacher Training programme. It also has its own breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching and, therefore, pupils’ achievement to outstanding, by:  providing more opportunities for children in Reception and Key Stage 1 to begin to write at length, including in topic work  strengthening the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) in Reception and Year 1 so that children use the correct pronunciation for consonants and are, therefore, able to read new words more easily  increasing the proportion of pupils making better than expected progress in Key Stage 2.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders and governors have high expectations of staff and pupils. They ensure pupils work and play in an environment where they are taught well, where their learning can flourish and where they are expected to behave. Standards have risen and teaching has improved since the previous inspection because the performance of all staff is managed effectively.

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The leadership and management are good

 Improvements in teaching are supported by carefully selected training, and by good support and guidance from senior leaders. Responsibilities are shared out well in this small school. They include the effective leadership and management of English and mathematics, as well as other subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s evaluation of its own work is accurate. It is based on a thorough analysis of data about pupils’ progress and informs priorities for improvement. It leads to challenging targets for staff and pupils, all of which are usually met. As a result, pupils’ progress is improving, although not all pupils capable of doing so make better than expected progress in Years 3 to 6.

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The leadership and management are good

 The provision for children in the early years (in this school, Reception) and the provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are good. As a result, all are making good progress. Nevertheless, there are weaknesses in the teaching of phonics in some Reception and Year 1 sessions, which limit pupils’ ability to read new words.

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The leadership and management are good

 This year, the school received pupil premium funding of £14,300. It uses the money to employ additional support staff, increase the relevant pupils’ participation in extra-curricular sports and educational visits. The funding also provides additional resources for reading, mathematics and phonics, and train staff in helping pupils with emotional needs. All of this is successfully closing gaps between these pupils’ learning and personal development and that of their classmates.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have ensured that there are many exciting learning opportunities within the new National Curriculum to develop pupils’ enjoyment of learning. These include well-chosen themes and topics that engender high levels of curiosity and a desire to learn more. A good start has been made on determining how pupils’ progress is to be tracked and recorded in different subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Literacy and numeracy skills are given due attention in different subjects, although opportunities are missed in topic work in Reception and Key Stage 1 for the children to do longer pieces of writing. Pupils’ learning is enhanced by a good range of visits and visitors, and by well-attended extra-curricular activities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has used the physical education and sports funding effectively to extend resources for physical education, and the range of games and sporting activities available to the pupils. While it makes good use of external coaches, it has wisely included much staff training so that the improvements can be sustained. Its analysis shows more pupils now participate in sports activities and understand the importance of taking regular exercise.

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The leadership and management are good

 The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptionally strong. It permeates all aspects of school life and is securely planned for within the curriculum. Links with other schools give pupils a good understanding of the diversity of cultures in Britain and abroad.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school strongly promotes British values and successfully teaches pupils the importance of respecting beliefs and values that may differ from their own, while not having to agree with or embrace them. The school’s excellent approach to tackling discrimination of any sort ensures the pupils understand that everyone has a right to freedom and equality of opportunity. It promotes all of these things and good relationships exceptionally well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides an adequate level of support for the school. It recognises the strengths in the leadership team and has worked successfully with governors to improve their understanding of their role in challenging the school to do better.  The school works well with parents. All parents spoken to during the inspection, and almost all of those who responded to the online questionnaire expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is extremely vigilant in safeguarding its pupils. Systems for doing so are very robust. All staff and governors understand the procedures and how to carry them out. Pupils are cared for, guided and supported exceptionally well in their learning and personal development. Effective transition arrangements smooth their journey from one class to the next and on to secondary school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Governors understand data about pupils’ progress and they question school leaders robustly to support improvement. They gain their knowledge through visits to school, through training and by liaising with staff, pupils and parents. They know the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and they fulfil their responsibilities well.  Governors regularly review the impact of all spending, including the pupil premium and primary schools sports funding, and they manage the budget well. They are well informed about the quality of teaching and provide good support for the headteacher in making decisions about pay based on teachers’ performance.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. It, and pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning, contribute greatly to their good progress. Pupils are very enthusiastic about learning and very much want to succeed. High levels of concentration and perseverance are evident in lessons and pupils report that they ‘love challenges’.

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Behaviour

 Behaviour outside of lessons is also outstanding. It enables the school to operate in a calm and orderly way. Pupils are respectful of each other and of all staff. They readily look out for and help each other, and they appreciate greatly the excellent relationships they have with the adults.

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Behaviour

 Pupils readily accept responsibility. Playground buddies, learning buddies and house captains all talk enthusiastically about the training they receive to fulfil their roles well and how, by doing this, they help to improve the school.

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Behaviour

 Pupils feel very valued. They have every confidence in the staff to help them should they have any concern. They very much appreciate the systems that keep the school what they described as a ‘happy and relaxed’ place where they can learn well.

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Behaviour

 Pupils readily demonstrate and talk about values such as respect, tolerance, freedom and care for others. They know how these values enable society to operate well. They state clearly that regardless of their background, everyone has the same rights and, therefore, responsibilities.

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Behaviour

 Attendance levels are high. The breakfast club provides a good start to the day for the many pupils who attend it. Pupils present their work well and they are proud of their achievements.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. All parents say the school keeps their children safe and almost all agree that behaviour is at least good. The school site is secure and pupils are constantly reminded of the dangers associated with, for example, using the internet, including social networking sites. Workshops for parents reinforce the importance of checking what their children are doing on the internet.

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Safety

 Pupils demonstrate a high awareness of how bullying and other forms of harassment reduce self-esteem and cause hurt. They talked, for example, about homophobic bullying, name calling and physical hurt, and explained how, if they did not keep themselves safe, any of this could occur as a result of using the internet.  Pupils understand the difference between bullying and simply falling out. They say they know of no bullying and that, should any be found, it would be quickly ‘nipped in the bud.’ They know what they can deal with themselves through the buddy system and what they should refer on to a member of staff. They are very confident that any member of staff would help them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers know their pupils well as individuals. They have high expectations of their pupils’ work-rate and behaviour and plan well for the different ages and stages of learning in their classes. Parents and pupils very much appreciate this. Learning activities interest and motivate pupils because, in the pupils’ words, ‘teachers make learning fun’. All of this results in pupils making good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading, writing, mathematics and communication skills are taught well. However, in Reception and Year 1, errors in the staff’s pronunciation of letter sounds result in some pupils struggling to put letters together to read new words.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ planning is based on the accurate evaluation of pupils’ progress. Marking and feedback are used effectively to support pupils’ learning and develop it further. Literacy skills are marked well wherever they occur, alongside the skills pupils are expected to acquire in subjects such as geography and science.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are given time to respond to marking and they are successfully taught to evaluate their own work. They are very enthusiastic about doing so and about determining the next steps they need to take. They praise their teachers for being quick to help them if they get stuck.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good attention is given to the needs of different groups of pupils. Teachers have responded well in relation to the new national guidance for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Support programmes for these pupils are monitored well to ensure they are improving learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The challenging activities given to more-able pupils are helping them to make faster progress. Nevertheless, not all of these pupils make the best progress possible in writing in Year 1 or in reading and mathematics in Key Stage 2.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ questioning is carefully altered to ensure that individuals are suitably challenged and their learning probed and deepened by it. Explanations of what pupils are intended to learn are made very clear, and pupils are successfully encouraged to check their progress towards that learning constantly. This led to some excellent progress in mathematics in Years 2, 5 and 6.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Skilled support staff help different groups of pupils at different times with learning and behaviour. They work closely with teaching staff to ensure that pupils’ learning is continuous. Interesting homework activities motivate pupils further by encouraging research as well as providing opportunities for pupils to use and consolidate their literacy and numeracy skills.

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is good

 The numbers and make-up of year groups differ in this small school but, in most years, children start school with levels of attainment that are broadly typical for their age.

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is good

 Pupils achieve well and standards have risen since the previous inspection. They are above the national average in Year 2 and Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics, and also in grammar, punctuation and spelling. The Year 6 inspection judgement differs from published data for 2014 because, in an already small year group, a small number of pupils did not perform as well in the national tests as their work showed they should have done. Their books, teachers’ assessments, and practice test papers all confirm this.

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is good

 The results of the phonics screening check for pupils in Year 1 were above the national average in 2014, representing an improvement on the previous year. Overall, pupils use their phonics skills well to help them read and spell. In Reception and Year 1, however, although they can combine vowels accurately, they sometimes struggle to put consonants together to form words with the vowels because they mispronounce the sounds of consonants.

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is good

 By Year 6, pupils enjoy reading and they have good research and comprehension skills, which they use well in different subjects. Pupils also develop good writing and handwriting skills by Year 6. Grammar and punctuation skills are improving rapidly but spelling errors still sometimes spoil pupils’ writing. The school has rightly started to develop these skills from an early age.

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is good

 Too few Year 2 pupils reach the higher levels in writing. This is because the more-able pupils are not strongly enough encouraged to do longer pieces of writing in literacy or topic work from an early enough age. Nevertheless, basic handwriting skills are developed well, as is simple sentence construction.

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is good

 At the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of pupils making better than expected progress in writing is above average. In reading and mathematics, it is broadly average.

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is good

 Although they achieve well overall, the more- and most-able pupils have not always converted their learning to the higher levels in Year 6 in reading and mathematics, although they have done so in writing. The school has set challenging targets to remedy the issue and it is on track to meet them. The actions taken in other year groups to ensure that these pupils make the faster progress of which they are capable are also working.

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is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well because they are supported effectively with programmes designed specifically for them that are constantly checked to make sure they are working.

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is good

 In 2014, there were no disadvantaged pupils in Year 6. However, in the rest of the school, taken as a whole, these pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. They are closing gaps between their learning and personal development and that of their classmates.

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is good

 Pupils show enormous enjoyment in and enthusiasm for the increased range of sporting activities available through the primary schools sports funding initiative. They are all very proud of being able to represent their school in at least one competitive tournament at some point, and of the success they have achieved in several of them.

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is good

 Reception children make good progress because they are taught well. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development in this age group is above that found nationally. In 2014, the weakest area, relatively speaking, was writing. Children are prepared well for their work in Year 1.

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is good

 Children are given many exciting learning experiences that interest and motivate them. For example, they were mesmerized by how artificial snow stuck to objects, and what happened to ice when it was left in the classroom for the day. They also thoroughly enjoyed investigating the range of shells and other natural materials on display for them.

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is good

 Good leadership and management ensure that all activities have a clear learning purpose that matches what Reception children need to learn as well as what Year 1 pupils have to learn related to the National Curriculum. Plans are under way to improve the limited outdoor learning area. At present, the school makes best use of what it has got, and children have ready access to learning, indoors and out.

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is good

 Good liaison with parents ensures that learning that occurs at home is taken into account. Parents are given good guidance on how to help their children at home. While opportunities are sometimes missed to assess and record learning when children are working independently, overall, learning is assessed well and activities planned daily to take it further.

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is good

 There is a good balance between learning that takes place directly with an adult and what children select for themselves. Children follow instructions well. They listen to adults and talk confidently to each other about what they have discovered. Those in need of additional support for learning or personal development are quickly identified and helped to catch up.  In writing, children capable of harder work and of writing more at length, are not sufficiently encouraged to do so. Children’s books from this year and last show that letter formation improves over time. However, children are rarely expected to write more than one or two sentences. They usually use capital letters and full stops correctly when they do so.

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is good

 Children use the reading corner well to listen to stories and to explore books by ‘reading’ the pictures or trying to read words. They can break words down into letters and sounds to help them read but weaknesses in teaching the sounds of consonants mean that they sometimes struggle to re-combine the letters.

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is good

 Early mathematical skills are taught well. Children quickly develop the ability to count, to read and write numerals and to add and subtract. Much practical work supports learning in this area.

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is good

 The learning environment is safe and secure. Children enjoy coming to school. They settle quickly and their behaviour is excellent. As in other age groups, the school promotes their safety and their physical and emotional well-being particularly well.

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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 112552 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 449597

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 128 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Jackson-Turner Headteacher Anne Harper Date of previous school inspection 25 May 2010 Telephone number 01457 852751 Fax number 01457 852751 Email address enquiry@padfield.derbyshire.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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