Cadbury Heath Primary School

Cadbury Heath Primary School Lintern Road, Warmley, Bristol, BS30 8GB Inspection dates 14–15 January 2015

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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This is a good school

 Pupils make good progress throughout their time in the school. The standards that they reach in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 are above average.  Reading is a strength of the school. Pupils read fluently and with understanding.  Children in the Reception class learn well because they enjoy the interesting and stimulating learning activities.  Teachers use questioning well to explore pupils’ understanding and to challenge their thinking.  Teaching assistants complement the work of teachers. The challenging questions they ask help pupils to explore and develop their understanding.  Pupils behave well. They make good relationships with each other and with adults.  The school is a safe place in which to learn. Pupils know that all adults in school will help them if they ever feel worried about anything.  Leaders and managers make regular and accurate checks on what is going well and what needs to

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This is a good school

improve further and take appropriate actions.  Leaders and managers, including governors, make strong use of information about how well pupils are doing to ensure that there are no groups of pupils who are underachieving. They respond quickly and effectively to help any pupils who are falling behind.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A minority of teachers do not consistently make sure that the work they set provides the right level of challenge, particularly for the most-able pupils.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not always good enough to enable them to make rapid progress.  Leaders have not established fully successful relationships with parents yet. Some parents do not feel that they can work effectively with the school to help their children do well.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 15 lessons and parts of lessons, some of them jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions took place with the headteacher, other leaders in school, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority, and with parents and pupils.  Inspectors took account of the 62 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and the views of parents from informal discussions in school.  Inspectors considered school leaders’ views on the quality of the school’s work and their plans for school improvement, as well as information about pupils’ progress. They also looked at teachers’ planning, pupils’ work, documentation about safeguarding procedures and examples of the targets teachers receive to improve their performance.  The inspection team analysed the 19 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Jeanne Simpson, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Cadbury Heath Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding (pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after) is lower than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is lower than most schools.  Most of the pupils are from a White British heritage.  All children in the Reception class attend full time.  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 by ensuring that the all teachers set high expectations for pupils’ attitudes and the quality of their work, particularly for the most-able pupils.  Develop successful ways of engaging positively with parents so that they are partners in their children’s learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers, including governors, have strived to ensure that the school improved rapidly after the previous inspection. They have been successful. The quality of teaching has improved and, as a result, standards are rising.  The headteacher and teachers who lead subjects make regular and accurate checks on how well pupils are achieving. They discuss the progress of each pupil individually and they respond quickly and effectively if any pupils are falling behind.  The checks leaders make on the quality of teaching help them to identify which aspects need to improve. They make sure that training provides help to everyone to develop their skills. Teachers welcome the opportunities they have to learn from each other. They say that this helps them to reach the challenging targets set to improve their performance.  Teachers who lead subjects know their areas well. They share their own good practice, and they check the

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The leadership and management are good

work in pupils' books and observe teaching within lessons to make sure staff consistently follow policies.  Leaders have planned the introduction of the new primary curriculum carefully. Pupils say that they enjoy all the subjects they learn. There are good links to the history of the local area. Pupils benefit from regular opportunities to practise their basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics in meaningful ways in other subjects. Pupils say that adults help them to be well informed about life in modern Britain. They understand that their local area does not reflect the cultural diversity of Bristol and other big cities.  The school promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding effectively. Pupils take part in a wide range of cultural activities, including music and sport. They have many chances to develop their leadership skills and to take responsibility for different jobs around the school. They have a clear

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The leadership and management are good

understanding of right and wrong. The harmonious community found within the school is due to the importance the school places on developing an understanding of respect.  Leaders know the needs of each child who is eligible for additional funding very well. They choose the support the pupils have very precisely to help them to make as much progress as possible, both for their academic and their emotional needs.  Sport has always had a high priority in the school, as demonstrated by the cabinet full of cups won by the children in recent years. The additional funding for primary sport is developing the skills of those with particular interest and talent in sport as well as encouraging the pupils who would not normally join after- school sports clubs. The purchase of new equipment is enabling new sports to be introduced. As a result, a very high proportion of pupils who have never participated before have joined clubs. School teams and

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The leadership and management are good

those who have particular talent in sport are reaching higher standards than previously. More than 90% of all pupils say that their levels of fitness have improved and that they will continue with sports activities in the future.  Teachers and other adults in school unanimously agree that they are proud to be a member of the school community. However, the views expressed by some parents on Parent View are less positive. While some parents who spoke to inspectors were very complimentary, others felt that the school did not do enough to work in partnership with them for the benefit of the pupils. The headteacher is aware of the need to improve relationships with parents and to make them feel more welcome in the school.  The school’s systems for keeping pupils safe and secure meet statutory requirements. Processes for recruitment of staff are very efficient. The records kept by the school are constantly updated to make sure

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The leadership and management are good

that no child is put at risk from anyone in school.  The local authority has provided effective support to the school in its journey of improvement. Support has gradually reduced as the effectiveness of the school has improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors recognise that they are now much more efficient and effective than they have been in the past. They know the school well and use information about achievement confidently to make sure that pupils are doing as well as they can. They use their skills wisely to provide high levels of challenge to the headteacher and other leaders. They attend training so that they are continuing to develop their skills further. They make regular visits to the school and they check that the quality of teaching is improving. They challenge any underperformance and reward successful teachers by progression through the pay scales. Each governor takes a particular interest in an aspect of the school’s work and they regularly meet with teachers to check on how well things are going. They are ambitious for the school’s continuing success. They manage the school’s finances well.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Around the school, pupils are polite and considerate to each other and to adults. In lessons, they work together well, sharing their ideas and their equipment willingly and sensibly.  Pupils usually try hard and they take pride in the quality and the presentation of their work. Displays of their work in classrooms and in the corridors are high quality and help pupils to understand that their work is valued. Pupils are particularly proud of the new library and they willingly respect the rule to take their shoes off before they go in.  Teachers are usually quick to notice when pupils lose concentration and they only need to remind pupils gently to get on with their work. In those very occasional cases, very little time is lost due to low-level disruption. However, sometimes, adults allow noise levels to rise and so some pupils do not make rapid progress.  Pupils think that the recently introduced system for managing behaviour in school is fair. They know what

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Behaviour

will happen if they make inappropriate choices and they say that the system encourages them to behave well.  Pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour get effective help. As a result, there are very few examples of serious incidents over time and exclusions are rare.  Pupils know about the different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying. Pupils talk convincingly about the need to understand and respect differences in people’s views, beliefs and cultures rather than to tease or make the person a victim. They say that there is almost no bullying in school and they are confident that any bullying which did occur would be dealt with.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Teachers, parents and most pupils say that the school is a safe place in which to learn.  Some pupils expressed concern about the safety of the perimeter fence around the school which joins directly to gardens of local residents. Checks of the fence, along with regular reviews of the situation by the headteacher, reassured the inspectors that the school takes appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the pupils.  Pupils are confident that all adults in school would listen to them and help them if they were worried about anything. In the words of one child, ‘I could talk to any adult because they all care about us.’  Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including when they are using the internet. Pupils learn about road safety, cycling proficiency and the visits to the Life Skills Centre help the pupils to deal with situations they may meet as they get older.

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Safety

 Attendance is consistently above average. There are no pupils who are regularly absent because pupils understand the importance of attending regularly and because they enjoy coming to school. The school makes careful checks on pupils who are not in school to make sure that they are safe.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good. Leaders have addressed all the areas which required improvement at the time of the last inspection. As a result, pupils are now making much better progress than in the past.  Teachers use questioning skilfully to check that pupils understand new ideas. They use pupils’ answers effectively to gauge whether they need to explain further or whether pupils are ready to move on.  Most teachers have high expectations. They use the information they have about pupils’ achievement to set work which is not too easy and not too hard. Although, over time, the most-able pupils achieve well, the work currently in books shows that, sometimes, teachers do not have high enough expectations of this group.  Pupils know what they are expected to learn by the end of the lesson. This helps them to focus on the specific skills or ideas they need to develop. Pupils say that the targets for improvement that they have,

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The quality of teaching is good

together with the helpful ‘next steps’ comments that teachers write when they mark books, help them to learn well.  Teaching assistants make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly for the pupils with the lowest starting points. If the pupils they are working with start to find the work challenging, they ask them to explain their thinking rather than telling them what to do. The further questions they ask help pupils to move their learning on and to gain confidence in their own ability.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive carefully chosen extra help. This is the case, both when pupils are working with their classmates and when they are working on a one-to-one basis or in a small group with an adult. Teachers and teaching assistants are sensitive to pupils’ needs and they are willing to adapt the support immediately if the pace of learning slows.  Reading has a high profile in the school. The classrooms and corridors are full of ideas to encourage pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

to read. The extensive range of high-quality books in the new library shows the importance of the subject. From the time pupils join, the school teaches reading skills well. Currently, the Cadbury Heath Reading Challenge is stimulating many pupils of all ages to become engrossed in reading.  Pupils write well because they regularly practise the skills they learn in their writing lessons across all the subjects they learn. Displays around the school show that adults value pupils’ writing. They are able to write at length because they build their skills through a series of lessons which they then apply in their work.  The recent emphasis on developing pupils’ basic skills in mathematics, including times tables, means that pupils are confident in manipulating numbers. They apply their skills through investigations and different situations which make their learning meaningful.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well throughout their time in school. There are no groups of pupils who are underachieving over time because the school strives constantly to promote equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination.  Reading is a strength of the school. Pupils know the sounds that letters make and they use their understanding to read fluently and accurately. By the end of Year 1, a much higher proportion than average reach the expected levels in the national reading check.  Standards at the end of Year 2 have risen since the time of the previous inspection. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics are all above the national average.  Standards overall in reading are high and most pupils reach at least the expected level. The proportion of pupils reaching the highest level is above the national average by the end of Year 6. However, it is relatively low at the end of Key Stage 1.  Pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6, particularly in mathematics. Almost all pupils make the

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress that is expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics. A much higher than average proportion make progress which is better than expected.  Standards at the end of Year 6 have improved significantly since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils’ attainment in the national tests is at least two terms ahead of the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Over time, the most-able pupils make good progress. At the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils who reach the higher levels is above average.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well. The school is quick to spot any pupils who are falling behind and carefully chosen support is put into place. As a result, these pupils make progress which is similar to their classmates. The support for individual pupils with specific needs enables

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The achievement of pupils is good

them to make rapid progress.  Disadvantaged pupils make progress which is at least similar to their classmates and is sometimes better. The standards they reach in reading, writing and mathematics are about two terms behind their classmates, though they do at least as well as all pupils nationally. However, numbers are very small, so comparisons can vary widely from year to year.

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The early years provision is good

 Achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage is improving. When children start school, their levels of skill are slightly below those typically found for their age. The good progress they make means that, by the time they enter Year 1, a higher than average proportion reach a good level of development.  Parents say that the careful introduction to school that their children experienced helped them to settle quickly. They appreciate the information the school has shared with them regarding the way their children learn about the sounds that letters make. They say that they would welcome the opportunity to become even more involved in their children’s learning.  Children are enthusiastic learners because they enjoy the wide range of activities that they can explore. The adults join in with the children to help them to develop their understanding. The questions adults ask help the children to practise their speaking skills and to think at a deeper level.

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The early years provision is good

 Children benefit from learning both indoors and outdoors. However, the activities in the outdoor area are not always of the same high quality as those indoors, which limits the progress some children can make.  All adults make careful checks on how well children are learning. They quickly put in place special activities to help children who are finding specific things tricky. As a result, children who are behind when they start school catch up quickly.  Adults make sure that children are safe. They remind children about how to keep themselves safe, both through the conversations they have and the simple instructions they write. For example, children who used magnifying glasses to explore the muddy tub, complete with worms and other creatures, knew that they had to wash their hands carefully when they had finished.  The leader has a clear and accurate understanding of what is going well and what could improve. The

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The early years provision is good

actions taken are helping to make things even better.

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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 109019 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 453511

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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 193 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Thomas Headteacher John Ridley Date of previous school inspection 6–7 February 2013 Telephone number 01454 867215 Email address school@cadburyheathprimary.org.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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