Onny CofE (A) Primary School

Onny CofE (A) Primary School Onibury, Craven Arms, SY7 9AW

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is well led and managed. Senior leaders, managers and governors have steadily improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.  The quality of teaching is good and the management of teachers’ performance is rigorous and effective.  Progress is good throughout the school. Overall standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average by the time pupils leave Year 6 and higher than at the time of the previous inspection.  The school provides well for children in the early years and they make good progress.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy school, behave well 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 a high priority. Pupils feel very safe in school.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. It also ensures that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils understand and subscribe to traditional British values.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Whilst there is some outstanding teaching in parts of the school, there is not enough to ensure pupils make excellent progress over time.  Marking and feedback do not always show pupils the next steps they need to take to move their learning on. Teachers do not do enough to ensure pupils avoid repeating the same mistakes, for example in spelling punctuation and grammar.  Just occasionally, work does not provide sufficient challenge for pupils, including the most able.  There are not always enough opportunities for pupils to develop their writing and mathematical skills by refining them in their work in other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed pupils’ learning in six lessons or parts of lessons, most of which were shared with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of other short visits to group and individual activities. The inspector also heard a sample of pupils read and scrutinised pupils’ written work.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body and staff, including senior and middle managers. The inspector also met a representative of the local authority.  The inspection took account of the 30 responses to the Ofsted on-line questionnaire (Parent View). The inspector also spoke to a small number of parents as they brought their children to school.  The inspector analysed the responses to 11 staff questionnaires as well as a number of other documents including: the school’s data on current pupils’ progress, the school’s self-evaluation and its improvement plan, governing body minutes, other planning and monitoring files, documents relating to safeguarding,

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Information about this inspection

and records relating to behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

David Evans, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Nearly all pupils are White British.  Provision in the early years takes the form of a combined Nursery and Reception class which children attend full-time for three days a week, and a Year 1 class which the Reception joins on Thursdays and Fridays.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is below average. This is additional funding to provide extra support for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school is part of a federation (St Michael’s Federation) that comprises two small, rural primary schools. The headteacher was appointed to lead both schools in September 2014. A lead teacher was also appointed for this school in September 2014 and is a member of the senior leadership team. There have

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Information about this school

been several staff changes since the previous inspection.  There were too few pupils leaving Year 6 in 2014 for the report to contain any statement about the school’s success in meeting government floor targets last year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and thereby, pupils’ achievement so that both become outstanding, by:  ensuring that tasks always provide an appropriate level of challenge, including for the most able pupils  improving the marking of pupils’ work so that it is always clear enough to help them to move on in their learning and avoid mistakes in future, especially in their spelling, punctuation and use of grammar  providing more opportunities for pupils to use and refine their writing and mathematical skills in other subjects  sharing the outstanding practice that already exists within the school, so that all teachers have the same very high expectations of pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior and middle leaders drive forward improvements in teaching and achievement well. Together with governors, they have ensured that the school enjoys a highly positive ethos where pupils behave well and thrive, both in their personal development and academically. The headteacher is a very effective leader and she has implemented many successful changes since her appointment. Staff and governors are very positive about her leadership and are equally keen to make improvements in provision. These strengths give the school a good capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s success is partly due to the high quality systems and procedures that leaders have put in place to enable them to check the effectiveness of the school’s work and, in particular, pupils’ progress. They evaluate all sources of data and other information well to generate an accurate picture of what still needs to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the headteacher’s appointment the school has taken advantage of the strengths of members of staff in both schools within the federation. The numeracy subject leader, for example, is a teacher at the other school. This arrangement has had a positive impact on standards in this school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders target their improvement planning carefully so that it identifies and quickly addresses any remaining areas of weakness. The effectiveness of the school’s systems is evident in the considerably improved achievement pupils have shown throughout the school since the last inspection. This is particularly true of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders lead their areas of responsibility well. They monitor patterns of achievement closely and give good advice to teachers that enables them to improve and adapt their practice and match their teaching to the requirements of the new programmes of study.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is strongly committed to providing equality of opportunity, fostering good relationships and discouraging discrimination. Leaders and governors monitor teaching quality systematically to ensure these aims are pursued throughout the school. They are particularly clear about what more needs to be done to achieve their goal of providing an outstanding education for all groups of pupils, and they are working with determination to achieve this.

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The leadership and management are good

 Formal systems to manage teachers’ performance fully meet government requirements. Leaders monitor the progress individual teachers make towards their targets carefully and ensure these focus strongly on improving pupils’ achievement. They provide good training opportunities to ensure desired improvements in teaching are quickly secured.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided good support for the school in the past but has rightly concluded that the school’s good record of improving achievement means it now needs much less frequent monitoring and support. Governors have benefitted considerably from the support given by the authority’s governor services unit to enhance their expertise.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have combined the school’s programmes of study in the different subjects imaginatively so that they fully reflect the recent curriculum changes introduced nationally. Lessons stimulate pupils’ curiosity and ensure they wholly enjoy their learning. Well-planned activities help pupils to develop their leadership skills, learn to work together and to respect one another’s differences. The high quality artwork and stimulating displays are other strong features of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and of British values and concepts such as tolerance and the rule of law, is good. Pupils are consequently well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils have a strong moral awareness. Very effective support for pupils’ social development ensures the school is an exceptionally happy place to be; pupils’ willingness to work in teams and in pairs is especially good. Pupils are very aware of the importance of making democratic decisions. Their maturity and thoughtful behaviour in school assemblies frequently makes these highly inspirational occasions.  Teachers have developed new assessment and target-setting procedures and are beginning to use these increasingly well to support pupils’ learning. Leaders accept, however, that not all teachers use their assessments consistently well to build on pupils’ previous learning or to provide the level of challenge all

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The leadership and management are good

pupils, including those who are the most able, need for them to excel.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s detailed and rigorously implemented policies and procedures help to ensure that safeguarding fully meets requirements. Pupils are well cared for. Staff and governors are well trained, for example in child protection and the vetting of staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school only receives a small amount of pupil premium funding because so few pupils are eligible. This funding has been spent well; for instance, to provide individual support for disadvantaged pupils so that they make faster progress in English and mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the additional funding to improve pupils’ participation and ability in sport well. Specialist coaches lead after-school clubs and develop the skills of gifted and talented pupils, and have increased the school’s involvement in competitive sports.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s engagement with parents in supporting their children’s learning is very good. Parents are very supportive of the school and appreciate how well staff support their children.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The ambitions of the governing body mirror those of senior leaders. Governors are keenly aware of the quality of education needed to make this a successful primary school, and systematically hold leaders to account so that this objective is achieved. Their visits to school enable then to develop an accurate first- hand understanding of its strengths and priorities for development and they are actively involved in its improvement planning. They are fully aware of the impact of the additional funding on outcomes for pupils. They know how well pupils are achieving and how good teaching is, and use this information to make sure that teachers’ progress up the pay scale is linked to their effectiveness in the classroom. Governors have taken positive steps to recruit individuals to the board of governors whose skills they believe increase their effectiveness. They undertake appropriate training to increase their expertise.

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The leadership and management are good

They check financial transactions closely and have clear plans for funds they have available. Governors are clearly focused on the well-being of the pupils and ensure that all statutory requirements relating to safeguarding are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils know that unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated and the overwhelming majority behave well in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtimes. The school is a busy but calm and orderly place and pupils enjoy being at school.

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Behaviour

 Bullying is not tolerated at this school. Pupils spoken to during this inspection said that incidents of bullying were extremely rare and dealt with effectively. The school teaches pupils how to cope with and respond to issues such as bullying, in thoughtful assemblies and during carefully-led discussions in class.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are kind and supportive of each other and work together well in lessons. Teachers manage the very occasional incidents of unkindness effectively and foster a strong sense of mutual respect for others. Play leaders organise play equipment and activities sensibly so that all pupils enjoy their time to socialise with others.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are polite and friendly and have a high regard for all the adults that work with them. Older pupils are mindful of their responsibility to help younger ones and do so effectively, particularly at lunchtimes. Pupils who join the school part-way through the year are befriended quickly.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.

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Safety

 School leaders, including governors, have established effective systems to ensure that pupils are able to enjoy the exciting learning opportunities on offer, both within and outside of the school, in a safe manner.

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Safety

 Safeguarding requirements are fully met. All staff and governors have undertaken safeguarding training that is relevant to their roles and responsibilities. Policies are reviewed regularly and effective systems are in place to ensure that appropriate checks are made on all adults who work in the school.

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Safety

 The school ensures that pupils are aware of both the benefits and dangers of internet use. Pupils are taught how to stay safe when using the internet and other digital technology.

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Safety

 All of the parents spoken to during this inspection, and those who completed the online survey Parent View, feel that their children are safe and well looked after at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching across the school has improved since the last inspection and is now good overall, with some that is outstanding. As a result all pupils achieve well and, by the time they leave, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the early years, the teaching of early reading, writing and numeracy skills is good. Teachers develop pupils’ understanding of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) very well and encourage pupils to use them in their writing and reading.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught exceptionally well. All pupils, including the least able, quickly become competent readers. Younger readers, who read to the inspector, used their knowledge of phonics confidently to work out unfamiliar words. They also read with interest and expression. Older pupils read widely and often. They talked knowledgeably to the inspector about their preferred authors and their favourite books.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ use of probing questions, that challenge pupils to think carefully before offering their ideas, is effective, particularly in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and provide pupils with regular opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to solve problems. The good support provided for the least able pupils helps to close gaps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. They liaise closely with teachers and provide effective support, usually to small groups or individual pupils. They help to ensure that pupils who require additional support in lessons, such as disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, learn well and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are confident and able to communicate effectively. This is because teachers regularly emphasise the importance of developing speaking and listening skills. Teachers encourage pupils to develop the confidence to voice their ideas clearly during lessons and many relish the opportunities they get to present their work to the class.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work regularly and, in some instances, they provide clear advice for pupils about how to further improve their work. However, this does not happen regularly enough. Teachers do not always ensure that pupils learn from the mistakes that they have made; other than in pupils’ written work in English itself, some teachers do not correct errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to refine their writing in other subjects. Not all teaching exhibits the same very high expectations of pupils’ achievement that were evident in the relatively few examples of outstanding teaching that were witnessed by the inspector.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In most years, in this small school, the majority of children entering Reception are working below the level of development typically seen at their age in language and communication, numeracy and personal and social development. Pupils make good and sometimes better progress as they move through the school so that, when they leave at the end of Year 6, their attainment is above average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Patterns in the standards pupils reach are distorted by the very small number of pupils in each year group, with each pupil often being worth a high percentage. In 2014, standards in Key Stage 1, which were below average in mathematics, were also affected by the significant proportion of pupils with complex learning difficulties. The school’s tracking information and the work seen in pupils’ books show that pupils currently in Years 1 and 2 are making at least good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in Key Stage 2 make good progress over time. Current Year 6 pupils are on track to attain above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave. However, throughout the school, pupils do not always have enough opportunities to extend their writing and mathematical skills by using them in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Younger pupils in particular benefit from the school’s well-structured programme of phonics teaching that helps them to recognise the sounds that letters make and use them to develop their early reading skills. The results of the Year 1 national phonics screening check were below average in 2014. The school’s records, inspection observations of pupils’ responses in lessons and work in books indicate that, since then, there has been significant improvement in pupils’ reading; standards are now at least average. Reading is a high priority in the school. All pupils take a real interest in reading and books. Reading skills are reinforced by regular reading at home.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In mathematics, pupils make good progress across the school. They show a secure knowledge and understanding of calculation and mathematical operations and become increasingly confident in their use of mathematical vocabulary as they move through the school. As a result of the school’s well-planned programme of study, pupils are now able to use their knowledge, understanding, vocabulary and skills well in solving mathematical problems.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There are too few pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding to comment on their attainment without identifying them. The school identifies their requirements accurately and quickly puts in place effective support for their particular learning needs so that they progress as well as other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good and often better progress because they benefit from support and guidance matched to their needs from teachers and additional adults.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils often achieve well. However, they are not always challenged sufficiently in their learning to make the really rapid progress required for them to attain the highest levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The early years provision is good

 Good teaching means children make good progress from their differing starting points in the Nursery class. Children also make good progress in the early years classes. They settle quickly because activities are well organised. Teachers and other members of staff are well trained and know how to work with young children. The children are well prepared for their learning in Key Stage 1

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The early years provision is good

 Children make good progress in their letter formation, in writing for a purpose and in using their phonics knowledge to spell words. The most able children produce lengthy pieces of writing, and all children draw on their knowledge of sounds and letters to spell words plausibly. Children are aware of the need for spaces between words and are increasingly able to use capital letters and full stops.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s behaviour is good and they develop excellent attitudes to learning. They play harmoniously together and respond very well to the high expectations of the staff. They are motivated, very keen to learn and show interest in all activities. They feel very safe at school and the classrooms and outdoor areas have a calm, purposeful air. Children are confident and make choices about their learning and concentrate very well.

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The early years provision is good

 Adults check children’s learning very regularly, collecting observations and photographs and using the information to plan the next steps for each individual child. As a result, a valuable record is compiled throughout the year to which parents can contribute.

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The early years provision is good

 The early years leader is a highly skilled practitioner who constantly reflects on the extent to which activities support good learning, and is constantly looking for ways to improve provision within the setting. She has good plans, for example, to improve the opportunities and resources available in the outdoor area.

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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 123560 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 453523

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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 aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 63 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Venerable Colin Williams Headteacher Penny Knight Date of previous school inspection 13 March 2013 Telephone number 01584 856320 Email address adminonny@stmichaelsfed.shropshire.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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