Littleport Community Primary School

Littleport Community Primary School Parsons Lane, Littleport, Ely, CB6 1JT

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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

 This is a good and improving school. The headteacher is an experienced and knowledgeable leader who has a strong and successful focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning. This is shared by governors and other leaders.  Pupils achieve well and make good progress; achievement is good and improving.  The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. The quality of teachers’ marking is a particular strength and pupils are provided with high-quality feedback on how to improve their work.  Pupils are polite and courteous. They behave well both in lessons and during less-structured parts of the day. They show good attitudes to learning and take pride in their work.  Pupils feel safe at school and are taught how to keep themselves safe. There is little bullying at the school and pupils trust that staff will deal with issues promptly when they arise.  Early years provision is good. The school offers a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

high-quality early years learning environment and children enjoy coming to school. The quality of teaching is good and children make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Standards in spelling and grammar are not yet high enough; results in the Key Stage 2 national tests remain below average.  Not enough disadvantaged pupils make sufficiently rapid progress to close the gap completely in attainment between them and other pupils, though their attainment is improving.  Occasionally, when being taught by someone other than their usual teacher, or when teaching is less effective, a very small number of children lose interest in the lesson and engage in off-task behaviour (such as chatting and silliness).

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching and learning. They observed parts of 34 lessons throughout the school, some jointly with the headteacher or one of the deputy headteachers.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ books, listened to them read and talked to them about their work. Inspectors examined the school’s documentation on pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching.  The views of parents were taken into account, including: the 33 parents who responded to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire); the three parents who attended a meeting with the lead inspector; and parents who spoke to inspectors on the playground.  Inspectors listened to the views of staff and evaluated the 45 questionnaires that were received.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, parents, governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of school documents including information about safeguarding, the school’s

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Information about this inspection

self-evaluation and improvement plans, and behaviour and attendance records.

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Inspection team

Wendy Varney, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 This primary school is much larger than the average-sized primary school. There are two classes per year group from Reception to Year 6. The school offers full time early years provision in its two Reception classes.  The headteacher joined the school six months after the last inspection. The two deputy headteachers were appointed to their posts during the last year.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is similar to the national average.  A similar proportion of pupils to the national average are eligible for the pupil premium. The pupil premium provides additional government funding for those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children in the care of the local authority.  Most pupils are White British and there are no other significant ethnic groups. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school meets current floor standards; these are the minimum expectations, set by the government for

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils so there is no achievement gap between them and other pupils .  Improve pupils’ spelling and grammar so that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are at least in line with the national average.  Further improve the quality of teaching so that all pupils maintain their very high levels of interest in their work, and maintain their best behaviour, throughout all lessons and with all staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides very strong leadership and the school is improving very quickly as a result. His vision for the school is very clear and he has identified the right priorities to focus on. The headteacher has introduced very thorough systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning, and standards are rising as a result. The school has a very positive atmosphere and there is a very clear expectation that pupils will behave well and work hard.

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The leadership and management are good

 The two deputy headteachers support the headteacher well and complete a very effective senior team. They are both outstanding teachers who provide excellent role models for other staff. Joint observations carried out during the inspection confirmed that they are able to support the headteacher well in making accurate judgements about the quality of learning and in deciding the key points for improvement to make teaching even more effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination very well. Pupils get on well together and accept each other’s differences. Pupils have a very good understanding of what equality means and are very clear that it is unacceptable to discriminate against people, for example, on the basis of their skin colour.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s senior leaders are supported well by an effective group of other leaders, of subjects and of special educational needs. They have all received appropriate training to enable them to implement the new National Curriculum fully and well, and to ensure that it is linked well to assessment.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school offers a well-designed curriculum that is continually developing. The curriculum is enriched by, for example, its focus on languages and by the extensive use of the school’s outdoor environment. The school also offers a wide range of clubs – both during and after the school day – that enhances provision.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. The school’s clear rules and the consequences for breaking them give pupils a good understanding of the rule of law. The debating club reinforces the importance of democracy and of listening to other people’s opinions. An expectation of tolerance, politeness and hard work permeates everything that the school does.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although very few parents responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, those who did were universally positive about the school. Similarly, parents who spoke directly to inspectors said that they were happy with the school and that they would recommend it to others.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s safeguarding policies and practice are secure, and statutory requirements are met. The school monitors the welfare of all its pupils and has a notable focus on identifying and supporting the young carers who attend the school (that is, pupils who provide ongoing care to a family member).

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary physical education and sport premium is being used effectively. The school uses the grant to employ specialist coaches, and this has improved the quality of teaching. The grant is also used to broaden the range of sports clubs on offer to pupils and participation has increased.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium grant is used well and is improving provision and outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. The school uses the grant to provide a range of additional resources, including employing a very effective support worker who is having a significant impact on the lives of many families in the school. The progress that disadvantaged pupils make is monitored very thoroughly and the governing body ensures that money is spent effectively. Leaders are aware that disadvantaged pupils need to make more rapid progress in order to close the gap in attainment completely between them and their peers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides appropriate support to the school. For example, literacy and mathematics advisers have provided useful support and a primary adviser reviews the school’s progress regularly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is effective because governors are committed to the school, are very keen for it to continue to improve and have a realistic understanding of its current stage of development.  Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching in the school because the headteacher provides them with frequent and accurate information. They assure themselves of the accuracy of the leadership team’s judgements by checking them against the views of an external adviser.  The governing body manages the headteacher’s performance management well and holds him increasingly to account. They have appropriate knowledge of the performance management of the rest of the school’s staff. Governors use the anonymised performance data provided by the headteacher to decide whether or not pay increases should be awarded and they ensure that the school receives value for money. Governors are not afraid to tackle underperformance should it arise.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors know about the pupil premium and are committed to raising standards for disadvantaged pupils. They are provided with a range of useful information by the headteacher and they use this to monitor spending of the pupil premium grant effectively.  Governors have an accurate understanding of how well pupils are doing. They understand well both the performance data that the headteacher provides them with and other externally-produced data.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school rules are clear and they are applied consistently and, as a result, pupils behave very well for the vast majority of the time. Lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Behaviour

 Pupils show good attitudes to learning and they work hard. When speaking to a group of Year 6 boys, the lead inspector was given a clear impression that it is ‘cool to learn’ at Littleport. Year 6 pupils visited Anglia Ruskin University on the first day of the inspection. On their return, pupils were thoroughly enthused and motivated by the visit and were keen to talk about their ambition to go to university and the subjects they would like to study.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is just below the national average but is improving steadily; the school is on track to reach or exceed the national average this year. The school has rigorous procedures in place to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and the headteacher is not afraid to tackle unacceptable absence. The parent and child support worker focuses her work well and is having a direct impact on improving the attendance of individual pupils.

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Behaviour

 Pupils take great pride in their work, and exercise books are beautifully presented. Learning routines are well established so that little time is wasted in lessons.

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Behaviour

 School records indicate that behaviour is usually good and this was reflected in the behaviour seen during the inspection. Pupils play well together and enjoy each other’s company. They are polite and friendly. Pupils say that there is some bad behaviour outside lessons but teachers deal with it promptly. The school keeps adequate records of incidents but these are not yet in a format that allows them to check for patterns of behaviour.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and say that they feel safe at school. The school has a strong focus on e-safety and this is reinforced by the posters that are displayed around the school.

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Safety

 Pupils know what bullying is and what it is not. They have a good understanding of the different types of bullying and have been taught to tell an adult if bullying occurs. Pupils say that there is some bullying at Littleport but they are confident that teachers sort things out quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers know their pupils very well and strong relationships are evident in classrooms throughout the school. They use a range of strategies and approaches to good effect to encourage pupils to want to learn and to ensure their interest in the subjects they are taught. Reading, writing and mathematics are consistently well taught.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers know what pupils can and cannot do and they set work appropriately to match individual needs. Throughout lessons teachers check whether pupils understand what they have been taught and they address misconceptions quickly when they arise.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school has had a strong focus on improving teachers’ marking since the last inspection. This has been highly successful and the consistently good quality of teachers’ marking and the feedback pupils receive are now notable strengths throughout the school. Teachers show pupils very clearly what is good about their work and how it could be improved. Pupils routinely respond to teachers’ marking so it has a direct impact on improving the quality of their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of pupils, both in terms of their work and their behaviour, and pupils respond to this. Teachers model the school’s handwriting at all times – whether writing on the board or marking pupils’ books – and this has raised the standard of written work that pupils produce.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan work that stretches pupils and deepens their knowledge and understanding. Clear explanations and good use of questioning are common features of teaching. Teachers also use information technology well to enhance learning. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson, the teacher used a visualiser to demonstrate clearly how to use an ‘angle finder’ to identify acute and obtuse angles.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together. Teaching assistants are well informed and have a strong impact on ensuring that all pupils are able to achieve well. They provide good support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs as well as more generally in the classroom.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Although teaching is strongly good throughout the school there are some small inconsistencies. On rare occasions, some low–level, off-task behaviour occurs when pupils are taught by someone other than their class teacher or when teaching allows pupils to become less interested in what they are being taught. This slows the learning of the individual pupils concerned rather than affecting the class as a whole.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress throughout the school and across a wide range of subjects. Standards have risen since the last inspection and are now above the national average at Key Stage 1 and set to become so at Key Stage 2. The proportion of pupils that make expected progress is similar to the national average in reading and above the national average in writing and mathematics. The proportions of pupils currently in the school who are exceeding expected progress are rising.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Phonics (the sounds that letters make) is taught well and pupils make good progress. Standards in the Year 1 phonics screening check are consistently above the national average. Pupils read well and show enjoyment in the books that they read.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s own data and the work seen in pupils’ exercise books show that pupils achieve well and make good progress throughout the school. Pupils’ work is notably well presented and handwriting is of a high standard.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils achieve well and make good progress. The proportion reaching the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1 was above the national average in 2014 in reading, and just above in writing and mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion achieving the higher levels was above average in mathematics and writing and broadly in line with the national average in reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 School data and the work in pupils’ exercise books show that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. Their progress is monitored closely and regularly and appropriate interventions are in place to meet individual needs.  Published data show that disadvantaged pupils attain less well than other pupils. Overall in 2014, disadvantaged pupils were approximately two and a half terms behind other pupils nationally in mathematics and reading and about a term behind in writing. They were about three terms behind their peers in school in mathematics, two and a half terms behind in reading and two terms behind in writing. School data and the work seen on inspection show that this does not given an accurate picture of the good progress that disadvantaged pupils are making overall. However, not enough disadvantaged pupils make the very rapid progress that is needed to close the gap completely between their achievement and

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in spelling and grammar at the end of Key Stage 2 are well below the national average. This is an area that the school is focusing on very closely and the work in pupils’ books shows clearly that this is having an impact and standards are improving.

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The early years provision is good

 Children enter the Reception Year with skills and abilities that are typical for their age, although many have language skills that are below those typically found. The proportion of pupils who reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is consistently above the national average, indicating that pupils make good progress in the early years.

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The early years provision is good

 The school’s leaders have a good understanding of the provision’s strengths and the areas for development. They ensure that staff work well together as a team, that provision covers all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and that the quality of teaching is good.

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The early years provision is good

 Children play well together and form good relationships with their peers and with the staff that work with them. They are taught the school’s rules and routines and so are safe and well-prepared for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 The quality of provision is good. The bright and attractive classrooms and inviting outdoor area provide an enriched and stimulating environment. Children are given good opportunities to follow their own interests independently as well as working in adult-led groups.

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The early years provision is good

 The children’s individual learning journals are detailed and thorough. They include a range of information and show a clear partnership between home and the school.

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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 110637 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 453731

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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 412 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Lely Headteacher John Cattermole Date of previous school inspection 6 March 2013 Telephone number 01353 860235 Fax number 01353863781 Email address office@littleport.cambs.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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