Cam Woodfield Infant School

School report Cam Woodfield Infant School

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Elstub Lane, Woodfield, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6JJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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’ attainment by the end of Year 2 compares well with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching in all year groups is typically good and this helps pupils to achieve well. Teachers and teaching assistants know the needs of each pupil and tailor support accordingly.  The headteacher, school leaders and governors lead the school well and are ambitious to see it improve further.  Pupils’ behaviour is good both in lessons and around the school. Older pupils enjoy having responsibility for looking after younger ones.  Children make a good start in the early years because of the good teaching they receive. They make good progress and achieve well.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Links with other agencies to support vulnerable families are extremely strong. As a result, all areas of pupils’ need are well supported.  Educational visits as part of learning help to give all

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This is a good school

pupils a good understanding of the wider world and to learn about modern Britain.  Pupils enjoy taking part in a wide range of sporting and competitive events. These include tag rugby, archery and swimming.  Parents, carers and staff are all highly positive about the school and its work to ensure a good education for all pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ achievement in mathematics in Years 1 and 2 is not as strong as it is in reading and writing, particularly for the most able.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in all year groups and shared observations with both the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  The inspector talked to pupils regarding their views about school and listened to pupils read. She attended a whole-school assembly.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other school leaders and also with members of the governing body. She spoke to an officer from the local authority about the school’s work.  The inspector talked to parents and carers before the start of the school day and took into account views expressed through the 50 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire. Staff opinions were also considered via the 23 returns submitted in staff inspection questionnaires.  The inspector looked carefully at pupils’ work in all years, including in English and mathematics.  The inspector considered a wide range of documentation about the school’s work. This included

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Information about this inspection

information about teachers’ performance, pupils’ progress and minutes of governing body meetings as well as documents to do with safeguarding, attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Marion Hobbs, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized infant school. Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school shares its site with a separate pre-school and junior school.  Children in Reception are all full time by the end of September each year.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average. This is additional government funding to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The school holds the Healthy Schools Award and the Outdoor Schools Award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ achievement in mathematics in Years 1 and 2 by:  setting activities for the most able pupils to extend their learning more fully  ensuring that pupils understand how they can improve their own learning in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is effective in her role in leading the school. She is well supported by a strong team of staff responsible for other subjects and aspects of the school’s work as well as by a team of experienced governors. They foster an ethos where pupils’ good behaviour flourishes and a good quality of teaching is maintained.  Subject leaders are effective in their roles and make good use of opportunities to work with other local schools to help them develop best practice across different areas of learning. This has yet to impact on sustained achievement at the highest levels over time.  The local authority is confident that this is a good school and reports how effectively it makes use of different kinds of support to the benefit of all pupils.  The school’s evaluation of how well it is doing is accurate and thorough. The headteacher and other leaders check regularly on the quality of teaching. A strong system is in place to link teachers’ salary

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The leadership and management are good

progression to achieving school priorities and pupils’ outcomes.  Pupil premium funding is used appropriately to meet the needs of identified pupils.  The school has made good use of the additional primary sports grant by employing sports coaches to train staff and to widen the range of sporting activities on offer to all pupils. As a result, more pupils are enjoying and achieving in physical participation and competitive sporting events.  The school promotes fairness and respect at all times. Pupils are learning well about life in modern Britain through their subject work and the visits they make as part of their learning. They also benefit from the many different visitors who come to school, for example the police and fire service.  Subjects are connected through the school’s chosen approach of overarching topics. These are effective in enthusing pupils to discover new things, but as yet, activities in mathematics do not always challenge the

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The leadership and management are good

most able as much as they could.  The school has highly effective arrangements for safeguarding. Statutory requirements are met fully and checked regularly. Excellent links with a wide range of external partners mean that the needs of any kind of vulnerability are met swiftly and with a genuine concern for personal circumstance.  Parents and carers indicate that they think the school is led and managed effectively.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body are experienced in their roles and know the school well. They are committed to seeing it improve further and take a keen interest in all aspects of its work. Parent governors are a daily visible presence in the school.  Governors understand the school’s performance in relation to others locally and nationally and ask searching questions of the headteacher about pupils’ progress. They monitor the quality of teaching with the headteacher and ensure that teachers’ pay progression links to pupils’ outcomes, and meets

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The leadership and management are good

targets set for improvement.  Governors manage the school’s finances efficiently. They have a good understanding of how pupil premium and primary sports funding is spent and the impact of these on pupils’ achievement and their personal development.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are friendly, helpful and keen to engage in their learning. They benefit from the adult support around them to provide clear boundaries and high expectations.  Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. However, they have yet to become fully independent as learners. Incidents of any kind that may disrupt lessons are infrequent and, should they occur, they are managed quickly and appropriately by staff.  Pupils are confident that behaviour is good and that bullying is not something that happens in their school.  Pupils in Year 2 are proud to take responsibility for others as playground leaders. This includes them in helping others at morning breaks and at lunchtimes in the dining hall.  Parents, carers and staff are all highly positive about pupils’ behaviour and the school’s work to keep pupils safe.  Attendance has improved since the last inspection and is now above average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Very strong systems with regard to child protection are in place and are checked regularly and rigorously by senior staff and governors.  The headteacher and other members of staff work tirelessly to support those pupils and families who need additional support and seek the best from external partners to make sure that needs are fully met.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe in different situations, including when using the internet. Visitors to school such as the police or fire service provide valuable practical support in helping pupils understand risk in the wider world around them.  The school has extremely strong links with both the pre-school and junior school that share the same site. These ensure that pupils are very well supported as they move from one setting to the next.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in all year groups is consistently good. Teachers have good knowledge in most subjects and work closely together to plan activities that stimulate and enthuse their classes.  Teachers acknowledge that they can do more to raise achievement in mathematics. The most able pupils are not always confident at solving problems in different ways and other pupils are not fully confident in identifying quickly which skills they need to use in order to improve their work.  Pupils’ learning is organised through topics that embrace a range of subjects. This means that literacy, numeracy and communication skills are constantly being reinforced through wider work. An example of this was seen where Year 1 pupils wrote about a journey into space, drawing on their earlier learning from being inside a planetarium. This enabled them to think and talk about the distance between the sun and planets.  Class teachers are supported by teaching assistants who are skilled in working alongside them to help all

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The quality of teaching is good

groups of pupils achieve well.  Both teachers and teaching assistants are effective in the range of ways they use to help pupils learn. Resources are matched to pupils’ need and adults make sure that discussions with other pupils and the teacher allow pupils to explain their thinking and to ask further questions.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and accurately. Pupils understand the coding system that is used and like the opportunities they are given to show that they have improved their work.  Homework is set at an appropriate level in each year and includes reading.

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is good

 Children join the Reception year with levels of skill and understanding that are below those typical for their age. Communication and language are particular areas of weakness. Children make good progress in all areas of learning. By the end of the year, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development exceeds the national average so they are well prepared for their next class.  All pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and these help them to achieve well.  In 2014, the proportion of pupils in Year 1 meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check was well above the national average. Both boys and girls achieved equally well.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with national averages for reading, writing and mathematics. A slight dip in performance in mathematics in the 2014 national tests is being addressed robustly by the school and governors.

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is good

 Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in line with their peers and attain at the same level in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 as others nationally. They are currently one term ahead of their peers in each subject. Gaps have closed rapidly between others in the school and others nationally.  In the 2014 national tests, the most able pupils attained in line with their peers nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. However, on occasions, in lessons, the most able mathematicians are not fully confident to work out problems that are more complex for themselves.  Those pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs make progress in line with their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. Additional support is tailored to individual need. This, along with positive relationships, helps pupils achieve well.  Pupils read well and often. The school makes sure that there is a wide choice of texts available for reading

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is good

at home as well as ensuring that pupils meet different genres through their class topic work.

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is good

 Children achieve well in the early years. The proportions of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception year have increased year on year and are now above national averages.  Strong routines to help children move from the pre-school along with good liaison with families mean that children’s individual needs are well understood from the start of the year. Any additional support is put in place quickly and effectively. This helps children’s good rates of progress.  Children behave well and are keen to engage in activities. Although happy to take part in their learning, children often need adult support around them to help them maintain their focus on activities. The outdoor and indoor areas are well equipped to provide a range of stimulating resources that allow them to play together and to explore the world around them safely.  Good links with parents and carers are fostered in different ways. The school’s open-door policy means

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is good

that an adult is always available to listen to any concern. The recently introduced online assessment system means that parents and carers can respond immediately to their children’s daily learning. Parents and carers value these options.  Teaching is typically good. Staff plan for all areas of learning with care, taking into account children’s ideas and interests. Adult-led activities, for example those that help children understand the links between letters and sounds, are effective in moving children’s learning forward quickly.  The early years leader manages the provision well. Staff work closely with her to support all children in their learning. They assess children’s development regularly and have the accuracy of this checked through their good links with other local schools.

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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 115574 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 448467

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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 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 161 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Fowles Headteacher Helen Harper Date of previous school inspection 19–20 January 2010 Telephone number 01453 543535 Fax number 01453 543535 Email address admin@woodfield.gloucs.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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