Clearwell Church of England Primary School

Clearwell Church of England Primary School Church Road, Clearwell, Coleford, Gloucestershire, GL16 8LG

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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 quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is consistently good. Consequently, pupils’ achievement is much higher.  Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above average at the end of Year 2 and well above when they leave Year 6.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are good throughout the school. In Years 5 and 6 they are exemplary contributing significantly to their high levels of achievement.  Children in the early years make a good start to their education. They have a thirst and love for learning.  Mathematics teaching is good in all year groups, but stronger in the older year groups. This allows pupils to use a wide range of strategies to solve complex problems.  Writing is taught extremely well across the school. Pupils are confident to write imaginatively and movingly. Some are reading and writing at levels similar to those usually found in Year 7.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum provides pupils with a rich range of experiences. It promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development strongly, and raises their awareness of diversity in modern Britain.  Governors play a key role in the long-term strategic development of the school. Their decision to involve the school in a collaboration agreement with other schools is proving highly beneficial in bringing about improvements, and securing its sustainability.  The highly skilled executive headteacher has already made important changes which are accelerating pupils’ progress in reading and writing.  The school’s arrangements to keep pupils safe and secure are good. Consequently, pupils feel safe and well looked after.  The partnership with parents is strong. Parents are very supportive of the changes to the way pupils are taught. They are attending mathematics workshops to understand how they can help their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

children to learn more effectively at home.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The methods and resources used to teach mathematics in Years 3 and 4 do not inspire pupils to work with enthusiasm.  Some pupils do not work accurately because they do not form their numbers correctly or take enough pride in presenting their work neatly.  Not all teaching assistants have sufficient skills to support pupils effectively in mathematics.  Staff are new to their leadership roles. While they are knowledgeable, especially in mathematics, they have not yet been trained to implement new ways of working and to check their impact on achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine parts of lessons. Most were observed jointly with the executive headteacher.  Pupils spoke to the inspector about their views of their work and the school in lessons, break times and lunchtimes. They shared their previous work, and some pupils from Years 2, 3 and 6 read to the inspector.  Meetings were held with all teaching staff, those who also have leadership and management responsibilities, and representatives from the governing body and local authority.  The inspector spoke to parents when they brought their children to school. The responses of 21 parents to the online survey Parent View, and nine responses to the staff questionnaire were taken into account.  Some of the school’s documentation was scrutinised. This included its self-evaluation and improvement plans, arrangements to keep children safe, minutes of governing body meetings, and records of attendance and pupils’ progress.

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Inspection team

Kath Beck, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average primary school. Pupils are organised into two classes, one for Reception, Years 1 and 2, and one for Years 3 to 6. In the mornings pupils in Years 5 and 6 are taught separately from Years 3 and 4.  Children in the early years attend full time. The governors manage ‘Little Wellies’, a pre-school for children aged three and four. It is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week for a total of 15 hours. This provision was not reviewed during the inspection.  A breakfast club operates every morning during term time.  The school meets current floor standards set by the government, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below that found in schools nationally. Pupil premium funding is money provided by the government to provide extra support to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is broadly similar to the national average.  The number of pupils starting or leaving the school at other than the usual times is above average.  All pupils come from a White British background.  Since the previous inspection there have been many changes to leadership, staffing and governance. Only one of the current teaching staff was employed at the school at the time of the previous inspection. On the retirement of the headteacher at the end of December 2014, the school became part of a collaborative partnership with the Wye Forest Federation. This includes St Briavels and Redbrook Primary Schools. The current headteacher is the executive headteacher of all three schools. A senior teacher has responsibility for running the school on a day-to-day basis.  The religious aspect of the school was inspected in October 2014 and reported on separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate progress in mathematics when pupils are not working with the teacher in Years 3 and 4 by making sure that:  all staff use methods and resources that motivate pupils to learn well, and apply their developing skills effectively throughout their lessons  teaching assistants are trained well to support pupils more effectively  pupils take care to form their numbers correctly and pay attention to the presentation of their work so that accuracy is maintained.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop teachers’ leadership skills so that they are trained to implement fully new ways of working and to check the impact of their work on pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher is exceptionally skilled. He brings extensive experience in developing teachers’ skills so that pupils achieve highly. Governors and staff share his determination to pursue and achieve excellence in all aspects of the school’s work. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and the new action plan provides a clear programme for strong and sustained improvement.  Since January the executive headteacher has built on the work done previously to raise achievement. The introduction of a new system to track pupils’ progress is helping teachers to recognise quickly where pupils need additional challenge or increased support when their progress is not as fast as others. The reorganisation of the school day means time is used more effectively. Carefully considered initiatives have been introduced that are speeding up younger pupils’ learning in reading and writing.  The collaborative arrangement with the Wye Forest Federation brings many good opportunities for staff to

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The leadership and management are good

share skills that benefit pupils, and ensure the sustainability of the school. Children’s progress in the early years is already accelerating following visits by staff to these schools to develop their expertise. Pupils already enjoy meeting new friends, and taking part in a wider range of activities. Partnerships with local secondary schools help older pupils to achieve highly, and offer enrichment to the curriculum in swimming, dance and gymnastics.  Following a rigorous review of the quality of teaching, staff have challenging targets to achieve. They are supported by a detailed training programme. All have have been allocated responsibilities to raise achievement further in reading, writing and mathematics. While they are knowledgeable about their subject, especially in mathematics, they have not yet been trained to implement fully new ways of working, and check the impact of their work on pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted strongly through the curriculum. Pupils understand what it means to serve their community, and know about different faiths. Their work on apartheid in America and South Africa, for example, helps them to understand the importance of respecting people of all backgrounds, so that discrimination is not tolerated. A new partnership with several schools in Kenya is designed to promote greater understanding of life in a different part of the world. These factors are preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain.  The new curriculum is already promoting even higher levels of achievement. Teachers use good quality literature, news items and pictures to stimulate pupils’ ideas so that they write imaginatively. Staff make the most of the school’s location, especially in the early years and Years 1 and 2, to promote pupils’ knowledge of the natural world and how to stay safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 Funds to support disadvantaged pupils, and disabled pupils or those with special educational needs are spent appropriately. This, together with the careful monitoring of progress, enables all pupils to have an equal opportunity to achieve well.  Additional funds to develop pupils’ skills in a range of sports and raise the quality of teaching have been spent well. That said, the allocation of this money across the collaboration is under review in order to increase the efficiency of use. It is also to involve pupils in a much wider range of competitive sports which are not available to them on account of the size of the school.  Parents who spoke to the inspector were very positive about the school. Families who have recently joined the school were extremely pleased with the changes they had noticed in their children’s ability to read, write and calculate. They spoke highly of recent events involving pupils from all schools in the

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The leadership and management are good

collaboration. To enhance parents’ understanding of the new mathematics curriculum, and how they can help their children at home, the school provides a series of workshops that are well attended.  The local authority has worked with the school over a number of years. Its challenge and support have contributed to the significant improvements since the previous inspection.  The school’s arrangements to safeguard pupils are effective and meet requirements. When necessary senior staff work in close partnership with other professionals to keep pupils safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors play a key role in the strategic development of the school. Before the retirement of the previous headteacher, they considered a number of options before approaching the Wye Forest Federation to enter into a collaborative arrangement. They recognised the high calibre of the executive headteacher and that being part of something bigger would offer excellence for the education of the pupils across a wider community.  Since the previous inspection, governors have worked closely with senior leaders and the local authority to improve the school. Through their regular visits to the school and headteacher’s reports they have a good understanding of the quality of teaching, and the school’s overall effectiveness. They have attended training to improve their skills in analysing information about the school’s performance.  Governors are well informed about many aspects of the school. This enables them to offer good levels

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The leadership and management are good

of support and challenge. Their systems for checking the performance of staff are rigorous, and policies link teachers’ pay to pupils’ progress. They make clear that good teaching is rewarded and that underperformance is not tolerated.  The school budget is kept under frequent review to ensure that finances are targeted effectively and have a positive impact on pupils’ progress.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well around the school and in lessons throughout the school.  The exemplary behaviour and attitudes of pupils in Years 5 and 6 make an important contribution to their high levels of achievement and progress. They become absorbed in the tasks they are set, and work extremely well together in small groups sharing their ideas.  Younger pupils, including those in the early years, are enthusiastic about learning. Practical, engaging activities, and high quality resources capture and sustain their interest and curiosity for considerable periods of time. This is not always the case in Years 3 and 4 in mathematics. Consequently, a few pupils do not write their numbers correctly or take sufficient pride in the presentation of their work.  The school is very successful in enabling children who join the school to settle quickly. Pupils who in the past have found it hard to behave well, respond very well to the school’s high expectations to act sensibly

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Behaviour

and respect others.  Most pupils attend regularly and arrive in time for a prompt start to lessons, although an outbreak of chicken pox recently has reduced overall attendance levels. Attendance is helped by the high number of pupils who attend the breakfast club, which also contributes significantly to their social development.  Parents, staff and governors confirm that behaviour in the school is good. They particularly appreciate the positive manner in which older pupils look after the younger ones.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  All staff are trained and know how to keep pupils safe in school and when out on visits. They know the procedures to follow if they are worried about the personal well-being or safety of any of the pupils. The school’s recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children are robust. No-one is allowed to work in school without the appropriate checks, including references.  Pupils know that it is wrong to call one another names, and to use derogatory language. They say that bullying is rare. One pupil said, ‘There can be bickering sometimes, but teachers sort it out straight away.’  Older pupils have good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe when using computers, tablets and mobile phones. The curriculum helps all pupils to understand how to take care when out in the community.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Overall teaching is good because teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Good relationships give pupils the confidence to succeed. Teaching is highly effective in literacy throughout the school and in mathematics in Years 5 and 6.  High quality teaching in mathematics in Years 5 and 6 enables pupils to use sophisticated methods to solve complex problems. Over time they have developed the ability to recall number facts rapidly and work accurately. In their explanations they use mathematical language to support the reasons why they selected particular strategies to calculate the answers, which may be different to those chosen by their friends.  Mathematics is taught well in Years 1 and 2. Pupils have good opportunities to work together, and use good quality resources to find the answers to challenging questions. In Years 3 and 4 pupils learn well when working with the teacher, but activities for them to do on their own do not always offer sufficient

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The quality of teaching is good

challenge or capture their imagination.  Pupils read well because teachers provide them with a wide range of strategies to help them to read with accuracy and good levels of comprehension. They enjoy reading a wide range of good quality children’s literature and recommend books that they have enjoyed to one another.  Regular assessments of what pupils know and can do, and initiatives to help them to develop and fill gaps in their knowledge and skills in spelling, grammar and punctuation have been implemented successfully. While a few pupils still find these aspects of writing difficult, they are not afraid to express their ideas confidently. Their writing about modern day refugees, and imaginary letters from Odysseus to his family are extremely moving.  Pupils’ good behaviour means teachers can work effectively with small groups and individual pupils to extend their learning, correct misunderstandings and offer increased levels of challenge. Marking gives

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils a clear idea of what to do to improve.  Some teaching assistants are highly skilled in their support for children in the early years, and for those who have special educational needs. Others are not as knowledgeable in moving pupils’ learning forward in mathematics.  Pupils often read at home and research information which enhances their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their literacy skills. For example, they found out information about famous people such as Rosa Parkes and Nelson Mandela, and the changes they brought about in society. Mathematics homework is new. Pupils who are completing the activities in the computer program are developing their skills quickly.

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is good

 Scrutiny of pupils’ current work and records of their achievements show that from their varied starting points pupils are making good, and sometimes better, progress. Carefully considered initiatives to enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding of spelling, grammar and different ways to read unfamiliar words have accelerated their progress in reading and writing. Most pupils have good recall of numbers to add, subtract, multiply and divide quickly. This is a much improved picture since the previous inspection.  In 2014, attainment in reading and writing in Year 2 was above the national average, but below average in mathematics. The school took rigorous action to improve this situation. Currently, pupils are working at levels that are above those expected for their age in Year 2, and well above in Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics. The number of pupils taking national tests in Year 6 in recent years is too small to

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is good

compare their performance to other pupils of the same age nationally.  In Years 3 and 4 pupils achieve well in reading and writing, and are filling gaps in their knowledge of mathematics quickly. However, the tasks they are set when working on their own in mathematics do not always inspire them to apply their developing skills well enough.  There are too few disadvantaged pupils in the school to comment on their attainment and progress compared to others in the school or nationally. However, their work shows they are working at or above the levels expected of them and make good progress.  The most able pupils are successfully challenged to achieve high standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Those capable of working at levels usually found in Year 7 attend sessions at a local secondary school. This is to ensure they achieve as well as they can, and that they are prepared well for the transfer at age 11.

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is good

 Pupils new to the school are assessed quickly and work is matched to their precise needs so that they make good progress. Support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is also targeted well to meet their precise needs. Staff ensure that they are integrated fully into lessons, and that the work is pitched at the right level. They make good progress, albeit sometimes in small steps.  Children in the early years make a good start to their education. They enjoy being involved in some activities alongside the pupils in Years 1 and 2 which enthuse them to achieve highly.

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is good

 Strong leadership is accelerating children’s progress this year across all areas of their learning. Children are now making good progress. While most children reached the levels expected of them in 2014, their previous work shows they were not well prepared for Year 1 in writing.  The recent introduction of carefully considered initiatives means children are now gaining important skills in learning the sounds letters make. This is providing them with a good start in reading and writing. Playing in the ‘Stop and Shop’ helps children to add and subtract small numbers, and know the importance of mathematics skills in their daily lives.  Teaching is consistently good, and sometimes high quality. Training and visits to other schools in the collaboration have enabled adults to make learning fun through well-planned demanding activities. As a result, children behave well, and have a thirst and love for learning. They sustain their enthusiasm for

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is good

extended periods of time, revelling in the rich range of experiences provided for them.  ‘Wellie Walks’ contribute significantly to children’s personal development, their understanding of the world and how to keep themselves safe. Staff plan these walks meticulously ensuring that reading, writing and mathematical activities are integrated into them. The ‘Wellie Walks’ give children many interesting things to talk about which extends their ability to express their ideas and needs confidently.  Children behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. They are always keen to know what their older classmates are learning. This inspires them to learn quickly as they want to do similar things. During the inspection they relished being in an art session where all children in Reception and Key Stage 1 were asked to use their imagination to represent the movement of birds and animals observed on a walk. Children created the pictures covering their hands with paint and moving them across the paper.

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is good

The outcomes were high quality.  Partnerships with parents are established quickly when children start in the pre-school. They strengthen over time so that the transition into Reception is smooth. Parents and staff work closely to ensure that children’s needs and interests are met.

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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 115638 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 462474

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 48 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Eaves Headteacher Ian Barkley Date of previous school inspection 24 – 25 April 2013 Telephone number 01594 834904 Email address admin@clearwell.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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