Gobowen Primary School

Gobowen Primary School School Lane, Gobowen, Oswestry, SY11 3LD

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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

 Determined and skilful leadership by the headteacher, together with good management by the senior leadership team and governors, have brought about big improvements to teaching and learning.  Children make good progress in the early years because literacy, communication and language are well taught. Children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Pupils make good progress, especially in Key Stage 2, because of improvements in the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. This has resulted in above average attainment for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are caring and act responsibly. They are respectful to each other and to staff.  Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. They say there is very little bullying. Any thoughtless behaviour is quickly dealt with by staff.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is good. Pupils try hard and are well engaged in lessons because these are enjoyable.  Teachers’ marking helps pupils to know how to improve their work.  Teachers and their assistants work well together to reflect on and improve their practice.  Governors have a well-informed understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They receive detailed information from the headteacher about the school’s work and pupils’ progress, and visit the school regularly.  All teachers have specific responsibilities for subjects or aspects of the school. They support the headteacher’s and the governors’ drive for improvement. The school is well placed to improve further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils in Key Stage 1 do not achieve as well as those in Key Stage 2, especially in reading and writing.  Teachers do not always set work that is matched to pupils’ abilities, especially in Key Stage 1. As a result, the most-able pupils are not always challenged enough and the least able do not always have enough support.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 do not always have access to the resources they need to help them when they get stuck.  Not all teachers assess new learning in lessons sufficiently frequently. As a result, pupils do not always make the progress they could.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in six lessons, all of them jointly observed with the headteacher. The inspector also made a number of short visits to lessons to observe guided reading, pupils’ progress in a range of different subjects and the provision for pupils before and after school.  The inspector looked at past and current information about pupils’ attainment and progress, and the work in pupils’ books.  The school’s own assessment data, self-evaluation documents and improvement plans were examined, as were documents relating to safeguarding and behaviour. Monitoring records produced by the school and by the local authority were also taken into account.  A discussion was held with a group of pupils from across the school. In addition, the inspector talked to pupils in lessons about their learning. The inspector also held meetings with staff, governors and a representative of the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 Twenty five responses to Parent View were examined and compared with records of earlier responses from parents.  The inspector took note of the responses submitted by 18 staff to an inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Kathy Hooper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is a smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The pupils predominantly come from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is lower than average. This is additional government funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  Children in the early years attend the Reception class full time.  Dependent on numbers in each year group, pupils are taught in some mixed-aged classes. Currently pupils in the Reception year and some in Year 1 are taught together, and a similar arrangement applies to Years

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Information about this school

1 and 2, and to Years 5 and 6. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are taught in separate classes.  Before-school and after-school care is available for pupils each day.  The site is shared with a children’s centre which is run independently of the school and inspected separately.  The current headteacher joined the school as acting headteacher shortly after the previous inspection. Her permanent appointment was made in January 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in Key Stage 1, by ensuring that:  teachers always plan activities that challenge the most-able pupils and support the least-able pupils in all lessons  teachers assess how much pupils have learned during lessons more effectively so that they can modify tasks and resources to accelerate progress  pupils have access to resources that encourage them to persevere with learning rather than give up.

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The leadership and management are good

 Outstanding leadership by the new headteacher has brought about improvement in the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils. Staff morale is high. Governors, teachers and their assistants have high expectations and share the headteacher’s drive for improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has given the school good support since the last inspection. It has now reduced its support to the lowest level because of the considerable improvement noted in the school. The recommendations identified in the previous inspection and in a later monitoring report have been successfully tackled.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have good oversight of pupil’s progress, especially in Key Stage 2. Those who begin to fall behind are quickly helped in their reading, writing and mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum has been revised to allow pupils to practise and reinforce their reading, writing and mathematics in all lessons across the curriculum. An assessment framework has been shaped to match the new curriculum.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have a clear view of what is going well and where improvements are needed. They make frequent and rigorous checks on both teaching and learning. They observe lessons, check information about pupils’ attainment and progress, look carefully at pupils’ work, drop into lessons and carry out checks on teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work to make sure it is accurate.

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The leadership and management are good

 Checks on behaviour and attendance have helped both to improve. Rewards are given to pupils to encourage good behaviour and high attendance. Pupils are able to join a breakfast club and disadvantaged pupils are encouraged to attend. After-school provision is well attended.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection, a greater number of parents have become involved with the school. Comparison of the results from Parent View and the school’s own questionnaire, completed when the new headteacher took over, show considerable improvements in parents’ level of satisfaction with the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have helped to improve the quality of teaching and learning. All staff have one or more curriculum responsibilities and work as a team. There is a well-established process of looking carefully at their own work and that of others, checking pupils’ progress, and sharing ideas for improvement. As a result, the achievement of pupils is improving. This improvement is more rapid in Key Stage 2 than Key Stage 1 and, as a result, pupils’ achievement is better in Key Stage 2 than in Key Stage 1.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is broad and well balanced. The programme of learning in lessons is extended through Forest School, weekly singing sessions, instrumental lessons, visits and visitors, French lessons, the house system, and personal and social education lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development within and beyond the curriculum. Weekly house meetings provide excellent opportunities for pupils of all ages to work together. The school’s agreed core values, such as curiosity and truthfulness, are reinforced throughout the day. Pupils learn to become good members of the school community, and to understand and respect a range of other cultures and lifestyles.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding is used effectively. The funds have been wisely allocated to support disadvantaged pupils so that the gap between those pupils and their peers is reducing. All disadvantaged pupils achieve the levels that are expected of all pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Primary physical education and sport funding is well used. The quality of teaching of physical education has improved through staff training with professional sports people. More pupils are involved in a wider range of physical activities. The school now takes part in competitions with other schools.  The school promotes equality of opportunity very well. Excellent relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff generate a strongly supportive atmosphere and discrimination is not tolerated. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through the curriculum and all school routines. Pupils are awarded house points for demonstrating their awareness of the school’s core values through day-to-day interactions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body, led by a new Chair of Governors, has a good overview of the school. Governors are well trained. They receive detailed information from the headteacher about the work of teachers and pupils’ attainment and progress, including the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They make frequent, well-focused visits to the school to see for themselves how the school is operating.  There is an up-to-date safeguarding policy that meets statutory requirements and comprehensive arrangements for keeping pupils safe. The governors have recently carried out a safeguarding audit, and the local authority has checked that the school meets statutory requirements. Governors ensure that staff training is updated regularly and have a clear overview of how well the safeguarding policy is implemented.  Governors ensure that the work of staff contributes to the success of the whole school and to pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

achievements, and that pay increases are awarded for good performance. They take prompt and effective measures when any member of staff fails to meet the demands placed on them. Their management of a recent deficit budget has enabled the school to move to a comfortable surplus.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous and sociable, and they enjoy school. Older pupils say that lessons are more fun and that behaviour is better now than at the time of the previous inspection. Those pupils who spoke to the inspector found it difficult to think how the school could be improved.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are proud of their school. In lessons, they are excited about learning new skills and knowledge. Attendance is now similar to that of other schools. A determined drive to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is working well. Attendance at homework clubs has increased enormously.

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Behaviour

 Pupils take part in a good range of activities at playtimes and breaks. Older pupils organise the equipment for others and take care of younger, more vulnerable pupils. Every pupil is known and respected by lunchtime supervisors and catering staff.

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Behaviour

 There is good provision for pupils’ welfare. For example, a pastoral care leader is available for discussion with parents and pupils. Before- and after-school provision is well attended by pupils because many engaging activities are provided.

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Behaviour

 Relationships throughout the school are warm and supportive, allowing pupils to thrive. Pupils work together very well in lessons. Even the very youngest pupils were seen helping their classmates. Pupils persevere well in lessons. Their work is often beautifully presented, showing pride in their efforts.

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Behaviour

 There is a stimulating and friendly atmosphere throughout the school. Staff are good role models and pupils interact freely and respectfully with them and their peers. Pupils say that they know that all teachers would deal with any problems they might have. Activities, such as the weekly house meetings and a well-thought out personal and social education programme, ensure that pupils’ views are heard.

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Behaviour

 Pupils behave responsibly and take part in decision-making, for example in the award of achievements for promoting core values. Pupils’ views inform decisions regarding school development, for example improving the quality of playtimes.

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Behaviour

 Very occasionally, pupils spend too much time in lessons talking to others or avoiding doing the task given to them. This is because they are not sure how to do the task or they do not understand why they are doing it.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Parents confirm this view and have confidence in the school. Safeguarding policies and procedures are checked and updated frequently, and are robust.

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Safety

 Pupils say there is little bullying, including name calling and cyber bullying. They are confident that adults will listen carefully to any concern they might have and deal with it appropriately. Any thoughtless behaviour is immediately addressed.

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Safety

 Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and manage risks, for example, when using a computer or mobile phone. Good guidance on health, safety, social and personal matters is given to pupils; for example, they take part in road and bicycle safety programmes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ good subject knowledge stimulates pupils’ thinking well. For example, discussions about shapes in one lesson led to the consideration of whether a circle is made up of many very short sides or is continuously curved.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils respond positively to tasks set by their teachers and show good levels of perseverance. Pupils’ enthusiasm is greatest, and their progress most rapid, where teachers set high levels of challenge. Problem-solving activities, for example, help pupils of different abilities to work towards higher levels of understanding. In lessons, those pupils who get stuck find the information they need or check it out using available resources, for example dictionaries or hundred squares for counting.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Very high expectations were seen in Year 4, where pupils were not only set challenges, but ‘super challenges’ and ‘extreme challenges’. As a result, they wrote increasingly lively accounts using compound and complex sentences about the moment in The Hobbit where Bilbo met Smaug. Pupils exchanged their work with their partners and received some very helpful feedback to improve their writing further.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ planning is good. Tasks are usually well matched to different pupils’ needs and abilities because pupils’ previous attainment has been taken into account. Some very effective work stimulates pupils’ curiosity because teachers provide clear details of how learning is to be demonstrated and assessed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work well. Many pupils value teachers’ feedback highly because they respond to, and act upon, their teacher’s comments and suggestions. In one case, a pupil who overcame a previous misunderstanding to solve a two-part problem noted, ‘I can’t believe I did this.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils working with the teaching assistants make good progress. Teachers give clear information to their assistants that describe the activities to be done and how new learning is to be assessed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of mathematics has improved. Teachers are quick to spot and challenge pupils’ misconceptions. A wide range of resources help pupils gain a good understanding of number and the patterns in mathematics. The subject is well reinforced through other subjects, for example when pupils analyse data about people’s health to find out how it relates to national guidance about healthy lifestyles.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading and writing has also improved. Pupils routinely sound out unfamiliar words. Recently purchased reading books appeal particularly to boys. Dictionaries are well used in Key Stage 2, and spellings are regularly checked and practised.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers assess pupils’ work regularly and accurately. Although teachers use assessment information to plan lessons, they do not always check what pupils have learned during the lesson by asking relevant questions. This means that they are not able to reinforce, consolidate and extend pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In some lessons, particularly in Key Stage 1, pupils waste too much time because the tasks set by the teacher are either too easy or too difficult. For example, some pupils do not get on quickly enough because they do not understand particular words. Others cannot remember key information and do not have the resources they need to check. As a result, the most-able and least-able pupils do not make the progress they could.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well, particularly in Key Stage 2. In 2014, the attainment and progress of pupils who left Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics put the school in the top fifth of primary schools nationally. The school’s assessment data indicates that all pupils are again on track to achieve Level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics, and a higher proportion than in 2014 are expected to reach the higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils make good progress. The gap between their progress and that of others is reducing throughout the school. There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2014 to compare their national test results with other pupils in the school or nationally. The school’s data indicates that this year the majority of disadvantaged pupils in the current Year 6 will achieve well in all three subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well in relation to their starting points. Individual pupils who are struggling have regular extra support to fill gaps in their understanding. In 2014 all of them achieved the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils read well and enjoy reading a range of fiction and non-fiction books. Pupils in Year 4 were clearly disappointed to be nearing the end of their work on The Hobbit. The library is well used. Pupils write extensively for a variety of audiences. They write neatly in ink and present their work well. In mathematics, pupils work on a good range of exercises and problems that help them to analyse and interpret data and apply their understanding to everyday life.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils in Year 6 show high levels of enthusiasm for challenging activities. For example, in mathematics they understand and use the statistical terms mean, median, mode and range in relevant real-life contexts. Working cooperatively in mixed-ability groups, pupils named all of the shapes with less than 13 sides within a tight time limit. While designing a magazine about skateboarding, pupils considered the viability and implications of building a skate park in the local area and its possible impact on the community.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join Year 1 with broadly average skills and knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. At the end of Year 1, pupils’ performance in 2014 in the phonics screening was broadly similar to that in other schools.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 was lower than the national averages in 2014, especially in reading and writing. Reflecting improved consistency of teaching, the school’s data and examination of pupils’ work indicate that attainment is on track to improve in 2015.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s achievement in the early years has improved since the previous inspection and is now good. Some children arrive in the Reception Year with skills that are below those typical for their age, particularly in literacy, communication and language development. In 2015, the proportion of children in the current year group who are on track to reach a good level of development is broadly average, representing good progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Good leadership and management have brought about clear improvements. For example, there have been successful developments in the quality of child-initiated activities, and on teaching children how to sound out and spell words (phonics).

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The early years provision is good

 Parents and carers engage well with their children’s learning; they are welcomed into the school. The majority now come into school regularly to work alongside their children, for example when making a secure home for their chosen animal following a trip to a farm.  Teaching is good. There is a good range of activities that engage and challenge children and prepare them well for Year 1. Adults model correct language and use actions, visual information and chanting to make learning active and enjoyable. Children learn about different cultures and customs in interesting ways. For example, they greeted the teacher and their classmates in Chinese during the inspection when answering their name in the register.

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The early years provision is good

 Behaviour is good. Children are well engaged and cooperative. Many of them are socially aware, helping and involving others in activities. The school’s strong safeguarding arrangements ensure that children are safe and secure.

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The early years provision is good

 Good teamwork with the teaching assistant ensures that individuals receive good support where necessary. Good communication with the staff of Years 1 and 2 ensures that children move easily into a more formal setting in Year 1.

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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 123366 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 462565

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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 146 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bridget Laraway Headteacher Lucy Luke Date of previous school inspection 21 May 2013 Telephone number 01691 661343 Fax number 01691 679042 Email address admin@gobowen.shropshire.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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