Warton Nethersole's CofE Primary School

Warton Nethersole's CofE Primary School Maypole Road, Warton, Tamworth, B79 0HP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 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

 Pupils thrive in this academy. They develop a thirst for learning and achieve well in reading writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding because they know that this is what is expected of them by staff. The academy’s core values underpin all of its work. This has ensured that pupils feel exceptionally safe, because all staff take their care very seriously.  The headteacher has established a culture in which only the very best is good enough. Her determined leadership had led to improvements in the quality of teaching and achievement of pupils since the academy opened and has ensured that pupils’ standards of behaviour and the care they receive have remained high. Other leaders have supported the headteacher well in this work.  Governors and directors of the multi-academy trust have high aspirations for the pupils. They know the academy well and provide informed strategic direction and challenge to its leaders.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children in the early years make good progress because staff ensure that children settle quickly into the academy’s routines and plan activities that meet their needs.  Disadvantaged and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well. This is because leaders make very careful checks on the progress of these pupils and quickly provide additional support if this is required.  Pupils benefit from the academy’s broad and balanced curriculum which is enriched by many different creative experiences. The curriculum provides good support for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepares pupils for the next stage in their education and life in modern Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough pupils, including some of the most- able pupils and children in Reception, make really rapid progress in writing and mathematics.  Teachers do not always continue to check that pupils have consistently acted on the advice they have been given on how to improve their work.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to develop their mathematical skills and reasoning in other subjects across the curriculum.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in eight lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. Shorter visits were made to classrooms to check on aspects of the academy’s work, and the inspector looked at how pupils behave around the building and on the playground.  The inspector held discussions with leaders, teachers, and representatives of the governing body, the multi-academy trust and the Diocese of Birmingham.  The inspector reviewed a range of academy documentation, including safeguarding information, behaviour records, information about the progress pupils make, the academy’s self-evaluation statement and improvement plan and records of the work of the governing body.  The inspector spoke to groups of pupils about their work, heard them read and looked in detail at their books and other examples of work.  The inspector took account of 26 responses from parents to the Ofsted online questionnaire Parent View,

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Information about this inspection

the academy’s own survey of parents’ views and also spoke informally with parents at the start and end of the day.  The inspector considered the responses from 18 members of staff to the inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Mitchell Moore, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Warton Nethersole’s CofE Primary School is smaller than the average sized primary school.  Warton Nethersole’s CofE Primary School converted to become an academy on 1 September 2013 as part of the Heartwood Church of England Multi-Academy Trust. When its predecessor school, also called Warton Nethersole’s CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be satisfactory.  Most pupils are of White British heritage with proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language that are much lower than the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the academy receives the pupil premium (additional funding for particular groups, which in this academy applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority) is lower than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is lower than the national

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Information about this school

average.  Pupils attending the academy’s early years provision do so full time.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, so that it promotes outstanding progress by;  ensuring that teachers and support staff check regularly that pupils are acting on the advice given to them on how to improve their work  planning more demanding work and extension tasks for pupils, who have the potential to exceed age- related levels in writing and mathematics, particularly those who are the most able  providing more opportunities for pupils to develop their mathematical reasoning and understanding through other subjects  improving the level of challenge in the activities children select for themselves in Reception.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has established a culture of high expectations that runs through all aspects of the life of the academy. Along with other leaders, she has brought about improvements in the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils since the academy opened, while maintaining high standards of behaviour and safety.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders check the quality of teaching rigorously and regularly. Teachers receive helpful feedback on how to improve their practice and are given high quality support and training. Through the appraisal procedures, leaders hold teachers to account robustly, setting ambitious targets for the achievement of pupils. As a result, teaching is improving strongly across the academy.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is a strength of the academy. The thematic topics it is based upon have been well chosen to motivate and engage pupils. Alongside the strong emphasis on English and mathematics, the curriculum provides full coverage of all the subjects in the National Curriculum. There is a wealth of opportunities for pupils to express themselves creatively and a strong focus on science. Pupils learn about the key ideas and institutions that play a key role in our way of life, and their spiritual, moral and social development is catered for very effectively. This prepares pupils for life in modern Britain very effectively.

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The leadership and management are good

 Very positive relationships between pupils and adults, and amongst pupils themselves, permeate the academy. Staff teach pupils the importance of accepting and valuing others. Pupils have developed a good understanding and respect for different cultures, faiths and religions. They told the inspector that ‘everyone is different and everyone is unique and we all matter.’ Consequently there are good relationships and a complete lack of discrimination in the academy.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders have been trained in how to undertake their responsibilities and provide good leadership. These leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and areas for improvement in the aspects for which they are responsible. Middle leaders provide focused support to their colleagues and check carefully that the actions taken are leading to the desired improvements, and adjust plans when necessary.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders ensure that arrangements to keep pupils safe have a high priority in the academy. Safeguarding procedures are very effective; they meet and go beyond statutory requirements. Staff have received a comprehensive programme of training in safeguarding and understand their responsibilities. Pupils and their parents are confident that the academy is a very safe place.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium grant has been used effectively. Leaders have considered carefully how to spend the grant and have checked that the support that has been put in place has the desired impact. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are achieving well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders ensure that there is equality of opportunity throughout the academy. This is exemplified by the academy’s commitment to inclusion and to removing barriers to progress for disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The academy makes effective use of the primary physical education and sports funding. Staff have received training in teaching PE and sport. Pupils enjoy working with a sports coach in a variety of sporting activities in lessons, before and after school as well as at playtimes. There has been an increase in the number of pupils participating in sporting activities, and the academy has been highly successful in a wide range of inter-school competitions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The multi-academy trust arranges regular external reviews to make sure that there is an objective evaluation of the academy’s effectiveness. The trust encourages the academy’s leaders to make good use of the expertise across the trust and promotes collaborative working between its different academies to provide mutual support. These arrangements have been successful in developing middle leaders and improving the accuracy and consistency of assessment. Where necessary the multi-academy trust brokers support from other consultants to provide training. The trust has developed strong and productive links with the Diocese of Birmingham Education Service.

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The leadership and management are good

 The vast majority of parents are very satisfied with the academy. They appreciate the way that leaders and other staff make themselves available to deal with any questions or concerns that they have about their child’s education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The multi-academy trust and the academy governing body work together effectively to provide good governance.  Governors have a very accurate view of the quality of teaching and achievement of pupils. They receive high quality information from leaders about pupils’ performance, and how the academy compares to other schools, and complement this with their own visits to the academy. Governors use this information to challenge leaders and to ensure that the strategic direction of the academy is leading towards the high quality of provision and outcomes that they aspire to for pupils.  Governors have ensured that there are rigorous processes in place to manage the performance of teachers. They check carefully that decisions about the effectiveness of teaching are consistent with the progress that pupils are making. Decisions about teachers’ pay are linked closely to how well pupils are

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The leadership and management are good

progressing.  Together with senior leaders, governors have ensured that all statutory requirements for keeping pupils safe are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.

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Behaviour

 Pupils display exemplary attitudes to learning. They approach their work with enthusiasm and want to do their very best. Pupils work assiduously in lessons, demonstrating that they have a good understanding of what it takes to be a successful learner. This contributes very positively to the improving profile of achievement in the academy.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are extremely polite and courteous to each other and to adults. When moving around the building pupils are very thoughtful about those around them, holding open doors and asking adults they meet if they need any help. Pupils show great respect for the academy building and resources within it, taking pride in the way that they present their work in books and as part of displays.

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Behaviour

 When playing on the playground, pupils are conscious of the effect of their behaviour on others, and this results in a harmonious and cooperative atmosphere. Year 6 pupils have been trained as peer mediators, and several pupils told the inspector how the peer mediators have helped them to sort out any minor differences in the past.

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Behaviour

 Pupils and parents told the inspector that bullying is very rare in the academy and that pupils all get on well together. The records of behaviour that the academy keeps confirm this. Pupils have been taught to use the school’s ‘Stop It’ policy when they feel that they are unhappy with the way that another pupil is treating them. The expectation that pupils will behave well is reinforced rigorously and consistently through the programme of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, assemblies, displays and interactions between staff and pupils. As a consequence, pupils are highly respectful of each other and live up to the academy’s golden rule, 'Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you'.

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Behaviour

 High levels of attendance and punctuality have been maintained since the academy opened. There are highly effective systems to promote and reward good behaviour. Pupils enjoy being part of the academy and want to take advantage of every opportunity that it offers them.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.

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Safety

 Leaders have a comprehensive awareness of the range of risks that pupils could be exposed to and place the highest priority on ensuring that the academy’s systems and processes are sufficiently robust to keep pupils safe.

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Safety

 Pupils told the inspector that they feel very safe in the academy because they know that staff always look out for them. Parents also feel that the academy is an extremely safe place for their children and are appreciative of the high priority leaders give to ensuring that pupils feel secure.

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Safety

 Leaders have developed very effective partnerships with external agencies. These contribute effectively to the academy’s programme that teaches pupils how to avoid a variety of potential risks, including fire, strangers and gangs. Pupils have a very good awareness of the risks that they could be exposed to when using the internet and have been taught how to respond in those circumstances.

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Safety

 Staff at the academy have been fully trained in all aspects of keeping children safe. As a result, staff display a high level of understanding of their responsibilities regarding safeguarding and implement all academy policies and procedures consistently.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching across the academy is consistently good and as a result pupils make good progress. The work in pupils’ books is of a good quality and shows pupils' breadth of learning across the curriculum, including in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils respond positively to the high expectations that teachers have of them. Pupils work hard in lessons and take responsibility for their own learning, checking carefully that they are following the instructions given to them by their teachers. Pupils are persistent when they find aspects of learning challenging, and make good use of the strategies that they have been taught to employ when ‘stuck’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers demonstrate a good knowledge of the subjects that they teach and use this to pose well- directed questions to pupils. This helps pupils to clarify their thinking and extend their understanding. Teachers are skilled in breaking down the steps in approaching particular aspects of learning. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson pupils developed a methodical approach to solving complex calculations by being guided through each step and being given strategies to check their accuracy. As a result, pupils developed their mathematical understanding and their confidence in approaching this type of calculation. However, pupils are not given enough opportunities to deepen their mathematical skills and reasoning further by applying them in the course of their work in other subjects in the curriculum.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught exceptionally well in the academy. This results in pupils achieving at high levels and developing a love of reading. Pupils told the inspector when reading to him that ‘if you can read you can learn anything’. Teachers promote a love of reading in all classes through their provision of high quality texts for pupils to use in lessons. Classrooms are very well resourced to support the teaching of reading, with reading areas that are constantly in use and clearly appreciated by the pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are now using reading to promote higher levels of achievement in writing. A recent whole school project was based on the book Flotsam by David Wiener. Teachers created high levels of excitement and engagement amongst pupils by the imaginative way they organised a trip for the whole academy to an aquarium as a way of introducing pupils to the book’s main themes. Pupils were stimulated to produce high quality pieces of writing in a variety of formats, incorporating learning about other subjects of the curriculum.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide consistent, clear advice when marking pupils’ books, indicating what pupils have done well and how work could be improved. This leads to good progress in many cases. However, some pupils do not make the rapid progress that many are capable of because they are not acting on the advice that they have been given, and staff do not check carefully enough that they have done so.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers do not always challenge the most-able pupils sufficiently or promote their progress as effectively as they should. This sometimes prevents them reaching the higher levels of achievement in writing and mathematics.  Teaching assistants make a very effective contribution to teaching. Leaders have provided them with high quality training which means that they are skilled in supporting pupils’ learning in lessons, and through the additional teaching sessions organised for specific groups of pupils. The partnership between teachers and teaching assistants contributes particularly well to the good progress made by disadvantaged and disabled pupils, pupils and those who have special educational needs. This is because staff have an accurate understanding of the learning needs of these pupils and plan activities carefully to meet these needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress being made by most pupils from their different starting points in reading, writing and mathematics has improved since the school became an academy. By the time that they leave, the academy’s pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children join the Reception class with skills and understanding that are typical for their age. In 2014 the proportion of children that reached a good level of development at the end of the early years Foundation Stage was much lower than that found nationally. However the academy’s current assessment records indicate that the proportion achieving a good level of development at the end of this year are on track to be in line with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1, reaching levels of attainment that are securely in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Good progress continues in Key Stage 2 where their attainment at the expected levels is higher than that found nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in reading is particularly strong with most pupils becoming confident and competent readers who are developing a love of books. In 2014, the proportion of Year 1 pupils achieving the required standard in the phonics (the sounds that letters make) screening was higher than the national average. An exceptionally high number of pupils attained the higher level 5 in reading at the end of Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 While the most-able pupils achieve very well in reading, their achievement is not as strong in writing and mathematics. Fewer pupils achieved the higher levels in writing and mathematics than in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2014. This pattern is replicated across the academy, with lower proportions of pupils making rapid progress in writing and mathematics than in reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. They receive very effective support which is resulting in their attainment getting closer to that of other pupils in the academy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils make better progress than other pupils in the academy as a result of the academy’s effective use of the pupil premium to provide specific support for these pupils. Current academy assessment information and pupils work seen by the inspector show that there is no significant difference in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, other pupils in the academy, and other pupils nationally. However, there were too few pupils leaving Year 6 in 2014 to make a judgement of their attainment relative to the peers, either within the academy or nationally.

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The early years provision is good

 Children make good progress in the early years so that, by the end of Reception, they are well prepared for Year 1. Their speaking and listening skills develop well as a result of the opportunities that children get to practise these in their other areas of learning. Children quickly develop a love of reading in the Reception class and make good progress as a result of the effective daily phonic sessions that they take part in. In previous years, progress in writing and number has not been as strong as in other areas of the early years curriculum. This year, the academy has introduced a much stronger focus on these aspects of learning and, as a result, a greater number of children are on track to achieve at least the expected level across all areas of development.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership and management of the early years are good. Since the academy opened, the early years leader has reviewed and improved the assessment systems used in the Reception class. The initial assessments adults make in the children’s first few weeks in the academy are much more accurate than was the case in the past. Staff make equally accurate assessments of the progress being made by individual children as they move through the Reception year, adapting provision where necessary to make sure that all children are making good progress. The accuracy of assessments is checked through regular meetings with other early years leaders across the academy trust.

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The early years provision is good

 Children behave very well in the Reception class, quickly developing the excellent attitudes to learning that are seen across the academy. Staff ensure that children are safe at all times and parents feel that their children are very well cared for. Parents particularly value the arrangements made to introduce their children into the academy’s routines, which they feel help children to settle very quickly.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching in the early years is good. Teachers and teaching assistants know children’s learning needs well. When working with individuals and small groups, they provide very effective support in developing children’s understanding. For example, the inspector observed a group of children engrossed by a water feature made of pipes and funnels on the wall of the outside area. The teaching assistant skilfully encouraged children to experiment with different containers and ways of pouring the coloured water through the pipes. The children made increasingly accurate predictions about what would happen to the water, and developed their vocabulary to describe different quantities of water in the various containers.

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The early years provision is good

 The activities that children choose for themselves are not always planned sufficiently rigorously. This means that they do not provide an appropriate level of challenge to promote the rapid progress that many children are capable of.

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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 140152 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 450333

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 144 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Reuter Headteacher Susan Bostock Date of previous school inspection 12 November 2009 Telephone number 01827 894182 Fax number 01827 894182 Email address admin3072@welearn 365.com 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

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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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