Capenhurst CofE Primary School

School report Capenhurst CE Primary School

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Capenhurst Lane, Capenhurst, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 6HE

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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

 Pupils make good progress and achieve well throughout the school from their different starting points.  Children get a good start to their learning in the early years provision. They are well prepared to enter Key Stage 1.  Teaching is good in all classes. Staff set work that engages pupils effectively in their learning and enables them to make good progress.  Pupils are well known as individuals and receive effective support if they need it. This enables all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or vulnerable, to make good progress and achieve well.  Pupils behave well and there is a positive climate for learning. Pupils enjoy coming to school, and are keen to learn. They get on very well with one another and say they feel very safe and well cared for in school.  School leaders and governors have a clear view of how well the school is performing and where it can do better. They have worked well together to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ behaviour, and this has raised achievement.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.  Parents are very appreciative and supportive of the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough. Pupils, including the most able, are not always given work that is hard enough to enable them to make the best possible progress and reach the highest standards.  Pupils have too few opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills and knowledge to investigate and solve practical problems in mathematics lessons and across the curriculum.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning on eight occasions. One lesson was observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with school leaders and with four governors, including the Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body. The inspector also met a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met a group of pupils and also spoke informally to other pupils in lessons and during break and lunchtimes.  The inspector looked at the work pupils were doing in lessons and in their books over time. He listened to pupils read and talked to them about their enjoyment of reading.  The inspector observed the work of the school and examined a number of documents concerning pupils’ current achievement and progress, development plans and information about teachers’ performance. He also looked at records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements. The minutes of

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Information about this inspection

governing body meetings were also considered.  The inspector considered 37 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and also spoke informally to several parents. He also considered 16 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Robert Birtwell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school with 61 pupils.  Pupils are taught in four mixed-aged classes from the Reception Year to Year 6. Children attend the early years provision full time.  A very large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national average. These are pupils supported by the pupil premium which is funding the school receives for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  One teacher joined the school in September 2014.  The government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 do not apply in this school as there are

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Information about this school

too few pupils to compare reliably with national figures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement, so that more pupils make the best possible progress, by making sure that:  expectations of what pupils can achieve are always high enough  the work set is always hard enough so that pupils, including the most able, are consistently challenged to make the best possible progress and achieve the highest standards  pupils have more opportunity to use and apply their mathematical skills and knowledge to investigate and solve practical problems in mathematics lessons and across the curriculum.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good. The headteacher leads the school effectively and is well supported by all staff and governors. School leaders have successfully addressed the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection. Their actions have led to improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ behaviour and have raised pupils’ achievement.  School leaders have a clear view of how well the school is performing and where it can do better. The school’s systems for checking how well pupils are doing are thorough. School leaders, including middle leaders, closely monitor the quality of teaching and check and evaluate each pupil’s performance.  All staff make good use of information about pupils’ attainment and progress. Any underachievement is quickly recognised and addressed by providing extra help or support if it is needed.  There are few disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils in the school, but pupil premium funding is spent

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The leadership and management are good

effectively to support their learning in the classroom or individually and they make good progress.  The school’s provision for pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is good. As a result, these pupils achieve well. This shows the school’s successful commitment to equal opportunities for all pupils.  School leaders use information about the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement to check how well teachers are performing, and to identify where further support or training is needed. This is helping to raise the quality of teaching. Staff are working increasingly effectively with other local schools to improve practice.  Information about pupils’ achievement is also taken into account when making recommendations about teachers’ pay.  The curriculum is well planned, engages pupils effectively in their learning and promotes good behaviour. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills to

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The leadership and management are good

investigate and solve practical problems both in mathematics lessons and in other subjects.  The curriculum is enhanced by a range of activities, clubs, trips and visits including sport, music, drama and culture. For example, older pupils were enthusiastic about a residential outdoor activities trip and others spoke about the choir performing in Young Voices in Manchester. During the inspection Year 6 pupils participated in a ‘graduation ceremony’ at the University of Chester.  The curriculum addresses discrimination effectively through a set of core values and Golden Rules that are well understood by all pupils. It promotes tolerance and respect for others, and contributes well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have an improving knowledge of other cultures and religions. For example, there are links with a school in Kenya.  British values are effectively addressed in lessons and through activities and assemblies. For example, the

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The leadership and management are good

importance of democracy is successfully highlighted through elections for the school council and the pupils performed in a local Remembrance concert. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  The school has worked successfully to improve communication and relationships with parents. Parents are now very supportive and appreciative of the school.  The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. Staff and governors’ training is regularly updated, and systems and procedures are effectively implemented.  The school uses the additional primary school sport funding successfully. Specialist coaches take lessons, train staff and run activities. It is also used to enhance the school’s provision for swimming. In addition, the school overcomes a lack of sports facilities in the school by hiring the village hall and by using a local company’s sports field. As a result, more pupils are involved in a wider range of sports activities and the

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The leadership and management are good

school participates in more sports competitions than previously. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ physical well-being and healthy lifestyles.  The local authority has provided effective monitoring and support for the school which has helped to improve the quality of teaching and raise achievement. The school has also successfully sought advice and support from an external education consultant.  The governance of the school:  The composition of the governing body has changed considerably since the previous inspection and governors now hold the school to account more effectively. They have a clear picture of how well the school is doing and where it can do better. They have a good understanding of data about pupils’ attainment and progress and analyse this incisively. Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching and understand the link between teaching and pupils’ achievement. They know how pupil

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The leadership and management are good

premium funding is spent and the impact it is having on the achievement of the few disadvantaged pupils in the school.  Governors are very supportive of the school, and make frequent visits in a variety of capacities. They challenge the school and hold it to account through an effective committee structure and by asking searching questions. They set challenging targets as part of the headteacher’s appraisal and make sure that pupils’ performance is considered when making decisions about teachers’ pay. Governors ensure that the school’s finances are sound and well managed. They are clear that they meet all statutory duties, including those related to safeguarding and child protection.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils say that behaviour is a lot better than it used to be. They know how they are expected to behave and understand why good behaviour is important in their learning.  Pupils are well motivated and have positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to succeed and listen carefully to staff. Pupils work well both independently and in groups. As a result, lessons typically proceed smoothly with no interruption to learning.  Pupils get on well with one another and with adults in the school. There is a strong caring ethos throughout the school. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and enables them to make good progress.  School records and discussions with pupils show that poor behaviour is increasingly rare. Pupils say that there is no racist or discriminatory behaviour in school, and that on the few occasions pupils do misbehave, staff sort it out quickly and fairly.

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Behaviour

 A very small number of pupils occasionally show challenging behaviour, but staff manage this consistently and well. These pupils are supported in a caring and nurturing way, involving close work with parents. This leads to improved behaviour of these pupils.  The inspector observed good behaviour in lessons, in assembly and around the school. Pupils mix well and are considerate of one another. They play enthusiastically and safely together during breaks, and behave sensibly and responsibly at lunchtime.  Pupils take on responsibility in a variety of different areas. They act as house captains, as school councillors, and older pupils act as ‘buddies’ to help younger pupils. This makes a good contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils are proud of their school. They wear their uniforms smartly and are polite to visitors. Attendance has improved and is now average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel very safe and are well cared for in school.  Pupils have a clear understanding of different kinds of bullying, including name-calling and discrimination. They say that there is no bullying in the school at present, but would report it if it occurred. They are very confident that the school would sort it out quickly.  Pupils have a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe in different situations. Some pupils act as junior safety officers and pupils speak confidently about e-safety when using the internet, road safety and ‘stranger danger’, for example.  Almost all parents who responded to the Parent View survey think that their child is happy, feels safe and is well looked after at school, and that the school ensures that pupils are well behaved.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved and is now good across the school. This was confirmed by the work in pupils’ books and the school’s records of pupils’ progress and checks on the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils in all classes now make more rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Staff know pupils well as individuals and there are positive and productive relationships in the classroom. Staff set work that motivates and engages pupils in their learning. Pupils say that staff try to make lessons fun and interesting, that they are helped if they get stuck and that they ‘learn a lot’.  Reading is well taught and pupils’ knowledge of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is increasingly secure. This ensures that pupils make good progress.  The teaching of writing has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils write effectively in a variety of different styles and show an increasingly sound understanding of spelling, punctuation and grammar. The

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The quality of teaching is good

inspector saw some high quality writing by older pupils based on developing characters in a book, for example.  Pupils are well taught overall in mathematics and their knowledge of basic numeracy skills is increasingly secure. This enables them to make good progress. However, they are not given enough opportunity to use and apply their mathematical skills and knowledge to investigate and solve practical problems, both in mathematics lessons and in other subjects.  The assessment of pupils’ work has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils’ work is marked consistently and well. Staff use praise effectively and give pupils clear guidance on what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils respond well to this advice during the appropriately named ‘fixit’ sessions.  Although staff now have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve, they are not always high enough. Staff do not always make sure that the work set is challenging enough to enable pupils, including the most

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The quality of teaching is good

able, to learn as well as they could. Pupils are not always given work that is hard enough to enable them to make the best possible progress and reach the highest standards.  Pupils make rapid progress when they are effectively challenged. For example, Year 3 and Year 4 pupils worked well to improve their writing skills by producing a newspaper report based on the story of ‘The Return of the Iron Man’. Different pupils had different tasks and questioning was used effectively to encourage pupils to develop and improve their work. As a result, they made good progress.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to support pupils who find learning more difficult. This support is well focused to meet the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils and ensures that they make good progress and achieve well.

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is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved since the previous inspection. From starting points when they join the Reception Year that are generally around or just below those typical for children’s ages, pupils reach average standards by the end of Year 6. However, test results can vary from year to year because of the small number of pupils and the wide range of abilities within each year group. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are making good progress in all classes.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics are improving. In 2014, they were average in reading, and below average in writing and mathematics. Current Year 2 pupils are on track to achieve above average standards this year. Evidence from observing learning in lessons and analysing pupils’ work confirms that pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are currently making good progress.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved since the previous inspection. In 2014, they were

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is good

above average in reading, average in writing, and below average in mathematics. Inspection evidence and the school’s most recent data show that all groups of pupils are now making good progress and achieving well. Current Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve improved results this year, with standards that are above average in reading, average in writing and closer to average in mathematics. Almost all pupils are making expected progress, and the proportion making more than expected progress has improved and is close to or above average.  Pupils make good progress in reading because they are well taught and have opportunities to read regularly. Pupils’ knowledge of phonics is secure. The proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in the Year 1 national phonics check in 2014 was average, and has improved further this year.  The school has focused effectively on improving pupils’ achievement in writing. All pupils have a weekly

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is good

independent writing session and there is an appropriate emphasis on handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Pupils’ basic skills in mathematics are increasingly secure. However, their skills in mathematical reasoning and problem solving are not as strongly developed as they are not asked to apply them often enough.  There are few disadvantaged pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium in the school. Their progress is carefully checked and pupil premium funding is used effectively to support them. As a result, they learn well and make good progress. There are too few pupils known to be eligible for this funding to comment on their achievement and progress as a group compared to non-disadvantaged pupils in school or nationally.  Similarly, there are few disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs in the school. They achieve well and are making good progress because their needs are accurately identified, their progress is

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is good

carefully checked and they receive effective support.  The most able pupils make good progress and achieve well. However, in common with other pupils, they are not always given work that is challenging enough to enable them to make the best possible progress. For example, in mathematics pupils showed a good knowledge of the properties of different types of quadrilaterals and polygons, but were not encouraged to see that a given shape could be in more than one category, or to recognise where these shapes occurred in the real world.

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The early years provision is good

 Most children join the early years with skills and knowledge that are around or just below those typical for their age. However, this can vary from year to year because of the small number of children.  Children make good progress from their individual starting points. The proportion who achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year is improving with almost all children expected to reach it this year, and more exceeding it. Children are well prepared to enter Key Stage 1 and the mixed year group class ensures a very smooth transition.  The quality of teaching has improved and is now good. Staff know children very well and ensure that learning activities are purposeful and well focused, and that children are fully involved in their learning. Staff make good use of both the indoor and outdoor environment.  For example, the children greatly enjoyed talking about and planning a story about Biscuit Bear as a

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The early years provision is good

preparation for independent writing. Staff encouraged children to use their imagination and creativity, with a clear focus on developing spoken and written communication skills. As a result, the children made good progress.  Staff check children’s progress regularly and use this information to plan activities to extend children’s learning. Staff work effectively to meet the needs of individual children. Any disadvantaged or vulnerable children are well supported and make good progress.  Children behave well and show good attitudes to learning in a safe and caring environment. They listen attentively to staff and concentrate well on what they are doing. They work well together and show care and concern for others.  There are increasingly strong links with parents and effective liaison with nursery providers. These ensure that children settle quickly into the early years provision.  The early years provision is well led. Staff are well trained and have an accurate view of how well children

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The early years provision is good

are doing. This is helping to raise children’s achievement.

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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 111271 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 442359

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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 61 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Durrell Headteacher Claire Green Date of previous school inspection 9 May 2013 Telephone number 0151 339 2685 Fax number - Email address admin@capenhurstcep.cheshire.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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