Ivington CofE Primary and Pre-School

Ivington CofE Primary School Ivington, Leominster, HR6 0JH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher have created a dynamic leadership team. Together they are uncompromising in their drive to improve pupils’ achievements.  Leaders at all levels contribute fully to the initiatives to raise achievement and the quality of teaching.  A rigorous approach to monitoring the quality of teaching, effective training and individual guidance have eradicated many weaknesses. As a result, pupils’ progress and teaching are good across all year groups and improving strongly.  The decline in pupils’ achievement, especially in mathematics, has stopped and achievement is rising quickly. Attainment is rising to above average levels in Key Stage 2.  Pupils say they feel safe. Their personal development is good, as is their behaviour and attitudes to work. They are well motivated to achieve and this enhances their progress.  Teachers and teaching assistants build strong relationships with pupils. This helps to create a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

positive atmosphere where pupils are happy and willing to learn.  Parents have full confidence in the school. They speak highly of the changes in the last year.  Children make good progress in the early years and the large majority reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.  As a result of skilled additional support, disadvantaged pupils achieve well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 At times, teachers do not move pupils on to harder work quickly enough when it is clear that they have the ability to do so.  Pupils are not always given enough opportunities to practise and extend their writing and mathematical skills in other subjects across the curriculum.  Although effective now, governors have not always rigorously held school leaders to account.  The early years outdoor area is restricted and it does not provide children with the same opportunities as they have in the classroom to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed pupils’ learning in six lessons and he was accompanied by the headteacher for three of these. It was not possible to observe the Year 5/6 class, which was on a residential visit to London during the inspection.  The inspector observed the school’s work in many subjects, visited support sessions for small groups, listened to groups of pupils read and talked to them about their work. He held discussions with pupils, both formally and informally, and observed their behaviour around school. The inspector scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ written work.  The inspector held meetings with the school’s senior leaders, middle leaders responsible for the early years, literacy and numeracy, the special educational needs co-ordinator and the pastoral support assistant. The inspector spoke with all the teachers and six governors including the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector talked informally with parents to gauge their views of the school and took account of 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspector gathered the views of staff by analysing the 15 questionnaires they returned during the inspection as well as through discussions.  The inspector considered a range of school documentation including the improvement plan, self-evaluation document, data relating to the achievement of pupils, records of leaders’ monitoring of teaching and learning, information relating to the performance management of teachers, behaviour and attendance records and safeguarding information. He also scrutinised the information available on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

David Evans, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  All the children in the early years (Reception class) attend full time, many of whom have attended the private on-site Nursery. This Nursery is not managed by the Governing Body and is subject to a separate inspection report.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority) is broadly average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special education needs is currently above the national average.  The school provides care for pupils through the breakfast and after-school club.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress, at the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 There have been significant staff changes since the last inspection. An acting headteacher and deputy headteacher were in place from the beginning of the summer term 2014. They were appointed as substantive headteacher and deputy headteacher respectively at the beginning of the summer term 2015.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is typically outstanding and enables all pupils to achieve as much progress as possible by:  teachers more frequently checking pupils’ learning so that they extend the challenge they provide more swiftly  ensuring that pupils are provided with more opportunities to practise and apply their writing and mathematical skills in subjects across the curriculum  developing the outdoor area in the early years to provide the same quality of activities and resources as indoors so that children experience a wider range of opportunities to improve their skills further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further increase the skills and confidence of the governing body so that they are more able to challenge school leaders and so hold them to account.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of the headteacher is exceptionally effective, including her leadership of teaching and learning. She is very ably supported by the deputy headteacher. The headteacher has been instrumental in delivering improvements to the school and has demonstrated relentless ambition to serve the pupils and community well. She quickly identified key aspects of the school’s work that were in need of improvement and, as a result of the actions taken, the rate of progress most pupils make in reading, writing and mathematics has improved rapidly. A greater proportion of pupils are now on track to exceed their targets.

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The leadership and management are good

 A strong team of staff display a high level of commitment to ensure that pupils of all starting points achieve well. Pupils’ performance and the quality of teaching are checked regularly. Consequently, senior leaders have an accurate view of the school, pupil performance and the main priorities for improvement. The positive actions taken to improve pupils’ progress, such as developing pupils’ mathematical skills, are accelerating pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 An enthusiastic group of middle leaders are increasingly confident and skilled in evaluating pupils’ achievement. Any shortfalls in the quality of teaching and classroom support are tackled promptly and resolved. Teamwork is a strength as together leaders and managers work proficiently to ensure that improvements in progress and achievement are sustained and constantly added to.

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The leadership and management are good

 Robust systems are in place to review the effectiveness of teaching through the scrutiny of pupils’ work and the learning that takes place in lessons. The headteacher uses this information to decide if teachers are meeting their targets and are eligible for improvements in their salaries or in line for promotion.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides an exciting curriculum that stimulates pupils’ interest and provides a good level of challenge. Teachers have worked hard to develop the curriculum in line with raised national expectations of what pupils should experience and achieve at different ages. Pupils develop good writing skills in literacy lessons, but the curriculum does not always provide sufficient opportunities for them to use these skills when they study other subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. They prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain through well thought-out topics on democracy, elections, the celebration of Remembrance Day, and a range of religious festivals. Assemblies develop pupils’ awareness and appreciation of their own and other faiths such as Islam and Sikhism. Pupils learn right from wrong and develop good social skills such as the safe use of the internet, taking turns and sharing activities during lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders effectively promote good relationships. Equality of opportunity is demonstrated clearly as all pupils are making equally good progress from their different starting points. The school tackles any form of discrimination well and there are no recorded incidents of inappropriate behaviour in the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has carefully reviewed potential new systems to secure a manageable approach to evaluating pupils’ progress and is already in the process of implementing its new assessment process.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders review the impact of pupil premium expenditure rigorously. The funding is used to good effect to support and improve disadvantaged pupils’ academic and personal development through individual and small-group work. Consequently, these pupils are making increasingly rapid progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders make equally good use of primary sports funding to provide additional coaching in a range of sports. They run a wide range of after-school clubs with high participation rates among pupils. These are leading to successes in competitive games, such as football and netball.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s engagement with parents in supporting their children’s learning is very good. Parents are very supportive of the school and appreciate how well staff support their children.  The local authority provides appropriate levels of support and challenge for the school.  Safeguarding procedures are effective and meet legal requirements. Robust systems are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils. Regular training is available to all staff. Risk assessments are exceptionally thorough, for example, with all staff signing that they have read the latest guidance on keeping children safe in education. Checks on the suitability of staff and visitors to work with children are rigorous.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s website meets statutory requirements. It is well organised and information is clearly categorised.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has recently been reconstituted and governors have conducted an audit of their skills. Governors bring with them a wide range of skills from within and beyond education. Those who spoke to the inspector have a good understanding of school performance data and how this compares with other schools.  Governors receive regular reports from the headteacher about pupils’ attainment. They have an accurate overview of the quality of teaching and how it is directly linked to the salary structure of staff. Underperformance is tackled effectively.  They have not always sufficiently challenged the school in the past. Consequently, the headteacher has introduced and implemented a rigorous programme of in-house activities to further develop the skills of the governing body.  Governors are conscientious in the way they undertake their statutory duties. Required security checks

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The leadership and management are good

on adults are recorded and staff are well trained in child protection. Governors make sure safeguarding arrangements meet requirements so that pupils and staff are safe.  The school’s finances are efficiently managed.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is effective and their attitudes to learning are positive. They are courteous, polite and respectful to their classmates and to adults at all times of the school day. The attention of a few pupils very occasionally wanders when teaching does not fully capture their interest. On the rare occasions that pupils are distracted, a quiet word returns them to their studies.

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Behaviour

 There are very few incidents of poor behaviour, and any which do occur are swiftly tackled. Parents say staff are always available, so ‘things are sorted immediately’. The playground is a happy place to be.

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Behaviour

 Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms bullying that can take such as racist and physical bullying. Pupils spoken to during the inspection said that incidents of bullying are rare and are dealt with effectively.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is in line with the national average. The headteacher checks carefully if any pupil is absent on a regular basis and follows this up robustly with parents. As a result, attendance is improving.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.

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Safety

 School leaders, including governors, have established successful systems to ensure that pupils enjoy exciting learning opportunities in school and during educational visits, in a safe manner.

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Safety

 One aspect of safety that is not covered in as much detail is how pupils can protect themselves in more extreme situations such as avoiding becoming part of a gang, carrying weapons, or avoiding radicalisation.  The school has thorough systems to record, monitor and evaluate any incidents that do occur. Strong relationships exist between adults and pupils, creating a positive atmosphere for learning. As a result, pupils are keen to come to school because they feel safe, happy and enjoy their learning.

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Safety

 The effective work that the school has undertaken in relation to e-safety has led to pupils in every key stage having a deep, insightful knowledge of the benefits and dangers of using modern technology.

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Safety

 All parents spoken with during the inspection, those who wrote to the inspectors and those who completed the online survey Parent View, feel that their children are safe and well looked after at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is now good. As a result, pupils achieve well and are highly motivated. Observations of teaching by leaders and the inspector, and evidence gathered from a wide range of pupils’ books, show that all groups of pupils make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is a calm and positive climate for learning in classrooms. Teachers use praise effectively to promote pupils’ self-esteem, which enables pupils to tackle problems with confidence. Teachers expect pupils to work hard and behave well in lessons. Consequently, pupils concentrate hard and strive to do their best.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and ensure they use appropriate language and vocabulary to explain things clearly. Teachers use regular assessments of pupils’ learning to help address any misconceptions and move children on to the next steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Displays in classrooms, corridors and communal areas of the school are attractive. They show the richness of the curriculum and celebrate pupils’ achievements and efforts across a wide range of subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of pupils and generally provide them with challenging work well matched to their different needs. However, observations in classrooms and pupils’ books reveal that very occasionally work is not challenging enough, especially for the most-able pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is promoted well across the school. Pupils say they like reading and are given many opportunities to read in class. Pupils are able to describe with clarity how they would work out unfamiliar words using the different methods they have been taught.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of writing is good. Pupils write confidently and fluently, benefiting from regular opportunities to exchange ideas, talk through and plan how they intend to write. They skilfully apply their knowledge of punctuation and grammar to improve the quality of their stories. However, pupils do not always have enough opportunities to practise and apply their writing skills in subjects other than English.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of mathematics has improved greatly over the last year and is now good. The school accurately identified aspects which could be improved and has invested in new resources and additional training for staff, which are having a positive impact upon pupils’ progress. Opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in other subjects are occasionally limited.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants provide crucial support for learning. They routinely liaise very closely with teachers, assessing the effectiveness of their support to promote good standards of achievement. They are often responsible for specific group tuition, using an effective range of strategies to help pupils who have special educational needs or those who are in danger of falling behind. They are skilled and highly effective in giving pupils a boost to their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. Pupils are enthusiastic about the marking which highlights what they have done well and what they need to do to make their work better. Checks on pupils’ responses to marking, and how they act on advice given in their next piece of work, are thorough.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Strong leadership and improved teaching have accelerated pupils’ progress. Previous gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding are being successfully closed so that pupils are making up for lost time caused by weaker teaching in the past. Consequently, the progress of pupils from their individual starting points is good overall.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Improved teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) is resulting in more children reaching the standards expected for their age. In the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2014, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard was above the national average. The school’s records show a further increase in the proportion of pupils reaching the expected levels in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 At the end of Years 2 and 6 in 2014, pupils’ attainment was broadly in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has worked very effectively during the last year to address a legacy of underperformance which affected the work of some pupils, particularly in mathematics. Standards are rising across the school, with the most rapid improvements currently in reading and mathematics. Standards in reading are rising because of the better teaching of phonics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in writing are rising as pupils gain in confidence and an increasing number are attaining the higher Level 3 at the end of Key Stage 1 and Level 5 in Year 6. However, they do not always have sufficient opportunities to extend their writing skills successfully in subjects across the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in mathematics are improving well, with pupils making rapid progress stimulated by the wide variety of activities now provided for them. However, pupils do not always have enough opportunities to practise and hone their skills in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s most recent assessment records and the quality of work in pupils’ books show that pupils currently in Years 1 to 6 are making consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Good-quality teaching is having a significant impact on achievement for all pupils throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of the most able pupils has also improved and their progress is usually good; however, in some lessons, a few find the work too easy. Although their attainment is rising and the proportion reaching the higher levels of attainment at the end of Year 6 is increasing, leaders recognise there is still scope for further improvement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress of those pupils identified with special educational needs is good. Well-targeted support and planned activities, which match the needs of the pupils, enable them to achieve well over time in their reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 matched that of other pupils in their class in mathematics, but they were over a term and a half behind in reading and three terms behind in writing. Compared with other pupils nationally, disadvantaged pupils were over two and half terms behind in mathematics, a term and a half behind in reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school is effectively closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school. Inspection evidence shows that, in relation to their differing starting points, disadvantaged pupils now make good progress throughout the school. This is because they had their various needs addressed at an earlier stage this year and this has quickened their progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Many children start school with skills and understanding that are largely below those typical for their age. The majority of those who are behind at the start soon catch up. Children go on to make good progress in the early years, because the quality of teaching is good. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development has been improving over recent years and is above average. Children are therefore well prepared for their future learning in Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Disabled children and those with special educational needs are integrated well into all that the early years has to offer. Their precise needs are identified carefully and, with effective support, they make good progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Boys and girls and children from a range of backgrounds, collaborate well. They share their toys, take turns, and sustain their interest in activities for long periods of time.

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The early years provision is good

 Activities in the early years are carefully planned. They develop children’s skills in all areas of learning and meet the needs of different children well. There was a busy, purposeful atmosphere in the Reception class as children explored a range of different 3-D shapes.

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The early years provision is good

 Children really enjoy learning because teaching is good. Teachers plan a wide range of interesting activities. Children soon become confident learners who are able to choose activities for themselves as well as concentrate when activities are led by the teacher.

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The early years provision is good

 Children behave well and clearly feel safe and secure. There are well-established routines to ensure that children are looked after well and kept safe.

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The early years provision is good

 Parents are encouraged to contribute to their children’s assessments. They are made to feel welcome in school and to contribute to various sessions.

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The early years provision is good

 The early years is well led and managed. Staff are effectively deployed and children’s progress is carefully tracked and assessed. There are clear priorities for improving the provision further. For example, the school recognises that the outdoor area is small and rather cramped and opportunities for children to develop their skills are not as good in the outdoor area as those found inside the classroom.

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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 116894 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 456282

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 104 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Hanson Headteacher Melanie Smith Date of previous school inspection 5 July 2012 Telephone number 01568 720216 Fax number 01568 720167 Email address admin@ivington.hereford.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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