Horsley Church of England Primary School

Horsley Primary School The Street, Horsley, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 0PU

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 The headteacher has driven improvement at a fast pace since her appointment following the previous inspection. Her drive and ambition underpin the good and continuing improvement at the school.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Teachers plan interesting and engaging tasks to enable pupils to learn effectively.  Pupils make good progress from their starting points, particularly in reading and writing. They leave the school well prepared for their secondary education.  Governors know the school well. They share the headteacher’s determination to further improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently above the national average at the end of Year 2. Standards in reading and writing at the end of Year 6 are also above the national average.  Relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive. The school’s Christian ethos

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This is a good school

makes a strong contribution to pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.  Pupils behave well in lessons. They are proud of their school and show respect to their teachers and each other.  The headteacher has successfully implemented an effective system for checking pupils’ achievement and progress. Leaders and governors hold teachers firmly to account for the progress of their pupils.  The well-planned curriculum is enhanced by learning opportunities in the outdoor classroom and visits to places of interest.  Pupils who need help with their learning make good progress from their starting points because of the high-quality support they receive.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching and learning in the early years are not yet good. Adults in the early years do not use questioning well enough to check on or increase children’s understanding or to develop their learning.  A few pupils do not make the best possible progress in mathematics. Tasks set do not sufficiently challenge pupils to achieve the highest standards they are capable of.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the provision for children in the early years by: improving the quality of teaching so that all children make good progress in all areas of their learning ensuring adults check children’s understanding during activities the children choose for themselves ensuring adults use skilful questioning techniques to probe children’s understanding more deeply, and thus extend their learning.  Increase pupils’ progress in mathematics by: planning suitably challenging work which builds closely on what pupils already know ensuring teachers’ questioning consistently gives pupils opportunities to think more deeply and develop their mathematical reasoning ensuring pupils are encouraged to respond to feedback provided by teachers, in line with the school’s agreed systems, so that pupils are better able to improve their own work.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher is ambitious for the school and provides a high-quality education for the pupils. She has worked closely with the governing body to drive improvement. Staff are highly committed to the school and resolute in undertaking their responsibility to deliver good teaching and learning to their pupils.  Leaders and governors have accurately identified the strengths and weaknesses in the early years and the need for improvement. As a result of the concerted effort by leaders and staff to improve the quality of teaching and learning, standards rose to above the national average in 2015. Outcomes in communication and language are particularly strong. Leaders and governors continue to drive improvement in the early years because it is not yet securely good.  Horsley Primary school prides itself on being ‘a small school where big things happen’. Pupils are ‘nurtured to grow and thrive’. Staff treat each child as a special individual and they develop and celebrate

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

their interests and talents. Christian values underpin the work of the school. Pupils learn to respect each other and demonstrate tolerance and kindness. No discrimination is tolerated. They have an understanding of other faiths and cultures. This is helping to prepare them well for life in modern Britain and to live in a diverse and global culture.  Leaders of subjects share the headteacher’s high expectations. They have detailed and appropriate action plans in place to secure continued improvement, including in the early years. They frequently check the impact of their work and identify pupils who are falling behind. The English subject leader has supported staff to plan work with relevant links between subjects. As a result, pupils are highly motivated to write and produce high-quality work.  Pupils with additional needs achieve well from their starting points. The special educational needs coordinator carefully plans high-quality support for pupils who need it most. Their achievement and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

progress is continually checked and support adjusted when necessary. As a result, these pupils make good progress and successfully work alongside their classmates in lessons. The school treats all pupils equally, regardless of their abilities or circumstances.  Teachers are held firmly to account for the progress their pupils make. The headteacher sets individual targets for each teacher, which relate to the school’s key priorities. Underperformance or lack of subject knowledge is identified swiftly, and appropriate support and challenge put in place. Teachers visit other schools and attend network meetings to develop their practice. This regular focus on training is helping teachers to improve the quality of teaching and continue to improve pupils’ achievement.  School leaders spend the pupil premium funding wisely to speed the progress and achievement of disadvantaged pupils. They make good use of individual and small group support to boost progress in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

English and mathematics. Consequently, all disadvantaged pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, matching their peers.  The ‘Horsley creative curriculum’ is a strength of the school and supports pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development exceptionally well. Teachers plan subjects to ensure pupils experience a broad balance of subjects. They make good use of visits to places of interest and the local environment to inspire and motivate pupils to learn. High-quality displays of writing throughout the school confirm leaders’ high expectations. Pupils leave the school with the skills and knowledge they will need to be successful learners at secondary school.  The primary sport funding is used effectively to provide a wide range of sporting opportunities. For example, pupils have been encouraged to try out new sports such as cricket, water sports, golf and dance. Many pupils participate in out-of-school clubs and go on to take part in competitions with local

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

schools. The ‘Pulse games’ particularly promoted values such as courage and determination. These special events develop pupils’ emotional well-being and self-confidence.  The school makes good use of the local authority’s support to test out the accuracy of their self- evaluation. Local authority advisers know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. In particular, the early years adviser has visited the school frequently to develop provision in the Reception class. The most recent visit in September 2015 rightly recognised that improvements in early years have been made, particularly in the quality of teaching. Nevertheless, the focus and pace of improvement needs to continue. Diocesan leaders maintain an accurate overview of the school’s progress.  The governance of the school: Governance of the school is good because governors know the school well. Governors visit regularly and discuss and implement actions arising from these visits. They offer support but also challenge to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

hold leaders to account. The governing body receives detailed reports from the headteacher. This ensures that governors have an in-depth knowledge of the school’s academic performance and the quality of teaching. They check that arrangements to manage teachers’ performance are working well. Minutes from meetings confirm that governors drill down into the school’s information to find out how well pupils are achieving. They have a ‘no excuses’ culture. Governors identify underperformance and check the school’s actions are making a difference. Governors make good use of their links with subject leaders. They check pupils’ achievement and progress and know where progress is strong and where improvement is needed, particularly in mathematics and early years. Governors manage a tight budget effectively. They have made robust decisions about staffing based on the needs of current pupils in the school.  The arrangements for safeguarding and child protection are effective. School governors and leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

create a safe culture by continually checking the effectiveness of their policies and procedures. This includes ensuring the school’s website provides safeguarding information for parents. Leaders and governors ensure all staff training is up to date. Governors have attended safer recruitment training to ensure staff newly recruited to the school are carefully and thoroughly checked. They have significantly improved site security to ensure the safety of children in the early years. Governors keep up to date with all current legislation, including their responsibility for protecting children from extreme opinions and views. As a result, they are very knowledgeable about keeping pupils safe and free from harm. Most parents say their child feels safe at this school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching is typically good because teachers plan lessons which interest and engage pupils so they learn well. Staff make learning relevant and fun. For example, pupils in Year 2 used their outdoor learning environment to make mud pies, weighing the leaves, stones, water and mud to develop their understanding of units of measurement. As a result, pupils develop positive attitudes to learning.  Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. Pupils work together in lessons, discussing ideas and challenging one another's thinking. They are not afraid to tackle more challenging work and persevere to complete the set tasks. They know staff will support them and help them move on in their learning. This is having a strong impact on the good progress they make.  Teachers frequently check pupils’ achievement and progress. They almost always plan work sharply matched to pupils’ abilities. However, this practice is not yet well developed in the early years. Teachers

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

in Years 1 to 6 swiftly identify pupils who are falling behind and need to catch up. They carefully plan their interventions to ensure that they quickly tackle any gaps in learning.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. Disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress. Teaching assistants provide skilful support to ensure pupils in their care make good progress in their academic and personal achievement.  Work in pupils’ books confirms pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. Teachers make good use of the detailed assessment information collected each term to plan and adjust their teaching accordingly. This was seen, for example, in a Years 4, 5 and 6 mathematics lesson, where the most-able pupils extended their learning in solving complex problems by using their multiplication skills extremely well. However, the school recognises that the level of challenge in mathematics does not enable every

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

single pupil to make the same good progress.  The teaching of writing is good and inspired by the exciting topics chosen in each class. Pupils write at length, learning to use complex grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. Teachers mark and assess work carefully, opening a dialogue with suggestions for improvement. Pupils respond, often challenging themselves to improve. Work in English and mathematics books confirms this approach is established but not equally successful in all classes.  Pupils become voracious readers and standards are high. The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is systematic in the Reception class and in Years 1 and 2. Children quickly learn to use their knowledge of sounds to read words. Older pupils build on these skills and become fluent and confident readers. Well-trained teaching assistants use their early interventions, where necessary, to ensure pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

catch up quickly.  Teachers use questioning effectively to test pupils’ understanding. They adjust their teaching to suit the wide range of ages and abilities in each class. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were successfully challenged to use adverbs to develop more complex sentences. However, questioning is sometimes used less effectively in mathematics to extend pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are proud to attend this school. Staff are committed to ensuring every pupil receives a high-quality education as well as strong care and support. As a result, the school is a caring and harmonious community where pupils feel safe and valued.  Pupils thrive as a result of the school’s positive approach to promoting good work and behaviour. Work in books, particularly in Years 5 and 6, confirms both the teachers’ high expectations and pupils’ pride in completing high-quality work. This is making a positive contribution to developing pupils’ self-esteem and well-being.  Staff record all behaviour incidents carefully. Leaders follow up the few concerns immediately and review the actions they take. Incidents of discriminatory language or behaviour are extremely rare. Nevertheless, pupils who spoke to the inspector stated that staff take action if pupils feel bullied or

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Personal development and welfare

upset. All staff and governors place pupils’ personal development and welfare at the heart of their work. As a result, pupils feel safe and secure. Most parents who completed the online questionnaire said they would recommend this school to other families.  Pupils have a good understanding of risk and know how to keep safe when using the internet. Parents can access information from the school’s website to support their children’s understanding of managing potential risks. This supports pupils’ personal development extremely well.  Staff receive appropriate training to keep them up to date with all current legislation. As a result, they are knowledgeable about keeping children safe and free from harm.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils take pride in their school and their appearance. Pupils are polite and courteous to all adults and to each other. They treat visitors with respect and are proud to show off their school and their achievements.  Pupils are eager and keen to work hard in lessons, particularly when they are appropriately challenged. They respond quickly to adults’ instructions and learn to ‘persevere and not give up’ when faced with more challenging work. Very occasionally, pupils lose focus when the level of challenge is not appropriate. This slows the pace of learning.  Breaktimes and lunchtimes are happy, sociable occasions. The well-resourced outdoor playground, used at these times, provides a stimulating and exciting place to be. Consequently, pupils learn to play together and develop their social skills. The inspector observed no incidents of poor behaviour during the

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Behaviour

inspection.  Most parents fully support all aspects of the school’s work. However, a small minority question the importance of arriving on time for school. The headteacher insists on punctuality and good attendance and follows up all late arrivals. School leaders recognise the work to improve punctuality needs to continue. Attendance has risen and is now above the national average. There have been no exclusions this year.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Work in pupils’ books confirms good progress, particularly in reading and writing. Teachers ensure pupils develop appropriate skills so that they move into the next year group ready to tackle the harder work. For example, pupils’ work demonstrates progress in developing sentence construction, and spelling, grammar and punctuation. Work seen in Years 5 and 6 mathematics books confirms that most pupils have developed good calculation skills and can apply these to solving problems.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 is typically above average and has been for the past three years. In 2014, most pupils achieved expected or better progress in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2015, pupils also achieved expected or better progress in reading and writing. However, a very small number did not achieve the levels predicted by the school in mathematics. The school is not complacent and has analysed the reasons for this. Teachers swiftly identify where current pupils may have gaps in their

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Outcomes for pupils are good

learning. Staff make good use of their planned interventions to ensure pupils catch up and make at least expected progress. An increasing proportion are now on track to reach their predicted levels.  The proportion of pupils reaching the highest levels in 2014 and 2015 was well above average and particularly so in reading and writing. Work in current pupils’ books demonstrates that the most-able pupils make good progress over time. Leaders are supporting teachers to challenge pupils’ mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills further to ensure outcomes in mathematics match the strong results achieved in English.  Outcomes at the end of Year 2 are typically well above average in reading, writing and mathematics, including at the higher levels. These pupils make strong progress, particularly in reading and writing. Achievement and progress in reading is strong because pupils read widely and for enjoyment. Pupils in

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Outcomes for pupils are good

Year 1 achieved standards above the national average in the Year 1 statutory phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) check in 2015. This is because of focused and improved teaching, across Reception, and in Years 1 and 2. Pupils build on this strong start throughout Years 3 to 6. Pupils confidently use their knowledge of letters and sounds to read and spell unfamiliar words. Older pupils develop a love of reading and use their developing comprehension skills to discuss their favourite texts and authors’ styles of writing.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress from their starting points because they receive effective additional support. Frequent checks on their progress highlight gaps in learning, and additional support is arranged for those who need it.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils currently in the school is good. These pupils make progress similar

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Outcomes for pupils are good

to or better than that of their peers. There are no gaps in their learning to close.  Termly pupil progress meetings are used effectively to examine the current achievement and progress of every child. The follow-up actions are planned well to ensure pupils are given the right help to continue to improve their achievement and progress.  Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. However, on occasion in mathematics, not all teachers closely plan work which enables pupils to build on what they already know.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 The quality of teaching and learning is not yet consistently good. Staff do not effectively support children to develop skills across all areas of learning. They do not question children well enough to check their understanding and extend their thinking and learning, particularly when children choose activities for themselves. This limits their overall learning experience.  Outcomes in 2015 significantly improved in all areas of learning following weak results the previous year. However, this good learning is not evident at all times. The purpose-built early years outdoor learning area is not always used to ensure children learn well. Adults do not sufficiently guide and engage children in their learning to support them in developing their imagination, independence and curiosity. Children are capable of making faster progress.  School leaders make good use of local authority adviser support and advice to strengthen the quality of

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Early years provision requires improvement

teaching and learning in early years. Improved systems are now in place for checking children’s progress. This progress is captured in individual learning journals and being used more effectively to plan children’s next steps in their development. Children are now making faster progress in most areas of learning as a result of these more rigorous systems. They are now well prepared for Year 1. However, this is a recent improvement and not yet fully embedded.  Disabled children and those who have special educational needs are quickly identified and given appropriate support to help them begin to make the progress they should. Teaching staff and parents work closely together to ensure all children settle quickly.  Children enter the Reception class with skills typical for their age. Their communication and language skills are well developed. Children settle quickly and are happy to come to school. They behave well and

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Early years provision requires improvement

listen carefully to instructions, eager to attempt the activities planned for them. Children make good progress in reading. They quickly learn new sounds and soon learn to read simple words as a result of the daily well-structured phonics lesson. The most-able children attempt to read words properly, using their developing knowledge of sounds and letters, and make rapid progress.  Parents have confidence in the school. They are invited into the classroom on a regular basis and are supportive of the good start their children receive. Arrangements to keep children safe have been significantly improved following improvements to the site security. Children are taught to keep themselves safe. For example, they have learnt to sensibly line up and walk safely to lunch and assembly.

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School details

Unique reference number 115685 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10000635 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11

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School details

Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 107 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cathy Sane Headteacher Lisa Brind Telephone number 01453 833625 Website www.horsley.gloucs.sch.uk Email address admin@horsley.gloucs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 31 January–1 February 2012

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school meets the government current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after) is well below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average.  Almost all pupils are White British.  Early years children attend the Reception class full-time.  The headteacher took up post in September 2013.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited seven lessons or parts of lessons, six of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. The inspector also observed the teaching of phonics.  The inspector observed pupils attending collective worship in the church.  The inspector spoke to pupils throughout the inspection. The school council met with the inspector to talk about their views of the school.  The inspector looked at pupils’ work in English and mathematics books to establish the current quality of their work and progress over time.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, the English and mathematics subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the school business manager, teachers and teaching assistants. The inspector met with a group of governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation. This included the school’s improvement plans, the

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Information about this inspection

management of staff performance, information on pupils’ progress, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Account was taken of 32 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.  Questionnaires were returned from three members of staff.

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Inspection team

Catherine Leahy, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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