Cotgrave CofE Primary School

Cotgrave C of E Primary School The Cross, Cotgrave, Nottingham NG12 3HS

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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

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Pupils now make good progress from the early years through to the end of Year 6. This means that they now reach standards which are rising above average.  Year 1 pupils continue to reach above average standards in the national phonics (letters and their sounds) screening check.  The quality of teaching has improved and is now good. Teachers correct pupils’ work with meticulous detail and show them how to improve.  School leaders have acted quickly on improvement advice and have been effective in bringing about better teaching and outcomes in the school.  Pupils behave well in class and around the school. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good.  This is a very caring school. Pupils’ personal development and welfare retain a high priority. Safety is important to all staff.  Governors have developed and improved their skills. They know the school well and frequently ask challenging questions.

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This is a good school

 The early years is a strength of the school. An above average proportion of children achieve a good level of development and are prepared well for learning in Year 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not always given the time in lessons to reflect on marking comments. They do not always know what they are aiming for in order to improve their work.  The school ‘culture of ambition’ and raising aspirations is in its early stages.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to raise achievements and boost outcomes across the school, by ensuring that teachers: regularly allow time in lessons for pupils to reflect on marking comments and make their responses encourage pupils to refer to the new reading, writing and mathematics bookmarks so that they know what they are aiming for in order to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that school leaders and governors continue to sustain a high profile of ambition and aspiration within the school by: making sure that this is communicated to all teachers and staff and continuously linked with the quality of teaching, challenge for pupils and their achievements.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and governors are ambitious for the school and have acted on improvement advice to bring about a series of positive changes. They work effectively together and have been successful in creating, ‘a culture of ambition’ and higher expectation.  The sharpness of the school improvement plan, with clear milestones and staff accountabilities has focused attention on the key priorities and led to better outcomes across the school. Leadership is now shared and all staff contribute to improvements. Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas which could improve further.  The leadership of teaching has improved and the quality of teaching is now good. Underperformance has been tackled and weaker teaching eradicated. The headteacher is passionate about sustaining the highest quality practice and makes sure that this leads to good progress.  Leaders are committed to helping pupils to improve, and strive to implement and secure new strategies,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

which involve pupils in their learning. They understand that these are not yet completely engrained in all classes.  Staff are fully supportive of the changes within the school, and those responding to questionnaires and informally commenting during the inspection expressed their unanimous support for the ‘step change’ and improvements.  The school is a friendly, productive environment where all pupils get along and are fully accepted and included. Pupils are treated equally and feel valued and respected. They, in turn, show their respect and regard for each other and there is no discrimination.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well and is particularly committed to offering all of the Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils a week-long residential to one of three different locations each year. This impacts on their personal development, resilience, confidence and social skills

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and forms a platform for future topic work back in school. Pupils learn about living in modern Britain through assemblies, trips and visits to different places of worship. Their knowledge and sensitivity towards other cultures is well developed.  The school curriculum provides many opportunities to learn, develop and use skills across different subjects. Topics are chosen which attract pupils’ interest and teachers plan a variety of activities to enhance and use pupils’ skills. An example is the topic of the Second World War, which included music linked with Morse code and a design technology task to make air raid sirens. High levels of interest and engagement have contributed to good progress in all subjects.  The additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to boost their personal and learning skills. Pupils have full access to all trips and gaps in attainment are quickly closing across the years. These

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils make good progress, in line with others in the school.  The additional funding for primary sports and physical education is used very effectively. Pupils actively participate in a wide range of sports and all have a weekly swimming session. Pupils leave able to complete a minimum distance of generally 1000 metres. The school is set to add a new challenge activity, open water swimming for those keen to push themselves further.  Parents are fully supportive of the school and regularly express this through the school’s ‘two stars and a wish’ feedback. They attend workshops and the Parent Teacher’s Association is a proactive body within the school.  The local authority provides effective support through reports, visits and specific advice. The partnerships with other schools have also been beneficial in moderating pupils’ work and developing the new culture across the school.  The school is in a strong position to continue to improve further.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school: Governors have improved and enhanced their work with the school since the last inspection. They have completed a thorough audit of their skills and used this to develop a very tailored training programme. They have re-organised their structure and deliberately created a strategy and standards committee with pupils’ progress at its heart. Governors are linked with specific school leaders and now ask more challenging questions and hold them to account over important aspects of the school’s work. They understand achievement information and readily tie this in with the quality of teaching seen on visits to the school and how well pupils learn. Governors contribute to the school improvement plan and understand the strengths and areas where the school could improve further. They hold staff to account and are actively committed to helping the school to be the very best that it can be. They are fully supportive of the new culture of ambition.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Governors have good insights into how additional funds to boost the uptake of sport across the school are used. They receive regular reports from the senior teacher in charge of sport and see how the use of specialist coaches has enhanced pupils’ experiences and teachers’ skills of a range of different activities. Governors look closely at information on how pupil premium funds are spent and match the appointment of a specialist, senior teaching assistant with the successful closure of in-school learning gaps for these pupils. Governors are aware of the increased numbers of pupils in the school with additional needs and are highly committed to providing more adult support for them in and out of class.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders have well-established partnerships with parents, carers and external agencies. They rigorously follow local authority guidelines to ensure that all

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils are supported and feel safe. Governors’ safeguarding and child protection training is sharply up to date and they understand the importance of keeping pupils safe. Governors recognise their role in maintaining a high level of importance in this area. They know precisely what to do in the event of a safeguarding concern.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching is now consistently good in all classes across the school, leading to good rates of progress in all subjects.  Teachers and supporting adults know precisely what pupils need to help them learn. Teaching assistants skilfully lead additional support sessions within and outside the classroom. This enables pupils with additional learning needs, those who are disadvantaged and the most-able pupils to learn effectively and make good progress.  Teachers offer good quality verbal feedback on how pupils can improve their work and are meticulous in correcting spellings and addressing misconceptions through their marking of work in books. This has become a strong feature across the school and contributed to improving standards for all pupils.  Pupils now have ‘bookmark’ cards for each subject and these show them what they must include in their work in order to reach the highest standards. They are also encouraged to read and respond to teachers’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

comments when work is returned to them. Pupils are keen to do their best and are responsive to the changes, however the rigour and discipline of allowing the time to respond and refer to bookmarks is not yet an integral part of every lesson.  Teachers fill lessons with tasks and activities which pupils find interesting, and often link with their own experiences. Year 4 pupils reflect on a recent visit to the Norfolk coast, while listening to a poem and consider how they would feel if left alone at sea. This sets the tone for them to successfully re-write parts of the poem, using their own, emotive, adverbial phrases.  Adults know every pupil well and positive relationships encourage a harmonious and productive learning environment in every classroom. Pupils take great pride in the presentation of their work and strive to achieve the accolade of a pen licence for producing consistently neat handwriting.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils read well and enjoy reading. Visits to the local library and good use of the school library have contributed to this. Teachers encourage them to use their phonics skills to decode and unravel complex words. Lessons provide many opportunities to read and pupils now reach above average standards.  Mathematics is taught well and pupils have good resources to check their number facts before tackling mathematics problems. Teachers use and explain mathematics vocabulary so that pupils understand more clearly what they are trying to do. In a Year 5–6 lesson, much attention was paid to explaining and demonstrating ‘equivalents’ so that pupils were able to represent fractions in several different ways. A challenge activity to work out and order fractions, percentages and decimals was tackled by the most able with confidence and skill.  Homework is regularly set which enhances learning begun in class. Pupils and parents expressed their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

support for this and two of the school councillors even suggested that they would like more.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are keen learners; they listen attentively in class and show great respect for their classmates and all adults within the school. The school’s growing ‘take care’ ethos is a key contributor to this.  Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They also value the workshops which the school provides for their parents. School councillors commented on how pleased they are to be learning about electrical safety, as this will help them ‘outside school too’.  Any form of bullying is exceptionally rare in the school. Pupils agree and school records show that, on those few occasions, incidents are quickly dealt with and resolved effectively by the headteacher.  Pupils’ emotional wellbeing is at the heart of the school’s work and intertwined with its Christian ethos

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Personal development and welfare

and values. Staff appreciate that the size of the school allows them to get to know each individual pupil. They use this knowledge to great effect when supporting those with additional needs. Because of this, pupils learn and achieve well.  Pupils participate regularly in many sporting activities. They understand the importance of healthy active lifestyles and make changes to the school menu to ensure that a variety of healthy choices are available. The school has gained a nationally recognised award for leadership in sports and has established its own school sports council to lead, manage and officiate at events.  Pupils understand how British values relate to everyday life and show this through their actions and attitudes towards each other. They have good knowledge and awareness of the beliefs and cultures of others living in Britain today.  Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their learning and behaviour towards others through assemblies,

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Personal development and welfare

religious education and events in the local church. As a result of this, they say that pupils in the school all get along well and are kind to each other.  Older pupils willingly pair up with younger ones, accompany them out of assembly and look after them at playtime. They say that they enjoy helping them and ‘teach them good manners’.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils in all areas of the school show their impeccable manners and treat each other and staff with great courtesy and consideration. They wear their uniforms with pride and take care over the presentation of their work.  The inspector noted that there was virtually no low-level disruption seen in lessons or around the school during the inspection. This is echoed in the school’s own behaviour records.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are growing in their beliefs about what they are capable of achieving. They regularly show high levels of interest and engagement and a keen desire to improve their understanding. In lessons, they are attentive to their teachers and adults leading them. Pupils’ attendance remains high and they arrive in school on time, keen and ready to learn.  Staff and parents who responded to questionnaires all unanimously agreed that behaviour in the school is

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils now make good progress throughout the school and achieve well in each key stage. Key Stage 2 national test results for the last two years show that all pupils make expected progress levels, with an above average proportion making more than expected progress. This is consistent in reading, writing and mathematics.  Attainment has risen through Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2. More pupils now reach higher levels in their reading, writing and mathematics. There has been a drive to challenge pupils further and this has contributed to their improved results.  By the end of Year 6, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is consistently rising above average. The most-able pupils reach the higher levels in all subjects. They are regularly given challenging work in class, which they confidently tackle and get right.  The small number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs in each class make good

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress in line with their peers in school. They receive good support both in and out of class because their needs are understood and identified early on.  In 2015, the very small number of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 made good progress in line with their peers. Their attainment also improved and, compared with the previous year, in-school gaps are successfully closing. There are too few pupils to make a reliable comparison in levels of attainment. Additional funding is used effectively to provide the support of a highly skilled, senior teaching assistant, and well as to fund school trips, including a week-long residential, and to enable pupils to participate fully in all aspects of school life.  The teaching of phonics is good and pupils consistently reach above average standards in the national phonics check each year.  Standards are rising across the school because there is now a greater emphasis on challenge and raising

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Outcomes for pupils are good

aspirations. Year 6 pupils leave well prepared for their next steps, ready to start their secondary education.

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Early years provision is good

 Children enter the early years with different pre-school experiences and a range of skills which are generally below those typical for their age. Results in the last two years show that an above average proportion of children reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year and are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  The number of children in early years is small and staff get to know them very well. A visit to each child in their pre-school setting before the year starts, coupled with Friday afternoon transition sessions in school, help to build early positive relationships.  Early years staff form a cohesive team and their insightful knowledge of the children enables them to quickly identify and provide support where it is needed. As a consequence, all children make good progress from their starting points, and leave with a good range of skills and positive enjoyment for

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Early years provision is good

learning.  School leaders have established effective systems to check that planning and delivery of information across the different areas of learning are closely linked to how well children are achieving. This ensures that teaching is of typically good quality.  Early years staff plan engaging activities which capture children’s interest and are suitably stretching for all abilities and needs. Within the classroom and outside, resources and tasks are set out to reinforce learning and children have several to choose from. Following on from the story of the gingerbread man, children were given various choices to extend their learning. Several made their own gingerbread men, using play dough and cutters, then lined up and counted how many were running away from the fox. Others dressed up in masks and talked about the story with their classmates, further developing their early communication skills. There are good opportunities to practise phonics and early writing, which they

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Early years provision is good

embrace willingly. This helps them to reach a good standard by the end of the year.  Routines are quickly established and children know what adults expect of them. They behave well and respond to adults’ prompts and reminders, so that the classroom remains a harmonious and safe place to learn.  Parents are welcomed into class and kept well informed by regular progress updates. The new electronic system for recording children’s achievements will enhance this further and equip staff and parents with even more current information. This means that they can be more involved in helping children to develop their skills and knowledge in preparation for the year ahead.

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School details

Unique reference number 122797 Local Authority Nottinghamshire Inspection Number 10009097 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 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 96 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Barclay Headteacher Craig Moxham Telephone number 0115 989204 Website www.cotgrave-pri.notts.sch.uk Email address office@cotgrave-pri.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5 March 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school and the number of pupils has increased since the last inspection.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and, therefore, supported through the pupil premium is average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are in the care of the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above the national average.  The early years consists of children in the Reception year. All pupils are taught in four mixed-age classes, each covering two year groups.  Since the previous inspection, the school has become part of a collaborative partnership with local church schools. The school has also formed a separate partnership with a local outstanding school.

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Information about this school

 The school shares its site and some of its facilities with a Sure Start children’s centre. This is inspected and reported upon separately.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector observed eight lessons and three different phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) sessions. All were jointly seen with the headteacher.  The inspector observed support in class for pupils who need additional help with their learning, listened to readers and attended a whole-school assembly.  The inspector looked closely at pupils’ work in every class and did some of this jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector spoke informally with parents at the start of each day and took note of their views through the 25 responses to the online Parent View survey. She also looked at the school’s own regular parents’ feedback, known as ‘two stars and a wish’.  The inspector spoke informally to pupils around the school and met with a group of school councillors for a discussion about their experiences of life in the school.  Staff returned nine questionnaires during the inspection and these were analysed to gain their views of

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Information about this inspection

the school.  The inspector met with two governors, spoke with a school adviser on the telephone and held discussions with senior school leaders responsible for checking English, mathematics, the early years and for coordinating special educational needs.  The inspector checked school documentation on attendance and behaviour and looked closely at pupils’ current progress and the monitoring of safeguarding. She looked at records of governors’ meetings and how the school manages staff performance.

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Inspection team

Aune Turkson-Jones, lead inspector Ofsted 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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