Stukeley Meadows Primary School

Stukeley Meadows Primary School Wertheim Way, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 6UH

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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

 Since the previous inspection, the headteacher’s knowledgeable leadership has led to significant improvement. His relentless drive to raise standards is shared and upheld by all staff.  The assistant headteachers are effective in ensuring that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are good. As a result of their strong focus on English and mathematics, outcomes for pupils have improved so that they are now good.  Teaching is good because teachers know their subject well, are passionate about their work and promote very good relationships between pupils and all adults. Teachers make sure that pupils receive precise guidance to help them improve their work.  Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils behave very well and know how to keep safe. They are happy and enjoy coming to school. As a result, attendance has improved and it now matches the national average.  Early years provision is a strength of the school.

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This is a good school

Improvements since the previous inspection have led to excellent outcomes. Children are very well prepared for Year 1, whatever their starting points. The progress and personal development of all children, especially those who speak English as an additional language, are exemplary. With the support of staff, the early years leader ensures that parents are closely involved in their children’s learning.  Governors have a deep understanding of the school’s work. They use this knowledge well to challenge leaders effectively.  Parents are very supportive of the school and express confidence in its leadership. They are encouraged to take part in all aspects of school life.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Most-able pupils are at times given work that is too easy for them. When this happens, progress is too slow and they underachieve.  Pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities make insufficient progress. Their attendance is not good enough.  The progress that pupils make in subjects other than English and mathematics is not sufficiently checked. This means that the quality of work across all subjects is not consistently high.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities by: ― checking the effectiveness and impact of additional support ― working more closely with families to improve attendance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the outcomes of most-able pupils by: ― ensuring that most-able pupils are accurately identified ― setting work that deepens their understanding across all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Monitor more closely pupils’ progress and outcomes in subjects other than English and mathematics to ensure that all work is of a high standard.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has been instrumental in improving many aspects of the school’s work since its previous inspection. Teaching is now good. Provision and outcomes in the early years are now outstanding. Overall attendance has risen from below to matching the national average. Achievement and results in the national tests are much improved. Links with parents and carers are strong.  The headteacher’s confidence in his staff and his current knowledge of educational issues have led to significant improvements. The headteacher is passionate about his own continued learning and encourages teachers to trust their professional knowledge when assessing pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. He is an excellent role model for staff, provides effective training where it is required and is committed to ensuring that the school serves its local community well. As a result, parents and carers say that they have seen the school go from strength to strength over the past two years.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The three assistant headteachers are improving learning and assessment in most subjects. Because the school required improvement they rightly targeted their efforts towards eradicating weak teaching and improving key aspects of provision, such as early years, the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make), reading and writing, as well as mathematics. In these subjects, they check the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievements in great detail. Their evaluations, supplemented by the headteacher’s monitoring, are accurate. However, their work in checking the quality of all other subjects is underdeveloped. The curriculum teams (Values Leadership Groups) are fairly new and the lower-than- expected level of work in a few subjects is unchallenged. Checks are required to ensure that achievement in all areas matches that of the best.  The systems in place to manage the performance of teachers and plan further training are rigorous.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Leaders ensure that good quality of teaching is maintained when staff changes are necessary. They provide good guidance to teachers new to the profession.  The curriculum motivates pupils, who told inspectors that learning was enjoyable and interesting. The emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics ensure that by the end of Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of the key skills that they need to succeed when they move to their secondary schools.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Pupils proudly explain how the ‘Care, Create, Compete, Collaborate’ values of the school are helping them in their behaviour and their learning. Pupils develop a global perspective on moral and cultural issues because of the good range of extra- curricular activities and resources which are available to them. For example, at a very young age in the early years, children learn and play with children who are at the early stages of learning English. Older

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils have many opportunities to reflect on rights, responsibilities and the principles behind modern British values. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for their future lives in Britain.  Leaders and governors use the additional funding for sports and physical education effectively. They ensure that pupils benefit from expert coaching in a range of competitive and collective sports. A particular focus is placed on improving specific skills, such as dance, and increasing the participation of pupils in sports activities outside the school day. Pupils are particularly proud of winning the Hunts Football League for the first time. They also do well in netball.  The pupil premium funding for the small number of disadvantaged pupils is now used more effectively to support their development. As a result, gaps between this group of pupils and others in the school are beginning to close. Senior leaders and governors check the progress of these pupils well. Further

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

monitoring is required to ensure that the additional funding for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is making a real difference to their achievement.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive and appreciative of the school’s leaders. They believe that, as a result of their hard work, the school is much improved and that staff do their very best to enable their children to thrive and learn in a safe, supportive environment.  Soon after the previous inspection, the local authority provided well-targeted support and frequently checked the school’s own evaluations. Senior leaders responded very positively to this external support. Staff are open to sharing effective practice with other schools and the leaders’ capacity to sustain improvement is strong.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The staff’s understanding of the school’s procedures and policies ensure that pupils are safe. Pupils say that they feel safe when they are at school. Senior

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

leaders are approachable and highly visible around the school. Parents and pupils know that any concerns they have will be addressed promptly. All staff have had relevant training. The family support worker ensures that families in need of intensive support are helped at times of crisis.  The governance of the school: ― Governors review their own roles and responsibilities regularly and rigorously. They check the work of the school through frequent visits. Most of these are specifically linked to key priorities of the school development plan ‘The Stukeley Steps’. These frequent checks, alongside meetings of working groups and the more formal work of the governing body, provide a strong, effective structure which governors use to hold leaders closely to account. ― Governors question the school’s leaders effectively because they can understand a wide range of information about pupils’ outcomes. They ensure that funding is spent wisely and that teachers’ pay

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

progression depends on how effective they are in helping pupils make good progress. ― Governors ensure that their statutory duties in relation to safeguarding are met. They sustain good communications with parents and keep their own safeguarding training under review so that they continue to be well-informed of any safeguarding issues.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching is good and, in the early years, it is excellent. At its previous inspection, the school was asked to accelerate learning further. It has done this well, in particular in improving writing, making sure that pupils work hard in lessons and checking that they know how to improve their work.  Teaching is not outstanding because teachers’ planning to meet the needs of the small number of pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities is not sufficiently precise. The work of teaching assistants requires more robust checks. The purpose of one-to-one support or the reasons behind particular groupings are unclear and, at times, not fit for purpose.  Teachers and pupils treat one another with mutual respect. The very good relationships create the right conditions to ensure that pupils feel comfortable and confident when trying to do challenging work.  The focus of senior leaders on securing high-quality training for all teaching staff, particularly in literacy

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and mathematics, has paid dividends. In these subjects teachers plan lessons well and they ensure that resources are available to meet pupils’ needs.  The assessment system, refined since the previous inspection, is used effectively by staff and is providing senior leaders with an accurate picture of pupils’ progress across year groups. However this is not yet fully effective across all subjects. Teachers work collaboratively within school and with teachers in other schools locally to make sure their assessments are accurate. Moderation exercises in English and mathematics are raising expectations of what pupils can achieve.  In the early years, assessment of children’s learning is very effective because it is frequent, thorough and used well to plan the next steps and help children develop further. Speaking and listening are used extremely well to prepare pupils to read and write.  Pupils often engage in a dialogue with their teachers about their learning. In English lessons, in line with

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

the school policy, pupils are given time to act on the advice given and use this time well. In mathematics, pupils often discussed their reasoning with their friends and this helped them solve problems more easily. In English and mathematics, teachers use questioning well to probe pupils’ understanding and encourage them to explain why they had chosen a particular way to write a story or solve their mathematical problems.  There is a consistent approach to teaching reading, ensuring that teachers build on the learning in the discrete phonics lessons. Teachers’ good subject knowledge allows them to pick up on pupils’ errors. Pupils who speak English as an additional language learn to read quickly because staff articulate key words carefully and give these pupils frequent opportunities to practise their pronunciation when reading. The weekly session when pupils read to the visiting ‘Reading Dog’ is a great success.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching in writing has benefited from specific attention since the previous inspection. Leaders analysed assessment information to ensure that weaker aspects were swiftly tackled. They have implemented a systematic and structured approach to teaching writing and teachers are selecting relevant topics to encourage pupils to write at length for a range of audiences and purposes.  In mathematics, a more consistent approach to the teaching of key skills results in improved progress for pupils from their varied starting points. The school is consolidating its work to ensure that girls achieve as highly as boys in this subject.  Teachers and pupils make full use of learning time. In the classroom, pupils move without fuss from one activity to the next. They get ready very quickly to go to their lessons with specialist teachers in physical education and music. Across some subjects, in particular science, history and geography, there is scope

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

to build upon the enthusiasm of the most-able pupils and offer them a wider range of challenging investigations and projects.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils’ personal development is not outstanding because, although pupils respond well to the good teaching, they are not often curious about their learning and rarely ask questions to further their understanding. In addition, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities rely heavily on the support of additional adults. These pupils are not self-assured learners.  Pupils say the school is ‘getting even better’. They enjoy working hard and trying their best. They are successful learners because they are well behaved, even when they complete their work quickly if teaching is less demanding than it could be.  Pupils are happy because they feel safe and are well cared for. Staff have received relevant training and follow correct procedures in response to concerns that they may have about individual pupils. Pupils were

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Personal development and welfare

observed behaving very safely. They understand how to stay safe, including when using the internet.  Pupils respect the views of others. They have a good understanding of the school’s values, and pupils of all backgrounds get on well together. The oldest pupils like to volunteer for jobs. Members of the School Parliament, in particular, enjoy the responsibilities that they are given. Pupils who speak little English make friends very quickly because they are listened to and given time to express themselves.  Pupils are very active. They play well together in the playground and in their physical education lessons. Older pupils are good role models for younger children in the school. They spontaneously hold doors for them and help if they hurt themselves.  Displays around the school show pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, for example, in learning about different faiths and taking part in a multicultural family fun day. Their role as

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Personal development and welfare

good citizens is well evidenced and they join their parents, through the Friends of Stukeley Meadows Association, to raise money for the school and get involved in the local community of Huntingdon.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  In lessons, pupils are very well behaved, they listen attentively to adults and to each other. The school is a calm and orderly environment. As a result pupils learn well.  In the early years, behaviour is excellent. Children are well versed in all the school’s routines. They share toys, respond well to instructions and are more than happy to stop outdoor play to get back to learning.  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying and incidents are rare and nipped in the bud before issues escalate. Bullying and other forms of discriminatory behaviour are very rare. Pupils say that they have no hesitation telling an adult if they need help.  A very small number of parents who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire are concerned about a few cases of bullying. Inspectors found that any incidents are thoroughly investigated. Bullying is not tolerated.  Pupils want to attend school. Attendance is much improved and it now matches the national average.

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Behaviour

Punctuality is very good. The attendance of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is well below that of all pupils in the school. The number of these pupils is very low but the reasons for their persistent absence are not sufficiently analysed.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for pupils have improved and are now good, especially in English and mathematics. The 2015 Key Stage 2 results were the best of the past four years. Senior leaders and governors ensure that pupils make good progress from their starting points. The quality of pupils’ work in books and the most recent assessment information indicate good progress and at least average attainment in a range of subjects. Leaders have accurately identified areas for improvement and their actions have been effective in eliminating the legacy of poor performance.  In the early years, the relentless focus on assessment and development of speaking and listening ensures that pupils make outstanding progress in developing their skills. By the end of Reception in 2015, an above-average proportion reached good levels of development. This was a significant improvement on 2014. Children leaving Reception get off to a flying start in Year 1. Their improved outcomes, particularly

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Outcomes for pupils are good

in reading and writing, ensure that they are now well prepared for the Key Stage 1 curriculum.  Across Key Stage 1, the effective teaching of literacy and mathematics ensures that pupils make good progress. Achievement at the end of Key Stage 1 improved in reading, writing and mathematics in 2015. Pupils in Year 2 are better prepared now for Key Stage 2 than Year 2 pupils were at the time of the previous inspection. The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics check at the end of Year 1 rose significantly from below average to above in 2015. Those pupils who did not meet the expected standard in phonics at the end of Year 1 caught up rapidly.  The 2015 Key Stage 2 results improved significantly on 2014, with 85% of pupils achieving the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics compared with 55% in 2014. Improvement was particularly strong in writing.  Achievement in reading is good. The school uses a range of strategies, such as reading to volunteers, to

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Outcomes for pupils are good

develop pupils’ love of reading. Pupils currently in Key Stage 2 enjoy a wide range of high-quality books and are successfully developing their skills of inference and deduction. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure and make frequent use of the library, including the Huntingdon library for some projects. This broadens their knowledge of different types of books, and complements the scheme-based reading books used in class. By the end of Year 6, pupils are successful readers.  The most-able pupils currently in the school do well in English and mathematics but, in some other subjects, they are not reaching high enough standards. In the 2015 national tests, the proportion who attained a higher than expected level at Key Stage 2 was below average.  With relatively small numbers of disadvantaged pupils in each year group, data about their attainment are not reliable and can fluctuate year on year. The disadvantaged pupils currently at the school make good

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress and leaders are successful in closing the gaps between their outcomes and other pupils in the school and nationally.  The large majority of pupils do well in subjects other than English and mathematics. For example, in physical education pupils take part in a range of competitive sports and achieve well. There are some good displays in school showing good progress in the creative arts and computing. In some subjects, however, evidence of good or outstanding outcomes is limited.  The small number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities make steady progress from their different starting points. However, their gaps in learning are not always quickly identified to review their individual targets. The low attendance of some pupils slows their progress.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make very good progress in response to the close attention teachers pay to the welfare and learning needs of individuals. Some children in Reception arrive

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Outcomes for pupils are good

at the school with a very limited knowledge of English but quickly catch up. In the early years, teachers and teaching assistants are skilled at modelling accurate spoken English. These children try very hard and have an exceptionally positive attitude to learning.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Outcomes for children by the end of the early years have improved significantly since the previous inspection. Children enter with a wide range of starting points but, for most, they are broadly typical of their age. Children make excellent progress in all areas of learning so that the proportion attaining a good level of development by the end of the Reception year is well above the national average. More children are exceeding a good level of development, especially girls. Children are exceptionally well prepared to move on to Year 1.  The assistant headteacher in charge of early years has taken very effective action to improve the quality of teaching. Teachers know the children very well and, with the help of teaching assistants, they assess accurately and frequently children’s starting points in reading, writing and mathematics so that learning can progress swiftly.  Activities, both indoors and outdoors, are interesting, challenging and accessible to all. A strong emphasis

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Early years provision is outstanding

on developing children’s use of speech helps pupils communicate very effectively with their friends and adults. This is especially beneficial to children who speak English as an additional language. These children make rapid progress.  The carefully considered activities and events help children understand the core values of the school from an early age. The well established daily routines and safe behaviour contribute to children’s excellent personal development. The use of a forest school strengthens this further.  The views of parents are taken into account when planning improvements. The parents who spoke to the inspectors appreciate the opportunity to express their views and value the information they receive about their child’s learning.

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School details

Unique reference number 110772 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10001945 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 400 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mark Bingley Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge James Singleterry Telephone number 01480 398060 Website www.stukeleymeadows.com Email address office@stukeleymeadows.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 December 2013

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Information about this school

 Stukeley Meadows is larger than the average primary school. It has two classes in each year group. The early years consists of two full-time Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average and increasing.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium is below average. This is additional funding provided by the government to support disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, pupils from the armed forces and pupils who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities is below average.  The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above average.  There is a breakfast club before school and extended care after school for five days a week on the school site.  Following the previous inspection, a local leader of education and early years adviser supported the

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Information about this school

leadership team. The school also works in partnership with other local schools.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classrooms. Senior leaders took part in joint observations with inspectors and attended all inspection team meetings.  Observations were made of pupils’ behaviour at the beginning of the day, at lunchtimes, breaktimes and when they were moving around the school. Pupils’ behaviour was also observed in the classroom. Inspectors spoke informally with pupils in the playground and the dinner hall.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, governors, school leaders and curriculum teams.  The lead inspector met the school’s local authority adviser and senior primary adviser.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at work in pupils’ books and on display. They observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including minutes from meetings, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and

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Information about this inspection

information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.  Inspectors took account of 47 staff questionnaires and 52 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View). The lead inspector also took account of 33 texts sent by parents and carers. An evaluation of the school’s own questionnaire to parents was also considered.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the day.  The lead inspector visited the morning and after-school clubs.

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Inspection team

Marianick Ellender-Gelé, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Tracy Fielding Her Majesty’s Inspector Paul Copping 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

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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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