Cam Everlands Primary School

Cam Everlands Primary School Birch Road, Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 5SF

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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

 The headteacher has implemented a rigorous programme of improvements since his arrival. He has ensured good standards of teaching and learning are in place throughout the school.  Senior leaders have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They share a determination to promote rapid improvements through regular assessment.  Teaching is good. Each pupil’s learning needs are very well known and teachers ensure that all pupils are given individual support and guidance.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and give them valuable advice on how to improve.  Pupils’ outcomes are improving. From their starting points, most pupils make good progress over time.  Disadvantaged pupils make very good progress and achieve outcomes that are higher than average in national assessments. The gap between these and outcomes of other pupils in the school has closed.  Governors are committed to improving the school

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This is a good school

further. They ensure that all aspects for keeping pupils safe are of the highest standard.  Pupils are happy in school. Their personal development, behaviour and welfare are good and they thrive in the caring environment.  Children in the early years are taught well. They enjoy a range of exciting and carefully structured learning activities.  Attendance is very good for the large majority of pupils. Attendance is consistently higher than national averages.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some leaders have more than one area of responsibility, which affects their capacity to bring about improvements.  The most-able pupils in Key Stage 2 are not yet challenged consistently to achieve the high standards of which they are capable.  National assessment results for 2015 in Year 2 and Year 6 showed uneven progress being made by some groups of pupils.  Pupils do not always respond to teachers’ marking by correcting their work or practising the next steps that teachers set them.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to build strategic leadership capacity for sustainable, long-term development by: — ensuring that all leaders with specific responsibilities have the time to carry out their duties effectively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes further by: raising expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly the most able continuing to monitor pupil attainment closely, especially in Year 2 mathematics and Year 6 writing ensuring that the school assessment policy and the marking policy are adhered to consistently throughout the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since taking up his position in April 2014, the headteacher has implemented an extensive programme of improvements. He has ensured good standards of teaching and learning are in place throughout the school and has led a rigorous campaign to improve outcomes for pupils.  The senior leadership team has been extended to include the head of early years and the teacher with responsibility for assessment. Together with the deputy headteacher, they carry out comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning through regular book scrutinies, classroom visits and lesson observations.  The headteacher has taken very effective action to put into place recommendations from the last inspection to improve the tracking of pupils’ progress. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and each pupil’s attainment is carefully recorded and reviewed.  Well-targeted professional development has meant that there is a shared sense of purpose and high

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

expectation throughout the school. All staff work very hard to ensure that pupils make the very best progress possible.  There is a broad and balanced curriculum in place. In addition to numeracy and literacy, topic work for each year is carefully planned to include physical education (PE), science, art, music, geography, history and computing. Extra-curricular clubs offer pupils opportunities to experience activities such as gardening, young engineers, French, singing, and cookery in lunchtime and after-school activities. Pupils can also choose extra music tuition and play instruments including the violin, keyboard and others.  The social, moral, spiritual and cultural curriculum actively promotes a good understanding of British values and positively prepares pupils for life in modern Britain. In assemblies pupils learn about society and the importance of organisations such as the police, hospitals and fire-fighters. They have a good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

understanding of moral responsibilities and have eagerly carried out fund-raising activities for charities, for example for BBC Children in Need through a sponsored ‘big hero’ sleepover in school.  Pupil premium funding has been used effectively to employ additional teaching staff who provide targeted support for disadvantaged pupils. This includes additional support for younger pupils in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and mathematics, plus staff for the breakfast club. As a result, these pupils have made good progress and the gap between them and other pupils in the school has closed.  The sports premium fund has been used to develop pupils’ ability and participation in PE and is having a positive impact. The specialist PE teacher has provided a programme of training to support teachers, increasing their skills and confidence in the teaching of sport. A wider range of sports clubs, including

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

archery, tag rugby and netball, is now available, with a high level of attendance by pupils.  Leadership is not yet outstanding because, although leaders have a sound understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, some have too many responsibilities, which means that they do not have sufficient time to carry out all their duties effectively.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school leadership. They value highly the daily access to their children’s teachers and regular information on their progress. Comments from Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, such as, ’We cannot praise the teachers highly enough’, ‘The headteacher and teachers are great’, and ‘really happy with the school’ are typical. An overwhelming majority of the respondents would recommend the school to other parents.  Thirty-three staff questionnaires were considered as part of this inspection and 100% of staff believe the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

leadership of the school to be good.  The local authority provides effective support for the school, visiting the school every six weeks to monitor progress. It provided guidance for governors and assisted in securing the new headteacher following the last inspection.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school There have been changes on the governing body since the last inspection and several new governors have joined this year. Experienced governors have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in the school. They visit regularly and know about the quality of teaching in the school. They use information on the school’s performance to ask appropriate questions of the headteacher. An identified area for improvement is to bring new governors’ training up to date. Governors ensure that finances are closely monitored and evaluated for impact, particularly the pupil premium and sports premium funds.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Safeguarding arrangements meet all statutory regulations very well. The school works closely with social care services to ensure pupils are safe and has been commended for its exemplary work with looked after children. All staff are routinely trained in safeguarding procedures and they are able to discuss their good understanding of how to keep pupils safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching is well planned and enables pupils to make good progress from their different starting points and achieve well over time.  Reading and writing are skilfully taught throughout the school. Teachers ensure that pupils understand how to structure sentences and give them a range of writing tasks. Pupils are taught how to read and interpret meanings well and they develop skills in reading for pleasure. Reading records and school diaries are used to record progress in reading every day.  Mathematics and numeracy are taught well. Pupils are challenged to reason and solve problems. The work in their books is neat and a high percentage is accurate. The use of tablet computers to support the teaching of mathematics in Year 6, plus online mathematics programmes, contribute to pupils’ good progress.  Additional teachers and teaching assistants in Years 3 and 6 ensure that each pupil’s learning needs are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

very well known. Teachers give all pupils individual support and guidance.  Assessment is a strength of the school. Teachers use marking codes such as ‘tickled pink’ and ‘green time’ tasks, in line with the school’s policy. They give specific feedback to pupils, explaining what they have achieved and the next steps to be followed. Marking is personalised and offers challenge, including to the most-able pupils. However, teachers do not always ensure that pupils respond to their good marking to correct their mistakes and therefore master the next steps, particularly in writing.  The small numbers in Years 1 and 2 phonics classes mean that all pupils can ask for help and receive one-to-one support from teachers, who make sure that pupils understand how to make their work even better.  In Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, pupils’ written work reveals good progress from their starting points. Practical activities in science engage pupils and they are able to reflect on experiments.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching is not outstanding because teachers in Key Stage 2 do not yet make full use of the school’s assessment information to ensure that activities are not too easy for the most-able pupils to be continuously engaged in their learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are confident learners, are enthusiastic in lessons and engage eagerly in learning activities. They have particularly warm relationships with teachers, which means pupils thrive in the caring environment.  Teachers demonstrate good care for pupils’ welfare throughout the school. Values such respect, honesty, kindness and consideration for one another are integrated though all lessons.  In early years, children’s personal development and welfare are particularly good. Teachers encourage children to share and play together well.  Pupils in alternative provision have very good personal care. Their development and welfare are monitored by the headteacher weekly.  Parents believe their children’s personal development and welfare are very good. For example, a parent wrote, ’The care they have given my son has been amazing. As an anxious child, he was made to feel

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Personal development and welfare

safe and welcome; as parents we cannot believe how quickly he has settled in.’

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Behaviour

 Pupils are happy in school and behaviour throughout the day is good.  Behaviour at break- and lunchtimes is particularly good. A large number of pupils take school lunches and the smooth routine shows their high levels of self-discipline and cooperation. Grace is said with the headteacher at the start of their meal and they wait until all the other pupils have finished eating before tidying away.  Pupils have a good understanding of different forms of bullying. They know that name-calling, inappropriate language or any form of discrimination are wrong and that such behaviour is not acceptable. Pupils told inspectors that on the few occasions that bullying happens, they know exactly who to go to with their concerns. They are confident that teachers will resolve any issues when they occur.  The school maintains detailed records of the few behavioural incidents that happen. All staff know each pupil very well and so are able to provide the guidance needed.

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Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is clearly demonstrated in the high attendance figures. Statistics show that attendance is consistently higher than national averages.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes are good because most pupils make consistent progress after entering this school with attainment levels that are slightly below national averages. In national assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, a high proportion of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as a result of good teaching.  In 2015, disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes were statistically better in all subjects than their peers. The proportion of disadvantaged Year 6 pupils making and exceeding expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics was similar to that of other pupils nationally.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and the small number of pupils who speak English as an additional language are given specific one-to-one support throughout the school and they make good progress overall. These pupils make significantly better progress than others in this group

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Outcomes for pupils are good

nationally.  In 2015, Year 6 pupils made good progress and were in line with national averages in reading and mathematics. However, they did not make such good progress in writing. Leaders identified underachievement in boys’ writing and have taken swift action to tackle this. Current school data show that boys are catching up with girls and the gaps are narrowing.  The percentage of pupils in Year 2 achieving the level expected for their age was below national averages in 2015, in mathematics. As a result of good teaching, current data show that most pupils are making good progress and are in line to achieve expected standards.  The number of pupils making expected progress in the Year 1 phonics screening check was below the national average in 2015. Leaders have taken decisive action to improve the quality of phonics teaching and, as a result, current Year 1 pupils are on track to exceed the expected national standard.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The most-able pupils are not consistently challenged to achieve high standards across all subjects.

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Early years provision is good

 The head of early years is a member of the senior leadership team. She is also the leader of Key Stage 1 and leads literacy for the whole school. The leader monitors all areas of early learning regularly and ensures that all children are given a rich, varied and imaginative range of experiences.  Children make good progress. Teachers check each child’s personal, social and emotional development on a daily basis and their days are full of exciting opportunities to learn. Children are interested and motivated by learning activities, including drawing, colouring, writing and telling stories, as well as sums and counting tasks that are carefully planned to maximise new learning.  Learning about phonics is embedded in exciting activities that promote understanding. Teaching and learning are good and children well prepared for Year 1. High expectations are clear and children are rapidly moved on.  Disadvantaged children make particularly good progress because of the one-to-one support they receive.

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Early years provision is good

Pupil premium funding has been used well to provide good levels of staffing, and effective use of teaching assistants ensures that groups and individuals are very well supported. Children are clear about how to ask for help.  Scrutiny of reading records reveals that home–school communication is regular and focuses on progress. The online learning journal ensures that parents are well informed about their child’s development in achieving the early learning goals. It encourages parents to support their children’s ongoing progress at home.  The classroom environment is stimulating, well organised and includes active play activities with sand and water in the outdoor area.  Early years provision is not yet outstanding because leadership capacity is limited by other commitments.

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School details

Unique reference number 115578 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10009229

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ms Annette Heylings Headteacher Mr Craig Jones Telephone number 01453 545452 Website www.cameverlands.org.uk Email address head@cameverlands.sch.gloucs.uk Date of previous inspection 30–31 January 2014

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since April 2014.  This school is smaller than an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is above average. This is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible to receive free school meals and those cared for by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is slightly above the national average.  Children in the early years are taught in one class on a full-time basis.  The school runs a breakfast club and a range of after-school clubs, which were evaluated as part of this inspection.  Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage. There are fewer pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as a second language than in most schools of this size.  The government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and

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Information about this school

progress in English and mathematics, are met and exceeded by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  Inspectors observed learning in 15 lessons covering all classes, including early years provision.  Discussions took place with the headteacher, three governors, senior leaders and the leader for early years, staff and pupils.  Pupils’ work was examined during lessons and a more detailed scrutiny was made of a sample of written work. Pupils read to inspectors and they spoke with pupils throughout the inspection in order to gather their views.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including: policies and records about how the school keeps pupils safe; information about pupils’ behaviour and their learning, progress and achievement; and the school’s evaluation of its strengths and its priorities for improvement.  Sixty-one responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, were considered, together with 33 staff questionnaires which had also been returned. Discussions were held with parents as they collected

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Information about this inspection

or dropped off their children.  The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with the headteacher of Belle Vue Pupil Referral Centre.

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Inspection team

Sheila Crew, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Andrew Buckton 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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