Bishop Rawle CofE Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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10 March 2016 Mrs Kate Clowes (Acting Headteacher) Bishop Rawle CofE (A) Primary School Royal Walk Cheadle Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire ST10 1QA

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School

Following my visit with Gill Turner, Ofsted Inspector, and Rob Hackfath, Her Majesty’s Inspector, to your school on 24–25 February 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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School

The inspection was the second monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in May 2015. The full list of the areas for improvement that were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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School

Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

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School

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Interim Executive Board, the Director of Education for the Diocese of Lichfield, the Regional Schools Commissioner and the Director of Children’s Services for Staffordshire County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

 Raise pupils’ achievement and improve teaching by: – making sure all leaders have the skills required to monitor the quality of teaching and learning, and take effective action to bring about improvement where weaknesses are identified – ensuring that the extra funding from the government is used effectively to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2, in order to close the gap between this group and other pupils in the school – teaching reading, particularly early reading, systematically and securely in all classes – improving pupils’ spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting – using assessment information to help teachers set work that provides the correct level of challenge for pupils of all abilities – making sure that all action plans contain clear targets against which the governors can check the impact of the school’s work.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

 Improve leadership, behaviour and safeguarding as a matter of urgency by: – managing pupils’ behaviour consistently and fairly and analysing any incident records for trends and patterns – treating pupils with respect and listening to, and taking appropriate action in response to, their concerns – improving communication with parents so that all parents have confidence in the leadership team to keep their children safe.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

External reviews of governance and of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and governance may be improved.

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the acting headteacher, other leaders, members of the interim executive board (IEB), groups of pupils, parents and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors observed parts of lessons, looked at pupils’ books, heard pupils read and scrutinised a range of documents, including action plans, information about pupils’ attainment, minutes of IEB meetings, attendance and exclusion records, and records relating to safeguarding.

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Context

Since the last monitoring inspection, the arrangement between St Edward’s First School and Bishop Rawle has changed; the executive headteacher no longer oversees Bishop Rawle but acts as a mentor to the associate headteacher, who is now the acting headteacher. One member of staff is on long-term sickness absence and a new teacher has recently been appointed in Key Stage 2.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The acting headteacher and the IEB have made good strides in driving improvement forwards since the previous monitoring inspection. The school action plan and local authority statement of action are rigorously checked and evaluated against the clear milestones set. Analysis at the end of the autumn term shows that the school is meeting the interim targets set in reading and mathematics but not in writing. Leaders’ evaluations of actions taken are precise and accurate. They define where there is notable progress, but also identify where there are ongoing concerns. This demonstrates strong and accurate self-evaluation. Action plans devised by subject leaders are not always reviewed as systematically, so it is unclear which actions are leading to impact and which are not.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Pupils are assessed termly in reading, writing and mathematics. Results are collated by subject, year group and pupil group. This is an improvement since the previous visit. As a result, leaders have a clear overview of the proportions of pupils and different groups working at, above or below age-related levels. Further filtering is needed to quickly see what the gaps are between different groups, especially disadvantaged pupils and others in the school, and if these are closing. Leaders agree this is an ongoing area for development. While a clear picture of attainment has been established, the measurement of pupils’ progress over time is still evolving. Senior leaders carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching. Checks have also been carried out by members of the IEB in order to validate leaders’ judgements. A greater focus is placed on the work in pupils’ books to gauge progress than at the

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

time of the last visit. Subject leadership in some areas is underdeveloped, for example early years and special educational needs or disability. This is partly because of staffing absence and partly because some leaders are new to post. As a result, there is limited impact to date in these areas. Where subject leadership is effective, expectations are high and actions taken are leading to improved outcomes, for example in reading. The strong focus placed on literacy is also leading to accelerated progress in writing. However, less emphasis and time has been dedicated to improving the quality of teaching and accelerating progress in mathematics. Only three training sessions have been dedicated to mathematics since September, compared to 17 training sessions in English. As a result, pupils are making expected rather than good progress in mathematics.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders ensure that additional support is provided for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, these pupils are making similar progress to their peers. However, wide attainment gaps still exist, especially in Year 6. Leaders collect assessment information for this group but have not streamlined this sufficiently to show where gaps are widest or whether they are closing over time. As a result, funding is not always targeted at the greatest area of need. A fully costed statement is published on the school’s website for previous and planned spending of the pupil premium and therefore meets statutory requirements. While provision and support for this group has improved, leaders agree this key issue still needs addressing.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Parents spoken to say that things are improving at the school. They particularly appreciate the visibility and approachability of the acting headteacher. Views expressed to inspectors during the visit show that they feel their children are safe and behaviour issues are now dealt with appropriately. Most parents have positive views of the school, as evidenced through surveys collected by leaders each term. Communication is much improved. The school website is now fully compliant and provides parents with the information required. Regular newsletters ensure that parents are kept fully up to date with school events and changes introduced. ‘Parent champions’ continue to represent the views of the parent forum to school leaders.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The interim executive board is highly effective in holding leaders to account. Members meet with the acting headteacher every month to check on the progress and impact of actions taken towards the removal of special measures. They ask challenging and probing questions during meetings. Precise actions are listed for follow up. They provide good support to leaders and continue to gather the views of pupils and parents to ensure that the school is moving forward. They are resolute and determined to ensure that pupils are happy, feel safe and achieve well.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Pupils are beginning to make better progress because the quality of teaching is improving. Teachers use assessment information to set work at the right level for pupils of different abilities, although activities sometimes lack challenge for the most-able pupils in writing. Most teachers manage behaviour well and some use imaginative strategies, including the use of puppets, videos and drama, to enthuse and motivate pupils. This results in higher levels of engagement. Teachers increasingly provide helpful comments in pupils’ books to help them improve their work. This feedback is not yet as detailed or as effective in other subjects, for example science, religious education or topic work. Where pupils make less progress, the pace of the lesson is often not brisk enough and pupils lose concentration or interest in their work. They drift off-task and consequently complete less work than they are capable of.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Teachers have received significant training in teaching reading. Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is taught systematically in ability groups in early years and Key Stage 1. All classes also have daily guided reading sessions. Children in the early years take key words and reading books home regularly. Older pupils are also encouraged to read daily and are developing good reading habits, for example reading at bedtime. As a result, progress in reading is accelerating and most pupils are working at age-related levels.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

A greater focus and raised awareness of addressing grammar, punctuation and spelling is evident in pupils’ written work. Common spelling mistakes are usually picked up by adults, and pupils practise writing these out correctly. A new handwriting policy has been introduced, with pupils learning to use flicks and joins in their early writing, especially in Year 1. There is good evidence in pupils’ books across the school that a cursive handwriting style is being applied more consistently in daily writing. The presentation of pupils’ work has also improved and most books are neat and well organised. Pupils are proud of their work and pupils in Year 1 were keen to share their written work with inspectors during the inspection. Comments made include, ‘I remembered to use finger spaces’ and ‘look at how much I’ve written’.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Teachers set work at the correct level in mathematics for most groups. Work planned is suitably demanding and complies with the requirements of the new National Curriculum. Pupils in Year 6 can use mental mathematics effectively and can give reasons for their answers. In other classes, teachers explain work clearly but work checked in books shows that there is limited use of problem-solving or reasoning skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders regularly canvass the views of pupils. The most recent survey, in December 2015, showed that the very large majority of pupils felt able to talk to their teacher or the headteacher about any concerns. During the inspection, pupils told inspectors they feel safe at school because behaviour has improved and adults listen to them. However, a small minority still have concerns about the behaviour or manners of other pupils in the school. Pupils and parents feel that behaviour incidents are being handled appropriately and this is evidenced through the behaviour logs and records checked. All incidents are recorded and appropriate actions taken.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils behave well around school and at playtimes. Pupils no longer run in corridors – a concern during the last inspection. They have a good understanding of the behaviour policy in place and are still very keen to earn ‘dojos’ in order to attend the ‘tea at two’ with the acting headteacher. This incentive is successful in promoting good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. However, attitudes to learning and behaviour in lessons are still not consistently good across the school. This is often because teachers accept low-level disruption, constant chatter or calling out. Behaviour attitudes have also been affected in some classes by staffing absence and the weaker teaching of some supply teachers.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders’ careful analysis of and rigorous recording of incidents has enabled them to pinpoint patterns and trends of behaviour. They have a clear knowledge of which pupils are persistent offenders and, as a result, access additional support for these individuals. This includes a managed move to another school for a pupil who had behaviour, social and emotional issues. Staff have received training to manage behaviour and staff collectively monitor behaviour around school, for example reminding pupils to walk sensibly in corridors. There are, however, a number of pupils who are repeat offenders and who still find it a challenge to behave well at all times. Fixed-term exclusions have risen since September because leaders have taken a firm stance and will not tolerate disruptive or violent behaviour.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Attendance of pupils is broadly in line with the national average. However, a large number of pupils do not arrive on time and their punctuality is an issue. Leaders and members of the IEB are aware of this and have plans to address this.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Safeguarding procedures continue to be robust. Staff know the process for reporting concerns about pupils and safer recruitment checks are carried out when staff appointments are made. All staff have received appropriate safeguarding training.

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Outcomes for pupils

The school’s own information and work in pupils’ books show that standards are rising. At the time of the previous visit, only 66% of pupils were working at the levels expected in reading and mathematics. This has risen to 75% and 71% respectively. Additionally, only 25% were at age-related levels in writing, but this has now risen to 39% and is still rising. Overall, pupils are working at age- appropriate levels in reading and mathematics but attainment in writing remains below average across the school. Most pupils are making good progress in reading and expected progress in mathematics. The progress in writing is good in most year groups but is less than expected progress in Year 3. However, actions taken to improve grammar, punctuation, spelling and handwriting are beginning to have a positive impact on writing standards and progress is accelerating.

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Outcomes for pupils

Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make similar progress to their classmates in most classes in reading and writing, but make less progress generally than their peers in mathematics. As a result, there are wide gaps in attainment in mathematics in some year groups, especially Year 2. Provision for this group is improving but the leader, who is new to post, has not yet been able to evaluate the impact of this support.

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Outcomes for pupils

Overall, disadvantaged pupils are making better progress than their peers in reading, similar progress in writing but less progress in mathematics. This is because intervention and support are not always targeted as precisely in mathematics as they are in reading. There are wide gaps in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and their peers in Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Outcomes for pupils

Information is now collected for the most-able pupils. This shows that pupils are making good progress in reading and mathematics but expected progress in writing. This is because the level of challenge is often limited and gaps remain in their use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. However, some common mistakes made by most-able pupils still go unchecked by teachers.

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Outcomes for pupils

Assessment of children’s progress in the early years has stalled. Baseline assessments were gathered at the start of the year for individual children but these have not been maintained. Evidence is available in children’s books of their progress in writing and mathematics but there is little or no evidence of other aspects of their development, especially their physical, personal, social and emotional development. This is an area of concern and needs to be addressed urgently in order to evaluate progress in Reception class. No photographs or records of adult observations were available during the inspection. Teachers’ planning does not show how some aspects are taught, for example ‘understanding the world’. As a result, there is a danger that not all areas of the early years curriculum are covered.

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External support

The local authority has provided effective support to leaders and teachers in the school. It has commissioned a large number of packages to raise the quality of teaching and achievement, for example phonics, literacy planning, and training for support staff. Safeguarding and behaviour audits have also been carried out so that the local authority has clear and detailed knowledge of areas for development. The local authority representative is also a member of the interim executive board, so provides crucial updates and validation of feedback provided by the acting headteacher. There is measureable impact of the support provided in phonics in Years 1 and 2, but less so in early years due to staff illness.

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