Austrey CofE Primary School

Austrey CofE Primary School St. Nicholas Close, Austrey, Atherstone CV9 3EQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Pupils have not made enough progress from Year 2 to Year 6, especially in mathematics, over the last three years.  The current progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is variable. Interventions are not ensuring that overall, they make enough progress to close the gaps with their peers.  There is a lack of accountability for outcomes and provision for pupils with special educational needs and those who are disadvantaged; governors do not ensure that funding for these pupils is sufficiently well-targeted.  Leaders do not check often enough on the quality of teaching . Consequently, best practice has not been identified to share more widely within the school.  Teaching does not take enough account of the varied starting points and abilities in each year group, especially for middle-attaining pupils.  Children do not made a good enough start in the early years to be ready for learning in Year 1.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The website does not comply with statutory requirements as it contains out-of-date information.

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The school has the following strengths

 The proportion of pupils who exceed the expected level for their age in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 is high.  Parents, staff and pupils are fully supportive of the aims and ambitions of the new headteacher.  Phonics is taught well.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is a very positive feature of the school. Pupils are keen to learn more about the wider world and respect peoples’ differences.  Pupils behave well in school. They develop good relationships with each other and set themselves high standards in their attitude to learning.  The extent to which pupils feel and are kept safe is very high.  Pupils have an extensive range of sporting opportunities including teams, clubs and tournaments through well-targeted sports premium funding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress that pupils make from Key Stage 1 to 2, especially in mathematics, and the progress of children in the early years by making sure that: work is planned to take account of pupils’ different starting points and abilities middle-attaining pupils are given a similar quality of support and challenge as the most-able pupils mathematics tasks for younger pupils are more balanced so that pupils have more opportunities for problem-solving activities teachers use the new assessment system accurately to check how well pupils are progressing so that those falling behind are quickly identified for further support teaching assistants are deployed more effectively so that better use is made of their time when teachers speak to the whole class.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by making sure that: the monitoring of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 is more extensive so that the very best practice can be identified and shared throughout the school tracking systems enable leaders to monitor more effectively how well pupils are doing so they can hold teachers more closely to account for the progress of individuals and groups of learners leaders monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions and support on the progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability there is a detailed evaluation of the impact of spending on the pupil premium and special educational needs governors provide greater challenge to leaders on the progress that pupils are making and hold leaders to account for how additional funding such as that for special educational needs and the pupil premium is spent leaders and governors check that the website complies with statutory requirements and provides up-to-

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

date information including a special educational needs information report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and outcomes for pupils who have special educational needs or disability by ensuring that teachers: consistently plan lessons and activities that challenge them to do well plan interventions which are effective in enabling pupils to catch up rapidly with their reading, writing and mathematics and which demonstrate measurable intended outcomes which can be evaluated track outcomes for these pupils more rigorously so that they can check if progress is more rapid for those pupils identified as at risk of falling behind.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and governors have an overgenerous view of the strengths and weaknesses in the school, given a three-year legacy of below-average progress from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 in mathematics.  Monitoring of teaching and learning has not yet been sufficiently developed in Key Stages 1 and 2 so that not all teachers have been formally observed when teaching. Consequently, some of the best features of teaching have not been shared throughout the school.  Assessment tracking systems are at an early stage of development. They are not yet being used effectively enough to check how pupils are doing, to hold teachers to account for pupils’ progress and identify any pupils at risk from falling behind.  Oversight of the leadership of special educational needs is also underdeveloped. Information on the school’s website is out of date and does not comply with requirements to publish an annual special educational needs

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

information report which complies with recent legislation. The tracking of the progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is not rigorous enough. The impact of funding for additional interventions is not sufficiently evaluated.  An evaluation of the impact of pupil premium for the very small number of pupils who are eligible has not been completed for the previous year.  The newly appointed headteacher has quickly gained the trust and confidence of the whole school community. Parents who responded to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire) and free text, and staff and pupils were overwhelmingly supportive of the new leadership and fully signed up to the direction and ambition for the school to bring about improvements.  Leaders and governors have taken swift action through performance management to address weaknesses identified in the early years provision. This had led to improvements in the quality of the provision and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

children’s outcomes. Leaders have received effective external support and challenge to successfully address this issue.  The curriculum offers a rich variety of subjects that are backed up by a significant number of extra-curricular activities, especially in sport. Pupils spoken to were particularly positive about the artistic and creative curriculum they enjoy. Extra activities such as the ‘tin forest’ led by an artist in residence has successfully promoted pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The sport premium is used very effectively to encourage participation in sport, including team games, specialist coaching and tournaments. The impact of the funding is evaluated and tightly scrutinised for its impact and uptake. Girls confirmed that they have as much access to the full range of sports as boys and this promotes equality of opportunity.  Leaders are inspired by the universal and British values that underpin the work of the school. Austrey lives

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

up to its aim to foster a Christian ethos which encompasses the whole community and builds strong links with the church, for example through the whole-school mother’s day service.  Almost all parents who responded to Parent View said they would recommend the school to another parent.  The governance of the school Information provided to governors does not consistently give them a full enough picture of pupil progress. Consequently, they are not able to challenge leaders sufficiently for the progress that pupils have made over the last three years from Key Stage 1 to 2. Governors have not sufficiently held leaders to account for the provision and outcomes for pupils who have special educational needs or disability, or the impact of funding for these pupils and pupil premium funding. Governors have not checked that information published on the website meets statutory requirements and is up to date. Governors are experienced and know the school well. They have ensured that the strong Christian ethos

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

of the school has been maintained. Governors are well trained and rigorous in holding leaders to account for safeguarding.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders, governors and staff are well trained to identify any concerns. A culture of vigilance runs through the school. Record-keeping is detailed and risk assessments are carried out in a timely manner. Parents, staff and pupils all agreed that this is a significant strength of the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Work is not sufficiently planned to take account of the different ages and abilities in each class. Pupils in the middle range of ability do not receive sufficiently challenging work or support. Teachers sometimes miss opportunities at the start of lessons to check what pupils already know.  Younger pupils do not receive a wide enough range of activities in mathematics. There is an over-reliance on worksheets at the expense of problem-solving tasks.  Intervention and support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability and others who need to catch up is highly variable in its impact on the progress individuals make over time. Teachers do not consistently set tasks that are challenging enough for them, or check carefully enough the progress they are making. Plans do not sufficiently set out measurable intended outcomes for these pupils which can be evaluated.  At times, additional adults are underutilised when the teacher is speaking with the whole class.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The new assessment system for pupils in school is at an early stage of development and is not yet giving an accurate enough picture of how well pupils are progressing.  Work is planned well in some classes for the wide range of abilities and ages and additional adults are deployed well for the least and most able.  Older most-able pupils are challenged to do well in mathematics tasks by teachers and additional adults, for example through extended work on interpreting more complex graphs.  Questioning is open-ended – which gives pupils the chance to explain their answers at length, using extended vocabulary, and give reasons for their replies.  Marking and feedback to pupils is helpful to pupils as it gives them a clear idea of how they can improve their work. Pupils, including younger ones, are developing their skills in providing written feedback to each other.  Tasks set, such as imagining battle scenes or the Palm Sunday story often engage pupils’ enthusiasm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is taught well and this enables pupils to apply their skills in reading.  All parents who responded to Parent View agreed that their children were taught well. A very small minority who responded with free text had some well-founded concerns about the level of challenge of the work set at times.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. According to one parent who responded by free text, the school focuses on core values of behaviour, respect and community.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well through lessons and assemblies. Pupils are engaged in a range of fundraising activities including for food banks. They are mature in discussing recent world events.  They have had experience of democracy through elections to the school council and are aware that families come in many different shapes and sizes. They fully respect others’ differences when they have the opportunity to meet pupils from different backgrounds at events and tournaments.  Pupils spoken to were keen to learn more about other cultures and faiths following recent work on different religions, including visits to places of worship, and a study of countries including India and Egypt. They have

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Personal development and welfare

inquisitive minds and an openness towards diversity.  Pupils say that bullying is very rare. They are aware of the different forms it can take and who to report to should instances occur. They reported that they feel very safe in school and know what to do in potentially unsafe situations. They gain this knowledge through activities such as internet safety day and fire drills.  All parents who responded to Parent View agreed their children were safe and happy in school. A large majority also said their children were looked after well. Pupils spoken to confirmed this.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils conduct themselves well in and around the school. They move into and out of assembly and the dining hall in an orderly fashion. They are polite and helpful.  Pupils thrive in the atmosphere of this small school where everyone knows each other. They enjoy coming to school. They respond well in lessons and are enthusiastic about their learning. They remain resilient even in instances where a task is undemanding or too difficult.  No pupils were persistently absent in the last academic year. Attendance is above average and improving. Incidents of lateness are rare.  Pupils reported that there were a few isolated incidents of poor behaviour and when they did occur they were dealt with effectively. Inspectors did not see any incidents of misbehaviour or low-level disruption during visits to classes.  Pupils were involved through the school council in devising the rewards and sanctions for the school’s

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Behaviour

behaviour policy. They like the colour cards for sanctions which they say are effective, and enjoy the rewards assemblies.  The very large majority of parents who responded to Parent View agreed the school manages behaviour well and deals effectively with bullying.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 The progress that pupils are making varies within and across year groups and between subjects. Evidence from pupils’ books indicates that current pupils are not making as much progress in mathematics as they are in reading and writing, especially younger pupils in Key Stage 2.  The progress made by the very small number of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is highly variable, with some making little or no progress since September while others have done very well. Systems for tracking their progress do not pick up quickly enough those who have fallen behind and need to catch up. Some interventions are focused on emotional well-being rather than academic progress.  Pupils have not made enough progress overall and particularly in mathematics from Key Stage 1 to 2 over the last three years. Consequently, pupils do not build sufficiently on the above-average outcomes they achieve at the end of Year 2. By the time they left Year 6 in 2015 they had achieved broadly average

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

standards overall and below average standards in mathematics.  The school’s new tracking system is at an early stage of development and half-termly assessments have led to variations in the progress of pupils recorded as teachers get used to the new assessment descriptors.  Older pupils in the school are making rapid progress, especially the most-able pupils. As a result of a good level of challenge, a high proportion of the most-able pupils left Year 6 achieving above average levels in reading, writing and mathematics in the most recent tests.  The proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in Year 6 in the most recent assessments in writing and spelling, punctuation and grammar were above the national average. Consequently, they are well prepared for secondary school.  Outcomes are consistently high for pupils at the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. In the most recent assessments, the proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding national expectations was high.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 The proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in phonics in Years 1 and 2 is consistently above average.  Almost all of the parents who responded to Parent View and provided free text agreed that their children were making good progress in school although a very small minority had well-founded concerns that in some year groups work is not pitched at the right level and so their children do not make as much progress as they should.  There are too few disadvantaged pupils across the school to make a judgement on the progress they are making.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Outcomes in the two previous years and recent monitoring information provided by the school indicate that until Christmas 2015 there were weaknesses in the provision for the early years. The proportion of children who reached a good level of development by the time they left Reception in the last two years declined and was very low compared to the national average. Consequently, children who joined Year 1 in September 2015 were not well-prepared for the next phase of their education.  Newly appointed leaders quickly identified weaknesses in teaching and outcomes. Previous baseline assessments were found to be inaccurate. Supported by governors and external advice they have intervened rapidly to address the situation. Staffing changes in January 2016, although very recent, are beginning to have a positive impact on the progress that children are making. Learning journals have been introduced to

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Early years provision requires improvement

provide a good source of evidence to support children’s progress and to strengthen partnerships with parents. Assessment is now rigorous and accurate. The very large majority of children are now on course to reach a good level of development by the end of Reception.  The early years environment is bright and lively and provides a wide range of activities for pupils inside and outside of the classroom. There is a high level of well-qualified staff. Work is appropriately challenging for the Reception pupils who are taught in a mixed-age class with Year 1 pupils.  Routines and high expectations of behaviour and conduct are well established. Children are enthusiastic in their learning.  Children apply their reading skills to texts well as a result of the good phonics teaching they receive. They cooperate well with each other during tasks in taking turns and sharing resources. They respond well during

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Early years provision requires improvement

story-telling sessions and enjoy taking part in role play.  There are too few disadvantaged children in the early years to comment on their progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 140125 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 10011172 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 80 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Reverend Stephen Banks Head teacher Mr Lee Kilkenny Telephone number 01827 830248 Website Austrey-ce-school.co.uk Email address Lee.kilkenny@heartwoodmat.co.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 October 2010

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Information about this school

 Austrey is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is about one in 17, well below the national average. The proportion with a statement of special education needs or education, health and care plan is well above average.  The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the average nationally. No pupils have been identified whose first language is not English.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority) is well below average.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school mid-way through a key stage is above the national average.  Austrey converted to become an academy school in September 2013. It is one of four schools in the Heartwood Church of England Academy Trust. When its predecessor school, also known as Austrey CofE

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Information about this school

Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2015 to lead Austrey and another school in the trust. He apportions his time equally between the two schools. The Chair of the Governing Body was in post in the previous school. He is currently Chair of the multi-academy trust as well. A new deputy headteacher post was established at the same time that the headteacher joined the school. The special educational needs coordinator works across two schools in the trust, spending a day a week at Austrey. Two part-time early years teachers left in December 2015 and have been replaced by a full-time teacher.  Pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes. Year 4 pupils are split across two classes, by age.  The school is supported by a school improvement adviser who is linked to the partnership.  There has been a falling number of pupils on roll since the last inspection.

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Information about this school

 Based on their unvalidated 2015 results, the school meets the government’s 2014 floor standards. These are the minimum standards expected for pupils’ learning and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed six lessons or parts of lessons, all of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors made a number of other short visits to lessons and other activities, for example to look at pupils’ books or intervention programmes.  Inspectors heard pupils read during lessons and also observed phonics sessions.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, other members of staff, a group of pupils, three members of the governing body including the Chair and Vice-Chair and a representative from the multi-academy trust.  There were 39 responses for inspectors to take account of through the online questionnaire, Parent View and 35 Parent View free text responses.  Inspectors also reviewed a staff questionnaire completed by five members of staff.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents, including the school’s

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Information about this inspection

own self-evaluation, improvement plan, school information on pupils’ recent attainment and progress, behaviour and attendance information, policies and procedures including special educational needs, pupil premium, sports premium, safeguarding, child protection and behaviour.  Inspectors reviewed the minutes of the recent governing body and multi-academy trust meetings.

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Inspection team

Mark Sims, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Martin Pye Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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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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