Ongar Primary School

Shelley Primary School Milton Crescent, Shelley, Ongar, Essex CM5 0FF

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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, along with other leaders, has successfully improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. This has resulted in improved pupil outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.  The governing body now has a good knowledge of all aspects of its role and duties. It competently holds leaders to account for the continued improvement of the school.  Attainment in key stages 1 and 2 is improving. This is ensuring that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is due to more effective teaching that meets all pupils‟ needs.  Teachers plan skilfully across a range of subjects to motivate pupils. Due to this, pupils are making accelerated progress.  The curriculum is strong. It is planned to enable pupils to achieve success and deepen their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils are well cared for and safe. Staff carefully

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This is a good school

assess what each pupil needs and make sure the support they provide makes a difference to pupils‟ well-being, and consequently their learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Newly appointed leaders of early years and mathematics have not yet had enough time to fully implement all actions that will raise overall attainment even more.  Although children now make good progress in the early years, some boys are not making rapid enough progress to enable them to be ready for Year 1.  Not all teachers use the school assessment system precisely enough to check some pupils‟ engagement and progress in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop and refine the good work of some new leaders to continue to increase pupils‟ achievement in the early years and in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the number of boys who reach a good level of development in the early years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure all teachers carefully check pupils‟ learning and adjust the work where necessary so that pupils:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

retain high levels of engagement and interest in their learning achieve as much as they can in their lessons.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders, including governors, are having a positive impact on improving the quality of teaching and raising pupils‟ attainment. There is a shared vision that promotes high expectations, enables good teaching and ensures pupils achieve well.  All leaders are passionate about the subjects they lead. They have grown in confidence and are developing effective leadership skills. They produce action plans that link to the school improvement priorities with clear criteria for success and a good awareness of how the school can continue in its ambition to attain excellence.  Leaders react quickly and effectively to emerging issues. They have implemented new assessment procedures, which helps them to identify early any pupils at risk of falling behind. Regular meetings are held between senior leaders and class teachers. At these meetings, the progress of each individual pupil is reviewed and staff make plans for how any potential underachievement will be addressed. Leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

work alongside teachers, providing additional support which enables pupils to catch up and make good progress.  Leaders check on teachers‟ performance scrupulously. Challenging targets are set for staff that are linked to whole-school priorities and pupils‟ achievement. Senior leaders review how well teachers are meeting their targets on a regular basis and take action where necessary. This ensures that there is a continual ambition to improve and undertake training. Teachers welcome the ongoing training and support provided by the school. This improves the quality of their teaching.  The curriculum is carefully planned, well organised and engages pupils in their learning. It takes account of the fact that pupils in key stage 2 are learning in classes with mixed age groups. Leaders review and adapt their provision to take account of changes to the national curriculum. Creative topics such as „Quirky Queens‟, „Field to Fork‟ and „Petrifying Punishments‟ provide an appealing, rich and varied

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

curriculum. This is supported by numerous visits. Every opportunity is thoughtfully taken to allow pupils to apply their basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. For example, topic portfolio books show children‟s application of skills when putting mathematics into rhyme and writing applied to „Raging Rivers‟ in geography. The books also detail pupil visits to mosques and synagogues, and the school‟s work celebrating important days, for example, at a national level, VE Day; and within the school the focus on science when pupils spent a day „being scientists‟.  The school is inclusive and responds quickly and effectively to pupils‟ special educational needs or disability. Additional support is given regularly to help pupils to catch up. In addition the school uses external support well and tailors it precisely to pupils‟ learning needs. Consequently, pupils with special educational needs or disability make good progress from their starting points.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Pupils understand British values. For example, they learn about democracy when electing the school council, and whole-school debates take place on a regular basis. Pupils talk knowledgeably and excitedly about the debates, which include topics such as whether pupils should wear school uniform, or if pupils should be asked to do homework. These opportunities prepare pupils to understand the democratic process and the importance of equality. This prepares them very well for life in modern Britain. As a result, the school develops spiritual, moral, cultural and social awareness well.  Leaders use their additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils well. Highly effective one-to-one tuition, targeted intervention, and a focus on the specific needs of each pupil have ensured that these pupils make good progress from their starting points and attain as well as their peers.  The primary sports funding provided to the school to support the development of sport has been used

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

effectively. A specialist sports teacher provides high-quality leadership of physical education (PE) and staff training to improve teachers‟ skills. Additional after-school and lunchtime sports clubs, such as netball, football, cheerleading, gymnastics and dance, have encouraged greater participation in extra-curricular activities and pupils have been successfully representing the school in competitions.  Leaders work well with parents and the community. The school is working relentlessly to involve the community, and parents are largely supportive of the school‟s work. The school‟s parental survey shows that they value the information that they receive. For example, parents reported liking the progress sheets and the early years online progress tool as it helps them to know how well their child is doing. They also think the website is informative, and the weekly newsletter helps to improve communication.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The majority of parents recommend Shelley Primary School.  The local authority has provided effective support to the school. Additionally, partnerships and work with other schools have been beneficial in moderating pupils‟ work and sharing good practice among the staff.  Strong leaders who are new to the school have not had the time to make the impact they would wish to in their areas of responsibility. For example, further work is planned to improve the teaching of mathematics and more time is being devoted to ensure that boys in the early years achieve well so they are better prepared for Year 1.  The governance of the school Governors are committed to the success of the school. Their effectiveness has improved since the previous inspection. All members of the governing body have benefited from the subsequent governor training. This, and the good communications with senior leaders, ensures that members of the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

governing body are very well informed on the work of the school. The governing body has an accurate understanding of the school‟s strengths and areas still in need of further development. It uses the highly detailed development plan to ask questions about the rates of progress for pupils and their well-being. Governors can carefully account for the impact of the additional funding that the school receives. They know where the gaps in attainment have been between disadvantaged pupils and others, and they prioritise and monitor these pupils when making checks on learning and progress. Governors are very clear on the arrangements for the performance management of staff. They regularly monitor the reasons why staff receive pay increases and ensure that this is directly linked to pupils‟ achievement.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Training and guidance for staff is clear and used effectively to ensure that everyone takes responsibility for taking care of pupils. Safeguarding processes

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are reviewed regularly by the governors to ensure that pupils are safe. The work of all staff to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils are well cared for and receive timely and effective support is very strong.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved and is now good. Leaders have established a culture of accountability in order to secure and sustain good teaching and learning throughout the school. As a result, pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils typically show good attitudes to learning in the work they are asked to complete. They are gaining the confidence to ask questions, share their ideas and work effectively together. The high-quality displays found in classrooms, including helpful prompts for pupils when they are stuck, support pupils‟ learning and provide opportunities to celebrate pupils‟ achievement.  The school has improved the pupils‟ use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. The focused work in this area has led to significant improvements being made. Pupils can apply their grammar knowledge effectively. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils were able to pull apart sentences to explain the purpose of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

each word accurately. Pupils correctly identified subjects, verbs and adverbs. They also changed active voice to passive voice, and vice versa, very skilfully. They then applied these skills to their writing. As a result of this whole-school focus, standards in writing are rapidly improving.  Staff use the frequent reading sessions increasingly effectively. They listen to pupils read, discuss the content, and teach them strategies to make sense of unfamiliar words and phrases. Phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is taught effectively across the school, and is helping pupils to read more fluently and with greater understanding.  Pupils are now more confident and enthusiastic, and making good progress in mathematics. This is due to the heightened profile of mathematics across the school. Teachers plan lessons where pupils use a range of practical resources and mental strategies to develop their reasoning skills. Creative activities mean that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

they can apply their mathematical knowledge and skills in different contexts. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the „Marvellous Maths Measure‟ which celebrates their learning, shows their progress and inspires them to want to achieve even more, by making their next steps really clear.  The school‟s consistent approach to handwriting is effective. It is ensuring that all pupils are forming letters correctly and joining precisely from a very young age. It is resulting in pupils taking pride in their writing and developing a writing style that is of a good standard in all subjects.  Teachers have improved the quality of their feedback to pupils since the previous inspection. This ensures that pupils are provided with written and verbal feedback linked to the school‟s system to measure pupils‟ progress. Pupils appreciate this guidance because it helps them to improve their work. This helps pupils achieve more because they know what they need to do to make quicker progress in each lesson.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 In all lessons teachers use the school „toolkits‟ effectively. These provide prompts and guidance to give pupils increasing independence in their approach to their work. Where this strategy is used well it helps pupils understand what they are learning quickly and they consequently make rapid progress in lessons.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are well supported by teachers and by teaching assistants. Teachers plan work at the appropriate level to move learning on, whatever the individual‟s starting point. Consequently, these pupils make good progress.  Teaching assistants generally make a valuable contribution to pupils‟ learning. They support individuals and groups. They have an understanding of the systems in place, and liaise closely with the teachers. Their focused input is helping pupils to achieve well.  Questioning is used effectively. Teachers and teaching assistants use questions to clarify pupils‟

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

understanding and promote good learning. They work together to ensure that they target the needs of pupils well. For example, in Reception the teacher provided question prompts so that other adults in the classroom could focus children to think deeply about what they were learning.  The most-able pupils are now achieving strongly. They are regularly provided with additional challenges to apply their learning to different contexts. As a result, their books and the school‟s current information show that many more are now making better than expected progress than was the case at the last inspection.  Some teachers do not use the school assessment systems precisely enough to meet pupils‟ changing needs in lessons. On occasion, pupils opt to „look busy‟ rather than to engage in their learning. Where this is the case, these few pupils do not use their learning time effectively and do not make as much progress

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Personal development and welfare

 The school‟s work to promote pupils‟ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are extremely proud to be at Shelley Primary School. They enjoy the opportunity to have responsibility and develop leadership skills. These roles include head boy and head girl, their deputies, council representatives, play leaders and house team roles. During a tour, pupils were able to talk to the inspector about the strengths of the school very accurately.  Pupils look after one another. Older pupils enjoy the many opportunities to look after those younger than themselves. One example is how Year 5 and 6 pupils support Years 1 to 4 to make healthy choices in their lunch options. Play leaders train for six weeks and take responsibility for helping pupils to make friends and play well together. They are very proud of their role in the school.  Pupils know how to keep safe and help create the Shelley vision of a „safe and supportive school‟. They

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Personal development and welfare

have a well-developed understanding of how to protect themselves and others, especially when online. They use the school‟s e-safety cyber café to ensure they keep up to date with the latest guidance. The curriculum also ensures that pupils are taught about ways to keep safe, appropriate to their age.  The school cares very well for all its pupils. A newly appointed learning mentor is available to talk to pupils who need support. Pupils refer to the learning mentor as someone who „helps them sort out problems and is a “safe” person to talk to‟. The learning mentor also meets with parents and helps them access other support if it is required. This work is resulting in better relationships developing between home and school.  Pupils support each other well in their work. For example, in Year 5 and 6, pupils refer to each other as „experts‟. These „experts‟ are pupils who have achieved well in an area of learning and who can be used

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Personal development and welfare

to support others who may be struggling. The pupils talk very proudly about being an „expert‟ to support others in their class. Equally, pupils seek out „experts‟ very willingly and confidently if they need help. This results in all pupils developing their ability to work cooperatively and with empathy.  Pupils take active roles in the community. They plan a stall for local fetes, organise the summer extravaganza, and get involved in the local village life. For example, pupils recently planted trees in the local village orchard to improve the environment. Much of this is linked to their enterprise work where they raise funds for the school. Additionally, pupils run a café for the senior citizens. This is preparing pupils to be active role models in modern Britain.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils behave well. Staff use the behaviour system consistently and place significant emphasis on pupils‟ „right to learn, their right to be safe and their right to respect‟. Pupils consider it to be fair and fully understand the expectations. Consequently, most pupils behave well and respond positively to the school‟s system of rewards.  Where some pupils still need reminders to pay attention and work harder, they respond well to guidance from adults. The school‟s systems and strategies for dealing with the small incidents of challenging behaviour are extremely effective. Help and support are provided to these pupils so that their learning, or the learning of others, is not interrupted.  Pupils take care of their school environment. They appreciate the improved learning spaces and were keen to talk about how the recent building work has helped them to learn better. They are proud of their

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Behaviour

display work, which is well maintained. They feel that their voice is heard when they make suggestions about how to improve the use of these facilities.  Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school. Attendance is broadly in line with the national average. The school is working hard to promote and encourage good attendance for those few who miss school regularly. The school works hard to support parents to improve their children‟s attendance. As a result, attendance is improving.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Children now make good progress in the early years in relation to their starting points. Although many children enter the early years with skills and knowledge that are below those typical for their age, leaders are working rigorously to close the gaps. The school‟s current information, along with inspection evidence, shows that already more children are on track to achieve a good level of development by the end of this school year.  Achievement in phonics is good. Pupils achieve well in Year 1 as a result of high-quality teaching and well-planned activities that successfully engage pupils. Consequently, pupils in Year 1 consistently attain above the expected level in the national phonics check.  Progress in key stage 1 and 2 is strong. The majority of pupils, throughout the school, are making good progress in developing their reading, writing and mathematics skills. As a result, the vast majority of

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are on track to achieve age-related expectations or above by the end of this academic year.  Attainment in writing has rapidly improved. This is because pupils are encouraged to plan and write at length, and across different subjects and topics. Teachers widen pupils‟ vocabulary, enhance their accuracy in the use of grammar and develop their confidence in sequencing their ideas in well-structured paragraphs.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. The progress of these pupils is closely monitored, with current information showing good progress overall from their starting points. Their books indicate that they do as well as other pupils in the school. This is because the support they are given is individual to their needs, well planned and regularly reviewed.  Support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability is provided effectively from the outset.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

Children‟s individual learning needs are identified quickly when they start school and the support plans are effective for their sometimes complex needs. The range of provision available removes the barriers to learning for many pupils. As pupils travel through the school, this provision is reviewed and amended to meet their changing learning profiles. As a result, pupils who have special educational needs or disability are making good progress from their very varied starting points.  The most-able pupils are now making good progress from their starting points, and are on track to attain standards that are above national averages by the time they leave the school.  Some teachers still do not use the school‟s assessment system precisely. This system carefully monitors pupils‟ progress towards the expectations for the end of each year group. Most teachers and leaders use this information effectively to plan different activities for pupils and support those who are in any danger

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Outcomes for pupils are good

of falling behind their classmates. In some cases, class teachers do not use it to pinpoint where a few pupils are failing to use their learning time to full effect.  Pupils feel that they are ready for the next stages in their education because the school supports them well. Links between key stages, visits to secondary schools, communication with parents and helpful guidance give pupils confidence and enthusiasm for their next steps. They are well prepared for the future.

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Early years provision is good

 The quality of education in the early years is rapidly improving. Recent changes to the leadership are resulting in more children achieving a good level of development at the end of their Reception Year so they are well prepared for Year 1.  Leaders are accurate in what they know about their provision. They recognise that there is a gap between the school and national figures regarding a good level of development and that boys in general do less well than girls. The leader of the early years has established effective systems for keeping a check on children‟s progress and to identify rapidly those at risk of underachieving. She has an extremely clear understanding of what she needs to do to improve children‟s achievement. Consequently children are now making good progress from their starting points.  Developing communication with the privately led on-site Nursery ensures that there is a shared approach

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Early years provision is good

to teaching and learning being established in the early years. For example, the system being used for introducing phonics is used in both settings and this results in children‟s phonics knowledge improving. Children then benefit from well-planned adult-led teaching in phonics, which underpins their early reading skills successfully.  Children are curious, enthusiastic and thoughtful. They enjoy talking about their learning, listen carefully and follow instructions well. This was evident when children were eager to take the inspector to see how much their cress seeds had grown. Children were excited about having helped the seeds grow and explained how they had achieved this: „we got a cup, put our water in it, fed it with sun, water and air and it grew from seed to cress‟.  Well-established, familiar routines in place secure good behaviour from all children. Expectations are high and children respond to them well. Children develop their explanation skills well. This is because activities

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Early years provision is good

are thoughtfully planned with the intention that children rehearse speaking frequently. For example, in an activity there were different sized potatoes and balancing scales. When the children were asked why two potatoes on one scale and two potatoes on another scale did not balance, a child explained that „it is because they are different sizes, the potatoes weigh a different amount so the number of them on each side doesn‟t matter‟.  Records of children‟s learning show good progress over time. The development of the outdoor area and indoor provision has enabled children to achieve higher standards in many aspects. This is evident in children‟s writing books, mathematics folders and the scrapbook that supports the learning profiles of all the children. The school‟s online tool is also popular with parents, who feel this helps them to know how their child is doing.  The children‟s welfare and safety are given the highest priority and as a result they are happy, safe and

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Early years provision is good

confident. The leader models a confident and caring approach to learning. Subsequently, the children learn safely together and are very caring of one another.  Historically, boys have not made the same progress as the girls in the early years provision, particularly in reading, writing and using number skills. The gap is closing over time and leaders have already improved the variation of learning opportunities to support these particular aspects of boys‟ learning. This is ensuring that boys who were in danger of falling behind are making better progress and being better prepared for Year 1.

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School details

Unique reference number 115020 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10001928 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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 109 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rosemary Lovett Headteacher Vanessa Thomas Telephone number 01277 362 354 Website www.shelley.essex.sch.uk Email address admin@shelley.essex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 December 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school with small numbers in some year groups.  The number of pupils on roll has risen over the last academic year.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is low; however, this number has increased during 2015.  In key stage 2 pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes. This is currently organised as a Year 3/4 class and a Year 5/6 class.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above the national average. This additional government funding is to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are in the care of the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability and receive support is below average. However, the proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an

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Information about this school

education, health and care plan is broadly in line with the national average.  A breakfast club is led by the school and provides before-school care.  The school meets the government‟s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils‟ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine lessons and saw most teachers twice. Five lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  During general observations in classrooms and learning areas, the inspector listened to some pupils read and looked at the work in their books.  On arrival at the school, the inspector was taken on a tour by the head girl and boy, and the deputy head girl and boy from Years 5 and 6. The inspector also met with the same four pupils later on during the first day of the inspection. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils during lesson time, and at break and lunchtime.  Meetings were held with the chair of governors and two other governors, the headteacher and subject leaders. The inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a wide range of documents, including the school‟s own judgements of its strengths and weaknesses, minutes of meetings of the governing body, school records of the quality of

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Information about this inspection

teaching, and the information about pupils‟ progress and attainment. Documents detailing the school‟s arrangements for safeguarding and behaviour incidents were also reviewed.  There were 29 responses to Ofsted‟s online questionnaire, Parent View, that were considered along with parent texts. The inspector spoke informally to some parents at the end of the first day of inspection as they visited the school to attend the parents evening.  The inspector also took account of 19 responses to Ofsted‟s staff questionnaire and 41 responses to the Ofsted pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Tracy Fielding, lead inspector 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

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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