St Andrew's CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School

St Andrew’s CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School Pentland Road, Dronfield Woodhouse, Dronfield S18 8ZQ

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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

 Senior leaders are ambitious for the school. They have responded effectively to address issues identified during the last inspection.  The school’s Christian values are the foundation for every aspect of school life. Pupils are respectful, tolerant and well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The headteacher and his staff are well respected. They listen to the views of parents and pupils and use this information to improve the school.  Governors are knowledgeable and hold school leaders to account for pupils’ achievements. They use a wide range of information to check that the school is improving.  The school’s interesting curriculum is underpinned by a strong focus on the development of basic skills. Pupils use appropriate grammar and mathematical vocabulary with confidence.  Pupils are courteous and well mannered. They relish the many roles of responsibility available to them.  Pupils’ attendance is consistently high. They are

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This is a good school

eager to learn and well supported by their parents.  Pupils make good progress over time and attain well, regardless of their ability or background. Additional support is well targeted and effective.  Children make a good start to their education in the early years. They benefit from the stimulating, engaging provision and the high expectations and aspirations of the adults who support them.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate the approachable and welcoming nature of the headteacher and his team.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders are not precise enough in their instructions and guidance to staff. Their messages are not consistently applied or followed.  Teachers do not respond quickly enough to the emerging learning needs of pupils during lessons. Consequently, learning tasks are not consistently well matched to pupils’ needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of senior and subject leaders in improving teaching and learning by: ensuring that messages and instructions to staff are precise and their outcomes more closely monitored for impact  Ensure that teachers adapt tasks more effectively to suit pupils of differing abilities by: responding more quickly to the emerging learning needs of pupils during lessons.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders have responded promptly and effectively to the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection. The headteacher has worked diligently to ensure that pupils of all ages and abilities make good progress. He has delegated leadership roles appropriately to other senior and subject leaders who are growing in confidence and influence.  The headteacher and his deputy are well respected by parents and pupils. Parents feel able to approach leaders and teachers about their children’s learning and value the school’s approach of focusing on each child as an individual. One parent, spoken to by an inspector on the playground, commented, ‘The headteacher wants children to be children. He knows them all by name and you don’t always see that.’  Leaders have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. A wide range of information including pupil and parental surveys influences their decisions. Parents value this approach

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and know that their opinions and ideas are respected. The introduction of midyear progress report documents keeps them better informed about their children’s progress.  Subject leaders are increasingly effective because the headteacher delegates responsibility to them and holds them to account for pupils’ outcomes in their subjects. Subject leaders have clear and well-founded views about how they can further improve their subjects because they are given specific leadership time to investigate and analyse pupils’ performance information. The special needs coordinator is a particularly strong champion for those pupils who are more vulnerable, such as those who have special needs or disability, those who are disadvantaged and children in the care of the local authority.  Leaders are ambitious for the school and constantly seek ways to improve pupils’ achievement, in and out of the classroom. Leaders adjust practice in the light of what they learn and there is no sense of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

complacency in their drive for improvement. An example of this is the management of the performance of staff. Leaders have used this effectively to support school improvement but have also amended procedures to ensure that any underperformance is addressed more quickly than at the time of the previous inspection.  Leaders take pride in the breadth of the curriculum, seeing this as a strength of the school. This year, there has been a particular focus on the development of grammar and arithmetic skills, and this is evident in lessons and discussions with pupils about their learning. The wider curriculum is underpinned by the school’s Christian values and these are used to promote the fundamental British values of respect, tolerance and service to others. Teachers take every opportunity to develop the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and the impact of this is evident in pupils’ attitudes to adults and each

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

other.  Leaders regularly monitor and comprehensively document the academic and emotional welfare of the very small numbers of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium. Leaders and teachers look out for additional opportunities which will address any disadvantage these pupils may face. Leaders use the additional funding from the pupil premium effectively and this is helping to reduce any gaps in attainment by the time these pupils reach the end of key stage 2. They also use additional funding from the physical education and sports grant to widen the range of opportunities available to pupils and to improve the teaching skills of school staff.  External consultants and local authority officers have provided effective support to school leaders since the last inspection. Records of visits show that senior leaders have acted on the advice they have received and that aspects of the school, such as governance, have improved as a result.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior and subject leaders are not always precise enough in the guidance and directions they give to teachers and teaching assistants. Too often, these messages are not sufficiently specific to enable colleagues to improve the impact of their teaching in a timely manner.  The governance of the school Governors are effective in holding school leaders to account. Minutes from governing body meetings show that they ask challenging questions of the headteacher and seek ways to ensure that the information they receive is accurate. Their practice of holding pre-meetings, prior to meetings of the full governing body, is particularly effective. They use this period to undertake monitoring activities, such as the scrutiny of pupils’ work, and then review their findings to arrive at discussion points and questions for the headteacher. Governors’ visits to the school have a clear focus and are well documented. However, they understand that their role is one of supporting school improvement rather

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

than undertaking day-to-day operational matters. Governors share the headteacher’s ambitions for the school and for each pupil. They take great pride in the school’s reputation in the local community. They are very knowledgeable about pupils’ outcomes because the headteacher provides them with a comprehensive range of information. Governors know about how additional grants, such as the pupil premium, are spent and the impact of that spending on raising pupils’ achievement.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The headteacher views protecting pupils from harm as his highest priority. Leaders and governors ensure that all safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements and records are detailed. Staff and governors undertake regular safeguarding training and this is supported by clear and effective policies. They understand the importance of keeping abreast of current safeguarding practice and issues such as extremism and child sexual exploitation.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Pupils feel safe and know that if they have a problem the adults in school will quickly offer help and support. Parents are equally confident of this. Pupils can explain how they stay safe using the internet and are taught about potential risks, such as those associated with road use, as well as strategies to keep themselves safe from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers base their planning on what pupils can do and what they need to do to improve further. Teachers have high expectations and aspirations for all pupils. As a result, pupils make good progress over time. Pupils are clear about what they are learning and what is expected of them by the end of each lesson. They are able to articulate what they have learned in the past and what they need to do to improve further.  Teachers use well thought through questions to develop and embed pupils’ learning. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to extend pupils’ skills and deepen their understanding, expecting pupils to provide reasons and rationale for their answers. Pupils achieve well because this approach is not limited to English and mathematics lessons. An inspector witnessed it used to good effect in a Year 6 art lesson that developed pupils’ understanding of techniques used by William Morris.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Work in pupils’ books illustrates the school’s focus on developing key grammar skills in English and arithmetic skills in mathematics. Teachers use, and expect pupils of all ages to use, appropriate subject vocabulary. Feedback supports next steps in learning and teachers provide opportunities for pupils to improve their work. During a Year 4 writing lesson, the teacher asked pupils to improve a previous piece of writing, which was based on the novel ‘James and the giant peach’, using particular technical aspects of grammar. Pupils were able to discuss and offer reasons for their choices, before going on to the next challenge of improving Roald Dahl’s use of vocabulary and grammar.  Teachers set regular homework for pupils that consolidates current learning and develops researching skills. The vast majority of parents believe that the amount of homework set is appropriate and provides challenge for their children. Parents value the support they receive from the school in the form of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

workshops, and joke about the support they receive from each other through social networking sites when aspects of their children’s learning are new to them.  Pupils of all ages read well. Key stage 1 pupils, who read to an inspector, used their phonics skills to good effect when faced with unfamiliar or unusual words. Pupils receive good support from home and this helps them to make good progress. Pupils have a good understanding of what they read, being able to discuss characters and predict what might happen next.  Work in books shows that teachers give pupils extensive opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills to a range of problems and tasks. Year 6 pupils say they feel particularly confident because their teacher gives them memorable strategies for remembering key mathematical skills and facts. They talk excitedly about the algebra they have learned and are able to explain their knowledge in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

a clear and understandable manner.  Teaching assistants and adult helpers are generally well utilised. Teachers consider their deployment thoughtfully to ensure that pupils of all abilities receive timely and appropriate support. Leaders assess the impact of the work of teaching assistants regularly to make sure that additional support is well directed and effective in enhancing pupils’ learning.  Not all teachers are consistently sharp at identifying and addressing the different learning needs of pupils as they progress through lessons. When this happens, tasks are not as well matched to pupils’ abilities as they need to be and pupils’ interest can wane. As a result, there are times during lessons when some pupils are not learning as much or as quickly as they could.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. By Year 6, pupils are able to express opinions and ideas that they can back up with sound evidence. They are caring, considerate and understand the effect that their actions can have on others.  Pupils enjoy the roles of responsibility that increase with age. They are given a positive insight into the workings of democracy through elections to a number of school bodies such as the school council and worship council. Members of the food council talked articulately to an inspector about the wide range of activities and events they have led and organised. They value the sense of team within this group and can identify the impact of their actions, for example in working with the school chef to develop the lunchtime menu and organising the Christmas meal.  Teachers and teaching assistants treat all pupils with dignity and respect, ensuring equality of opportunity

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Personal development and welfare

for all. Although there is a significantly higher proportion of boys than girls in the school, leaders and teachers work hard to ensure that girls are not disadvantaged in any way. Leaders use the pupil premium to make sure that disadvantaged pupils have guaranteed access to extra-curricular trips and events. As a result of these actions, pupils of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well.  Leaders have very effectively intertwined opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development throughout the curriculum. The school’s Christian values provide a foundation that is built on through direct teaching and a range of experiences and trips. Leaders have also linked these values to elements of citizenship that equip pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are well mannered and polite, showing respect for adults and each other. Parents spoken to on the playground supported this view, with one commenting, ‘I can’t believe the children are so polite, holding doors open for example. They have so much respect for each other.’ Pupils and parents say that bullying and name-calling are virtually non-existent.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and their attention and engagement in lessons only decline when tasks are not well matched to their abilities. Very occasionally, when not under direct adult supervision, the play of a very small minority of pupils is boisterous.  Pupils take pride in their school and their appearance, and enjoy coming to school. Their attendance is consistently above the national average and levels of persistent absence are well below average.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make good progress over time. In 2015, all key stage 2 pupils leaving the school had made at least the progress expected for their age. In mathematics, a much higher proportion than seen nationally made more than expected progress.  Children enter the early years at levels of development that are broadly typical for their age. By the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment is typically above that seen nationally and this is also the case at the end of key stage 2. In 2015, outcomes were particularly strong at the higher levels of attainment in both key stages. This represents a significant improvement over the last two years and ensures that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Teachers assess pupils’ work regularly and leaders have ensured the accuracy of these assessments through partnerships with other local schools and the support of external experts. Current teacher

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Outcomes for pupils are good

assessment information shows that pupils in all year groups are making progress over time that is at least good. Work in pupils’ books from all classes supports this view.  Leaders use termly progress review meetings to hold teachers to account for pupils’ outcomes, identifying and addressing any underperformance. Leaders use the information from these meetings to ensure that support strategies for improving outcomes are effective. They act quickly where this is not the case. However, teachers have usually identified and addressed ineffective support at an early stage.  Leaders monitor the outcomes of the small number of disadvantaged pupils very closely. The same is true for pupils who have special educational needs or disability and looked after children. Additional support is closely linked to the needs of individual pupils. As a result, these groups of pupils make strong progress by the time they reach the end of key stage 2. Teachers ensure that most able pupils are challenged, for

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Outcomes for pupils are good

example through weekly extension sessions in mathematics.  Leaders have identified performance in reading as being less strong than in writing or mathematics, despite attainment that exceeds the national average by the end of key stage 2. They have made reading a focus for development this year and inspectors found strong evidence to show that this was having a positive effect on pupils’ reading skills and habits.

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Early years provision is good

 Early years provision is well led. Although she does not work directly in the Reception class, the leader has a good understanding of the principles of early years education and she is well supported by the headteacher, himself an experienced early years practitioner. Along with the Reception class teacher, they have a very good knowledge of the strengths and areas for development within the early years. They are ambitious for each child and there is no sense of complacency, even though the vast majority of children enter the early years at levels of development that are at least typical for their age.  Children’s learning benefits from the interesting and lively setting that extends to the outdoors. The teacher provides engaging and challenging activities that respond to the children’s curiosity and prior learning. She has identified areas of children’s development that were less strong last year, such as

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Early years provision is good

moving and handling, and taken steps to improve children’s outcomes in these areas. For example, there are additional activities indoors and outdoors to promote children’s fine and gross motor skills. This, in turn, is supporting children’s development in handwriting.  Children are encouraged to talk and use an increasingly wide range of vocabulary. The teacher and other adults use thoughtful questions and model good speaking to extend children’s language. As a result, children are confident when speaking to each other and to adults. Children are also encouraged to listen to the views and opinions of others, and show great respect when doing so. During a lesson observation, two children explained to the inspector that they were superheroes who were on their way to destroy all the world’s volcanoes. They explained why volcanoes were dangerous to towns, cities and people, as well as the methods they were going to use to stop the lava. Each listened to the other, building the story in a

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Early years provision is good

logical and imaginative way before taking off to save humanity.  Children make good progress in the early years. Historically, children consistently leave the early years at good levels of development that are above those seen nationally, with the proportion rising annually. Consequently, children are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Work in children’s books and in their learning journeys suggests that this trend will continue this year. Leaders were quick to identify that girls have not achieved as well as boys in the past, reviewing their practice to ensure equality of opportunity in all areas of development. As a result, any differences in achievement have been eliminated.  Children are thoughtful and considerate towards each other because the values of the school are evident and lived out throughout the school. Children quickly adopt routines and respond promptly to instructions,

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Early years provision is good

being eager to please and enthusiastic to start the next part of their day. They are regular and prompt attenders, thanks to good support from their parents and clear messages from school leaders about the importance of regular attendance from an early age.  Safeguarding in the early years is effective and the provision meets statutory requirements. Staff are vigilant for any signs of harm and undergo regular training to ensure that their knowledge is current. Children benefit from the positive relationships between the early years team and parents. Parents feel valued by staff and believe that communication is very effective. Relationships with other early years providers are strong and the arrangements for the transition of children into the school are effective.

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School details

Unique reference number 112913 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10009128

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 194 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patrick Naylor Headteacher John Clapham Telephone number 01246 417243 Website www.st-andrewscofe.derbyshire.sch.uk Email address info@st-andrewscofe.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 March 2014

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Information about this school

 St Andrew’s Church of England Methodist (Aided) Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are taught in single-age classes. Children in the Reception class attend full time and are taught in their own classroom.  Virtually all pupils are of White British heritage and there are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average. This funding provides extra support for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after children.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is well below the national average.  In 2015, the school met national floor targets for key stage 2 achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in 10 lessons including a number of lessons observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors observed the teaching of early reading skills and listened to pupils reading. They also talked to pupils about their school and looked at examples of pupils’ work in all year groups to gain a view of the impact of teaching over time.  Meetings were held with the school’s senior and subject leaders, and representatives of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke to the school’s external educational consultant and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day. They took account of the 163 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and the pupils’ questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents including the school’s own self-evaluation of the quality of

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Information about this inspection

teaching and learning; the school’s most recent information on the achievement and progress of pupils; information provided to families; information relating to the safeguarding of pupils; and the school’s most recent data relating to the attendance and punctuality of pupils.  Inspectors considered the range and quality of information provided on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Stephen McMullan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ann Glynne-Jones 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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