Great Waldingfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Great Waldingfield CofE VC Primary School Folly Lane, Great Waldingfield, Sudbury CO10 0RR

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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’s strong leadership and determination to make the school as good as possible has brought about good improvement since the last inspection. Other leaders with key responsibilities, and members of the governing body, have supported the headteacher well in improving teaching and raising achievement.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 improved in 2015 and standards are rising further for pupils currently in the school.  Many pupils in key stages 1 and 2 are making better than expected progress. The rate of progress is exceptionally good in mathematics in Year 6.  The quality of teaching and learning is good. The school has a clear system for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Good teaching in the early years is enabling children to progress well. The proportion set to reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is above national expectations.

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This is a good school

 Pupils learn in a safe and happy environment, and they are valued as individuals. The school promotes pupils’ personal development well and the promotion of British values is central to its strong ethos.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The school does not do as much as it could to expand pupils’ horizons, to raise their expectations of themselves or to familiarise them with a range of cultures.  While behaviour in school is good, pupils do not display the self-discipline needed to support outstanding progress.  The school has not yet developed a system for tracking pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ aspirations about what they could achieve and extend their knowledge of the wider world by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

forging more links with businesses and organisations to increase opportunities for learning providing more opportunities for pupils to see exceptional work so that they are clearer about how to improve their own work making sure that visits out, visitors into school, books, displays, topics and resources deepen pupils’ understanding of a range of cultures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve behaviour from good to outstanding by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

making sure that teachers instil in pupils a greater sense of self-discipline and urgency about their learning so that no time is wasted in lessons communicating a clearer message to pupils about what they need to do to make their behaviour outstanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop an assessment and tracking system that enables leaders and teachers to track and analyse pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics in order to inform further improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has high expectations and is passionate in her determination to make the school as good as possible. The appointment of an experienced deputy headteacher has strengthened the leadership team, and the deputy headteacher provides very good support for the headteacher in the push to improve teaching and raise standards. Together, they have succeeded in motivating the rest of the staff so that they are clear about the part they have to play in the drive for continuous improvement.  The school is accurate in the evaluation of its effectiveness, and leaders keep a careful check on how well pupils are progressing. They use assessment information well to identify pupils who need extra help and to make sure that all pupils have equal opportunities.  The leadership of teaching is good. Senior leaders carry out regular checks on all aspects of teachers’ work. Staff have many opportunities to develop their practice through training and visits to other schools,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

now assisted by the school’s membership of the Suffolk Borders Teaching Alliance.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher take responsibility for leading English and mathematics, and there has been clear improvement in both subjects since the last inspection. Leaders of other subjects have had the opportunity to develop their skills and they are now taking an active part in improving teaching in their areas and checking pupils’ progress.  The school makes good use of pupil premium funding to narrow the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. Only a few pupils are eligible for funding and the school makes careful decisions about how best to meet the academic and personal needs of the individual pupils concerned.  Leaders use primary sports funding well to promote pupils’ physical development and well-being. There has been an increase in pupils’ participation in physical activities, and pupils in Year 5 have been able to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

undertake training as play leaders. Teachers have developed their skills in teaching gymnastics and dance, and the school has met with success in competitions with other schools.  Partnership with parents is good and a significant number of parents wrote to express their views about the school. Almost without exception, parents expressed a high level of satisfaction with its work and many commented on how much the school has improved.  The local authority has provided effective support to the school and has an accurate view of its performance. The school has benefited from local authority support in the early years and with its special educational needs provision.  The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced, and the school places an appropriate emphasis on developing pupils’ skills in literacy, numeracy and communication. The school provides a fair range of learning opportunities through clubs, trips and special events.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on and develop qualities such as respect and forgiveness. The school’s values, which closely echo British values, are widely promoted through displays in corridors and within topic work.  Through teaching pupils the importance of tolerance and respect for others, the school prepares them well for life in modern Britain. It provides a reasonable range of experiences to make pupils aware of other cultures but does not enrich pupils’ understanding of cultures other than their own as much as it could.  There has been good improvement since the last inspection and the school is well placed to improve further. The headteacher is aware, however, that the sharing of high aspirations with pupils is not yet as well established as it needs to be if the school is to become outstanding. Links with businesses and other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

organisations are not well developed as a means of expanding pupils’ horizons and making them aware of the opportunities available to them in the wider world.  The governance of the school The governing body has been strengthened since the last inspection and governors are making a good contribution to school improvement. Members of the governing body are ambitious for the school, and under the leadership of a new chair they are asking challenging questions and holding school leaders to account for the school’s effectiveness. Governors know what assessment information reveals about pupils’ progress and they are knowledgeable about the quality of teaching, especially through the links they have forged with different subjects. They visit the school and ensure that there are rigorous arrangements for managing teachers’ performance so that good teaching is recognised and weaknesses are tackled.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school works well with parents and other agencies

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to establish a safe culture for pupils. Good procedures are in place, and staff are well trained in safeguarding and child protection.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The school has successfully addressed the points for improvement identified at the last inspection in relation to teaching. Inspection findings, the quality of pupils’ work and the school’s own records show that teaching and learning are now good.  Teachers plan their lessons well to meet the needs of different groups of pupils in their class so that work is usually pitched at the right level. A particular strength in teaching is the way teachers regularly check how well pupils have done to identify anyone who needs further practice or explanations in the following lesson. In this way, any misconceptions pupils have are quickly picked up and acted upon.  Throughout the school, teachers question pupils well to probe their thinking. They usually provide clear explanations and demonstrate new skills well.  In teaching writing, teachers provide good opportunities for younger pupils to adapt and build on

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

traditional stories. In the older classes, they set varied tasks that promote a range of writing skills. Teachers provide pupils with a good range of resources to support their writing and make practical equipment readily available to support pupils’ calculations in mathematics lessons.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is good, and the school has focused strongly on improving the rate of pupils’ progress in reading. Teachers plan guided reading sessions well in key stages 1 and 2 to develop particular skills, and there has been considerable investment in extending the range of books available to pupils.  The teaching of English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6 is of particularly high quality. High expectations and excellent subject knowledge in mathematics are key to the rapid progress pupils are making in these year groups. The most-able pupils are given very challenging tasks and the development

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

of mathematical thinking is of a high order. These factors are resulting in pupils acquiring a real enthusiasm for the subject.  Since the last inspection, the role of teaching assistants has been developed well through training, and teachers make good use of their assistants to support pupils’ learning. Teaching assistants provide good support when working with individuals and small groups of pupils. Activities are appropriately structured and teaching assistants provide helpful questions and explanations to enable pupils to move forward successfully with their learning.  Pupils’ books show that teachers follow the school’s marking policy to identify what is pleasing about a piece of work and what could be improved. Pupils say that they find this helpful.  Teachers sometimes provide a good level of challenge in the actions they ask pupils to take to improve a piece of work. However, senior leaders have rightly identified that teachers do not always provide pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

with a clear understanding of how to make their work better.  The school now has an established system for regularly recording pupils’ attainment and for tracking the progress they make in each year group in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers have begun to record pupils’ attainment in other subjects, but the school has not yet developed a means for tracking pupils’ progress in these subjects.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are friendly and polite, and the school does much to foster their emotional well-being. Pupils enjoy school and work well together. Relationships are of a high quality throughout the school.  Pupils listen carefully to their teachers and generally concentrate well in lessons. Pupils of all ages are confident to share their ideas and respect each other’s contributions. They take a pride in their work and those who met with the inspector spoke with enthusiasm about work they had produced.  Pupils enjoy school and engage well with the activities provided for them. However, only a minority of pupils show a real thirst for knowledge or push themselves as hard as they could. In Years 5 and 6, pupils show greater independence, but in other classes they tend to depend on direction from their teachers.  Pupils say that bullying is rare and it is quickly dealt with by staff. In this small school, pupils are known

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Personal development and welfare

and valued as individuals. They say that they feel very safe in school and they have a good awareness of how to stay safe. Those in Year 6 particularly valued the training day they took part in, where different potentially dangerous situations were dramatised so that they could learn about how to respond safely.  Pupils make good progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and gain a clear understanding of British values. They respond well to opportunities for reflection in assemblies and show consideration for others.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The school has just three rules – ‘respect yourself, respect each other, respect our school’ – and when pupils come together as a whole school, for example for assembly, they behave exceptionally well. The dining room is calm and orderly and pupils play together harmoniously at breaktimes.  Behaviour in lessons is good and pupils readily follow teachers’ instructions. In Years 5 and 6 and in some other classes, teachers make clear exactly how they expect pupils to behave. In these instances, the behaviour of many pupils is outstanding.  When teachers talk to the whole class, they always insist that pupils pay careful attention. At other times, however, some teachers do not communicate high enough expectations for behaviour in lessons and then pupils lack the self-discipline to regulate themselves. When this happens, although behaviour does not slip enough to disturb the learning of others, it nevertheless leads to some wasted time. On occasion,

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Behaviour

pupils do not get down to their work quickly enough and sometimes just sit and wait when they have finished an activity. At times, pupils do not apply themselves deeply enough to some of the tasks they have been set and, therefore, make less progress than they could.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 There has been an upward trend in the school’s overall performance since the last inspection and outcomes for current pupils are good. Standards are rising and pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and a range of other subjects. The school is ensuring that pupils are being well prepared for the next stage of their education.  From starting points that are broadly typical for their age on entry to the early years, children in the Reception Year are making good progress. Whereas the proportion of children who reached a good level of development dipped to below average in 2015, an above-average proportion of children currently in the Reception class are set to reach a good level of development.  The school’s results in the Year 1 screening check of pupils’ knowledge of phonics have been above average over the last two years. The school has worked effectively to raise the achievement of boys who

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Outcomes for pupils are good

moved up to Year 1 at the end of last year with low attainment in writing. Their books show that they have made rapid progress this year in filling gaps in their learning.  In 2015, there was a marked improvement on the previous year in the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6. The proportion who made the expected amount of progress was at least in line with schools nationally. Whereas last year fewer pupils made more than expected progress, many pupils currently in key stages 1 and 2 are making better than expected progress.  There were too few disadvantaged pupils to report their attainment at the end of Year 6 in 2015 without identifying individuals. In the school as a whole, they often make better progress than their classmates and attain similar levels to other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress, and last year their progress

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Outcomes for pupils are good

was also better than that of their classmates.  Pupils have good opportunities to practise and extend their literacy and numeracy skills in a range of subjects. For instance, younger pupils were recording their ideas about feelings and friendship in personal, social and health education, and older pupils were writing about the contrast between the lives of rich and poor people in Tudor times.  Previous inconsistencies in progress between year groups have been largely eliminated. The school’s own records of pupils’ attainment and progress and work in pupils’ books show that there has been an increase in the percentage of pupils who are set to exceed age-related expectations by the end of this year.  The school has been working hard to increase the amount of challenge provided for the most-able pupils. Teachers are generally providing an appropriate level of challenge for these pupils.  In the younger classes, the most-able pupils produce some lively pieces of writing. For example, in Year

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Outcomes for pupils are good

1, following a visit to Ipswich Museum, they produced beautifully detailed accounts of different animals. Older pupils use a good range of vocabulary and are able to write convincingly for a range of purposes. During the inspection, the most-able pupils were meeting with a good level of success in mathematics, tackling highly challenging work that is normally set for older pupils.

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Early years provision is good

 Children currently in the Reception class are making good progress and being prepared well for moving up to Year 1.  The school has been successful in improving the performance of boys this year, including in writing. There are many impressive examples of children’s written work on display and in their books, and during the inspection children showed a genuine enthusiasm for writing. By providing them with opportunities to talk about their ideas and by linking writing to practical activities such as pond-dipping, the staff have successfully engaged boys’ interest.  Children are making good progress because teaching is good and they learn in an attractive and stimulating environment. Staff draw strongly on children’s own interests when planning varied learning activities. The purpose-built outdoor area has greatly extended the opportunities available.  A particular strength in teaching is the way teachers and teaching assistants question children, listen to

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Early years provision is good

them and promote their language development.  The school has thorough procedures for assessing children’s attainment on entry, and staff track their progress carefully on a half-termly basis. Ongoing communication with parents and other providers is good, for example through parents sharing information about their children’s learning on a regular basis in the electronic learning journals. Many upload information about their children’s learning at home so that this forms a part of the record of their development.  Children behave well, concentrate for lengthy periods, and play harmoniously together. They learn in a safe environment where they are valued and encouraged. As a result, they readily express their ideas to adults and to one another.  Staff carefully target children who need extra help and the school is making good use of additional funding to narrow the gaps for disadvantaged children.

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Early years provision is good

 While children cover some topics such as Chinese New Year that introduce them to other cultures, their understanding of a range of other cultures is not promoted as well as it should be in order to extend their understanding of the wider world around them.  The early years provision is led and managed well. There is a clear commitment to further improvement and the school is identifying the right priorities for development.

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School details

Unique reference number 124699 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10011848

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 148 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Faith Marsden Headteacher Tina Hosford Telephone number 01787 374 055 Website http://www.greatwaldingfield.suffolk.sch.uk Email address admin@greatwaldingfield.suffolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17 June 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools.  The vast majority of pupils are White British and very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding provided by the government for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  Apart from the mixed-age class for pupils in Years 5 and 6, all the other classes now cater for a single year group.  There have been many staff changes since the last inspection and only two of the original teaching staff are still in post. An experienced deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2014.

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Information about this school

 Following the last inspection, a review of the governing body was carried out by the local authority. The governing body was reconstituted and a new chair of governors was elected.  This year, the school has become a member of the Suffolk Borders Teaching Alliance.  First Friends Pre-School is located on the school site. It is not managed by the governing body and, therefore, is subject to separate inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited a variety of lessons, nearly all jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector looked at samples of pupils’ work across different subjects and year groups.  The inspector looked at data and the school’s tracking information to determine the progress pupils are making across the school and in the early years.  The 40 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account, together with written comments received from parents during the inspection. Informal discussions also took place with a few parents when they brought their children to school. The inspector looked at the 12 responses of staff to their completed questionnaires.  The inspector held meetings with school leaders, four members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, and a group of pupils.  The inspector examined a range of documentation including: safeguarding policies and procedures;

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Information about this inspection

records of behaviour and attendance; minutes of governing body meetings and records of their visits to school; the school improvement plan and the school’s self-evaluation of its work.

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Inspection team

Margaret Goodchild, lead inspector 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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