Shustoke CofE Primary School

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

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Miss Michelle Wall Headteacher Shustoke CofE Primary School Forge Road Shustoke Coleshill Birmingham West Midlands B46 2AU

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 6 October 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2011.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

Shustoke is a school that lives out its core values of respect, courtesy, honesty, caring, equality and forgiveness. These are modelled by adults and apparent in pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. One parent who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, commented, ‘I can honestly say that my children have loved every minute of their time at school, and I couldn't wish for them to have had a better start to their education. They are growing into confident, polite, clever children that I couldn’t be more proud of.’ Many other parents made similar comments.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You provide strong, straightforward leadership, rooted in strongly held values and you are well supported by an effective leadership team and a committed governing body. Leaders and governors are ambitious for all of the school’s pupils and are tenacious in tackling areas for improvement. Members of staff and parents appreciate your leadership and that of other leaders. All members of staff who responded to the online inspection questionnaire and almost all parents who completed Parent View agreed that the school is well led and managed.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

You have planned an imaginative and rich curriculum that excites and enthuses pupils. Basic skills are developed very well across all subjects, in a way that captures pupils’ interest. Pupils use a single book for all of their writing and this helps them to make links between subjects and to apply their literacy knowledge to a wide range of topics. You have supplemented the formal, taught curriculum with a rich array of extra-curricular and enrichment activities. These include many clubs, sporting activities, performances and residential visits. Lessons and extra-curricular activities together contribute strongly to pupils’ personal development, values and attitudes. They help Shustoke’s pupils develop into confident, courteous and caring young people.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

At the previous inspection, leaders were asked to provide more challenges for pupils and to ensure that pupils made at least good progress in reading. You have tackled these improvement areas with vigour. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and standards in reading have improved considerably since the previous inspection.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

Pupils start the school with standards broadly typical for their age. They make strong progress across the early years, key stage 1 and key stage 2 and leave the school with attainment that is above average. You are aware that the proportion of pupils working at a greater depth, although broadly average, is not high enough. This is a key focus area for the school over the coming year.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

You ensure that keeping pupils safe is everyone’s top priority at Shustoke. Safeguarding policies and procedures are fit for purpose, well understood and consistently applied. Child protection records are detailed and secure. Comprehensive training ensures that all members of staff are well informed and alert to potential dangers.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

All parents who responded to Parent View and all members of staff who completed the inspection questionnaire agreed that pupils are safe in school. I spoke with many pupils during the inspection and all told me that they feel safe in school. They also told me that bullying is extremely rare and that they trust the school’s adults to deal with any bullying or other problems that might arise. Pupils understand the dangers that can arise when using the internet; for example, several explained to me that you should never divulge personal details when using social media.

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Short inspection of Shustoke CofE Primary School

Adults are proactive in identifying any pupil who might need support to make progress in school. This might be because of a specific special educational need or simply because they need some extra short-term help. Several parents told me about extra support that their child had received and how it had helped them in school.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and governors know the school well, including its strengths and relative weaknesses. They are quick to tackle areas for improvement. For example, in recent years, standards of pupils’ writing have not matched the high standards in reading and mathematics. A whole-school focus on improving writing has yielded considerable success. Pupils are now enthusiastic and independent writers.  Leaders and governors ensure that the school’s shared values are at the forefront of everything that happens in the school. Staff, parents and pupils understand the importance of this shared vision. It defines relationships throughout the school, between adults and pupils and between pupils.  Teaching is characterised by strong relationships and high expectations. Teachers carefully plan activities that interest and excite pupils. They provide high-quality resources that help pupils become independent learners. For

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Inspection findings

example, displays of ‘sentence starters’ help pupils to produce interesting writing without having to ask their teacher for ideas.  Outcomes are strong in the early years. Children join the school with varying starting points and make strong progress so that the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development is consistently above average. Reception is well organised and stimulating. Children are independent, articulate, confident and well behaved. They are well prepared to start Year 1 when they leave Reception.  Pupils continue to make strong progress in key stage 1 and standards at the end of Year 2 are above average. Outcomes in the national Year 1 phonics screening check are consistently above average.  Standards at the end of Year 6 are above average. Previous relative weaknesses in writing have been addressed and this area is now a strength. Pupils write with confidence and enthusiasm and to a high standard. The quality of handwriting

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Inspection findings

across the school is consistently high.  Unvalidated results of key stage 2 tests in 2016 indicate that the proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics are all well above national figures. However, the proportions of pupils achieving a high standard in reading and mathematics are only in line with national figures and so the corresponding progress measures are broadly average. Improving the number of pupils who achieve a high standard is the school’s key priority this year.  Teachers’ checks on pupils’ progress are systematic and detailed. Leaders and teachers hold regular ‘off-track meetings’ to discuss pupils who are falling behind or who might need extra help for some other reason. They carefully plan additional support and then check that it is having the desired impact. I spoke with several pupils, and parents of pupils, who had received extra help. All

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Inspection findings

valued the support and recognised how it had helped. Consequently, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other pupils who need extra support, make rapid progress.  Pupils are unfailingly polite and courteous to each other and to adults. They are confident, articulate and mature. Many pupils were very keen to speak with me and to tell me how much they enjoy school. Pupils support each other as they put into practice the school’s values. For example, in one class, several pupils offered one of their classmates synonyms for a word when he was struggling for ideas.  Behaviour in lessons and at social times is impeccable and pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning. They try hard in class and are very keen to do their best. They are proud of their work. Many pupils were eager to show me their work. They talked about it with great enthusiasm.  Parents and pupils are unwaveringly positive about the school, its curriculum, its

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Inspection findings

teachers and its leadership. Parents’ responses to Parent View were almost unanimously highly positive. Pupils love coming to school and consequently, attendance is above average.

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Next steps for the school

 Leaders and governors should accelerate the progress of pupils, so that a higher proportion of pupils are working at greater depth within the age-related standards in each year, especially in reading and mathematics.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the diocese of Birmingham, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Warwickshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection I met with you and your senior leadership team. You and I visited all classes during the day, where we observed teaching and learning and we spoke with pupils about their work. I talked with parents at the start of the day and with many pupils in lessons and at break- and lunchtime.

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Information about the inspection

I listened to some pupils read and talked to them about reading and the books they enjoy. I met with two governors. I scrutinised several documents, including your self-evaluation, school development plan, intervention plans and safeguarding and child protection records. I considered 41 responses to Parent View and nine responses from members of staff to the online inspection questionnaire.

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Information about the inspection

At our initial meeting we agreed the five focus areas for the inspection. These were writing in key stage 2, strengths in the early years and key stage 1, standards of behaviour and attitudes to learning, additional support for pupils and safeguarding.

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