Peppard Church of England Primary School

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

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Nick Steele Headteacher Peppard Church of England Primary School Church Lane Peppard Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire RG9 5JU

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 17 November 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 October 2011.

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The school is a happy, caring place with a real sense of community. Pupils enjoy coming to school and display high commitment and enthusiasm for learning. They work hard and learn well. Friendships flourish across year groups. Pupils of all ages play beautifully together at break and lunchtime. Staff are at hand offering encouragement and joining in when appropriate. Pupils are polite and welcoming; they learn to respect all, regardless of difference. Bullying and name-calling are rare. Pupils are confident that they can go to an adult with any concern and it will be resolved. Pupils learn to take full responsibility for their actions and follow routines so best use is made of the school’s limited space. A classroom quickly becomes a pleasant dining area in time for lunch. Pupils’ conduct is exemplary as pupils line up and eat together.

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

The engaging curriculum includes many opportunities to learn beyond school. Good use is made of facilities such as the local library and swimming pool. Regular visits to places of interest enrich pupils’ learning. Most pupils attend after-school clubs. Pupils value the sporting activities available and spoke enthusiastically about football and rugby club. Pupils also benefit from attending music, art or Spanish club. Parents praise the school highly. They value your leadership and all the school has to offer.

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

At the last inspection, inspectors noted the many strengths of the school. They identified two areas for specific attention. One was to ensure that teachers define the depth of learning that pupils of varying abilities should achieve in lessons and check that pupils have succeeded. The second was to develop pupils’ understanding of diversity in Britain. Teaching in English and mathematics now provides suitable levels of challenge for pupils of varying ability, including the most able pupils. Pupils know what they should be learning and teachers check that they are doing so. This supports good progress. You are supporting your staff to develop more opportunities for pupils to reflect on their learning and identify next steps; this is starting to bear fruit and promote even stronger progress. The extent to which teaching challenges the most able in other subjects is not as consistently high. The importance of treating all equally has

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

high focus. Pupils know that people can be different from each other and the importance of respecting all regardless of this. However, pupils’ exact understanding of the nature of diversity and issues of equality in modern Britain is less well developed.

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

You have recruited and nurtured a young and inexperienced teaching team, developing them into increasingly successful teachers. Rightly, you have placed a high focus on securing effective teaching in English and mathematics. Teaching of writing, having been an area of weakness, is now increasingly strong and work is underway to improve it further. You have established a suitable system for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. At the same time, you have made sure that teachers have suitable plans for teaching other subjects. As a result, pupils engage in an interesting and varied curriculum which typically promotes effective learning. You have paid attention to the quality of these subjects, sensibly prioritising a couple a year for specific focus. As a result, physical education is now a strength of the school and pupils benefit from improved teaching in music and French. Design and technology and computing

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

are priorities for attention in this year’s school plan. Nevertheless, assessment in subjects other than English and mathematics is not consistently well developed. Consequently, staff and governors do not have a sharp understanding of exactly how well pupils of varying abilities are achieving across subjects.

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Short inspection of Peppard Church of England Primary School

Leaders have made sure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. You take every step possible to engage with parents and work with them to make sure that children are safe from potential harm. Staff take time to check in with pupils experiencing difficulties to make sure they are nurtured and supported. Staff are highly vigilant for any sign that a child may be at risk. They understand the danger of thinking ‘it can’t happen here’ and know they must come to you immediately with any concern. You know when to seek external support and advice and involve social services when needed. Checks on the suitability of staff are sound and governors are appropriately trained.

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Inspection findings

 Since taking up post in 2013, you have brought much-needed stability, following several previous changes of headteacher in quick succession. You provide effective leadership to a stable and committed staff group. You have improved the curriculum, tackled weaker aspects of teaching and have a good grasp of the school’s strengths and priorities for attention. Self-evaluation is honest and development plans suitably focused.  Governors have in general a sound understanding of school performance. They provide helpful challenge when needed. However, they do not have an incisive understanding of the impact of the school’s work to promote equality and diversity and to develop pupils’ understanding of modern Britain.  You have set up a well-thought-out system for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. The way you record assessment information enables you and governors to gain a precise understanding of

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Inspection findings

pupils’ achievement from different starting points.  Assessment in other subjects is not as well developed. Teachers and pupils use checklists that help keep track of achievement in science, history and geography. However, these lists do not consistently define the different depths of learning that pupils of different abilities should acquire. As a result, the exact extent of pupils’ progress is not routinely assessed. Additionally, assessment in other foundation subjects is at a relatively early stage of development.  Teaching in English and mathematics provides suitable levels of challenge for pupils of varying abilities. Staff provide effective support for lower-attaining pupils so they can access the learning. The most able tackle suitably stretching tasks. This supports good progress for all.  Over the previous three years, pupils’ achievement by the end of each key stage has been strong in reading and has improved in mathematics. Progress

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Inspection findings

in writing has been relatively weak. Although not directly comparable, the same pattern was evident in 2016.  Current pupils typically achieve well in reading and mathematics. Improved teaching is leading to better achievement in writing. Current pupils’ progress in writing is increasingly strong, particularly in the lower years. Better progress is also evident higher up. Nevertheless, some pupils in Year 5 and 6 still have some gaps in writing skills as a result of previous weaker teaching.  The most able typically achieve well because teachers provide tasks that cater to their ability. They make strong progress in English and mathematics. However, the school’s assessment system does not show the exact extent of their achievement in other subjects.  Pupil premium funding is spent effectively in supporting the school’s small number of disadvantaged pupils. It is not appropriate to comment specifically

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Inspection findings

on their progress as individuals could be identified.  Pupils know that people can be different from each other and the importance of respecting all regardless of this. However, although pupils have regular opportunities to learn about other faiths and visit more diverse communities, the impact this has had on their understanding is somewhat limited. Additionally, opportunities to learn about equal rights and prejudice are not routinely built in to the curriculum.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of specified information about the curriculum and special educational needs on its website.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the curriculum promotes increasingly strong progress across subjects for all pupils, including the most able  assessment and tracking provides sharp information about the impact of teaching across all curriculum subjects in relation to pupils’ starting points  the work that the school does to promote equality and pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain is highly effective.

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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 Oxford, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Oxfordshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you at the start of the day. We discussed your evaluation of the school’s effectiveness and agreed the key areas we would focus on during in the inspection. These included: considering the impact of leaders’ work to improve the teaching of writing, exploring how well the school meets the needs of the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged, looking at how successfully the school’s new curriculum and related assessment approaches have been implemented and exploring the impact of leaders’ work to improve pupils’ understanding of equality and diversity and prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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Information about the inspection

During the day, I held further discussions with you. I met the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and one other governor. We visited parts of three lessons. We scrutinised a selection of pupils’ work. I listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them. I took account of seven staff survey responses and 52 responses by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, I considered 31 parent responses by free text. I also considered 79 responses to the pupil survey. I spoke with parents before school, staff at breaktime and pupils at lunchtime. I analysed a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ checks on pupils’ progress, and safeguarding policies and procedures.

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