Stockton Primary School

Stockton Primary School School Street, Stockton, Southam, Warwickshire CV47 8JE

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Good leadership and management have ensured that Stockton has improved its performance since the time of the last inspection. It continues to improve and pupils now attain good outcomes.  The quality of teaching is good and improving. The headteacher has inducted new staff effectively.  Leadership in the early years is particularly effective. Staff and parents work very well together to ensure that children receive high- quality learning experiences.  Pupils gain a secure understanding of phonics in the early years. This helps them to make good progress in their reading as they move through the school.  Pupils write well. They use their secure grammar and punctuation skills effectively when writing in all subjects. Over the past academic year, their handwriting has improved markedly.  Standards in mathematics are not as good as in reading and writing. This is owing to the most able pupils not being challenged as well as they

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

could be.  Leaders do not monitor the quality of teaching in mathematics as well as they do in other subjects.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well. Funding is used to ensure that their individual needs are addressed effectively.  The school’s work to ensure that pupils are kept safe is effective. Governors check that staff understand their responsibilities and that they carry out their duties appropriately.  Pupils attend well and are punctual.  Pupils conduct themselves well around the school and demonstrate good attitudes in their lessons.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. The curriculum enables pupils to develop a clear sense of tolerance and respect. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in mathematics by strengthening teaching so that the most able pupils are challenged effectively.  Improve the leadership of mathematics by monitoring the quality of teaching rigorously to check to see that pupils have secured new skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 School performance has improved since the time of the last inspection. This is owing to the work of the headteacher and her leadership team. Senior leaders are clear about what they need to do to improve performance further. The headteacher is ambitious for the pupils at Stockton. She is relentless in her drive for improvement and shows this in her frequent dialogue with teachers, seeking ways to improve their performance.  Leadership of teaching is good. The headteacher uses the performance management system to ensure that teachers, including those recently appointed, know what they need to focus on in order to improve their own teaching practice. Senior leaders check that pupils are making the required progress and discuss how teachers can refine their work if any pupils are slipping behind.  Leaders at Stockton have established strong links with a local teaching school and developed their work with the local authority. The headteacher uses these links to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

provide staff with good-quality training. For example, staff have improved the library environment and pupils are able to choose from a wider range of books. Staff convey their appreciation of the support and challenge they receive from the headteacher through surveys and in discussion. However, the legacy of weaker teaching in the past can still be seen. Older pupils in the school have gaps in their learning that should have been addressed in past years.  Over the past two years, more leadership roles have been created. Teachers fulfilling these roles provide good support for the headteacher. These roles include two senior leaders and the leader for the provision of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The leadership team evaluate the work of the school to ensure that pupils understand the importance of issues such as equality and diversity. As a result, pupils show tolerance in their work and play with their peers, which prepares them well

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

for life in modern Britain.  Leadership in the early years is particularly effective. This is because the leader with responsibility for this provision has developed excellent partnerships with parents. This has resulted in the children receiving high-quality support for their learning, both in and out of school. The headteacher has a very good understanding of what effective teaching and learning look like in the early years. She uses this knowledge to ensure that staff encourage all children to be curious in their learning, and that they are challenged effectively.  The headteacher and her teaching staff have created their own curriculum. They have thought carefully about the ‘journey’ of each pupil through the school. This is particularly important as each class includes pupils of different ages. Subject leaders have checked that pupils are taught the skills appropriate for each year group in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

particular subject. This includes pupils’ development in their spiritual, social, moral and cultural understanding.  Representatives from the local authority have worked closely with the headteacher. At each termly meeting, checks are made that agreed actions have been implemented and evaluated. For example, pupils’ books were checked to see if changes made to the school’s marking policy had been implemented by staff. School records show that the headteacher and deputy headteacher are rigorous in their scrutiny of pupils’ writing.  The leadership of the provision for disadvantaged pupils is effective. The headteacher has a clear understanding of what individual pupils need to do to make the best progress they can. This information is discussed with relevant staff who then provide effective support for the pupils. This support focuses on improving academic and other performance, including attendance. Funding has been used to increase staff hours.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

This has led to disadvantaged pupils, including those who are most able, attending well and making good progress.  Leadership of mathematics has improved this year. A mathematics leader was appointed from the start of this academic year. Senior leaders are clear in their knowledge of what has been achieved so far. This includes ensuring that pupils receive an effective balance of work between calculation activities and problem-solving. However, specific issues remain. Leaders do not scrutinise pupils’ progress rigorously and so do not have a precise knowledge of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. This means that when they work with teaching staff, the information they have is not as robust and accurate as it could be.  Leaders have ensured that they use the primary school physical education and sports funding effectively. They have employed external sports coaches and physical education teachers from the teaching school to work with school staff. As a result, the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

prime aim of developing staff teaching skills has been met. External coaches and teachers have also provided a wider range of sports for pupils to participate in after the end of the school day. Sports include basketball and cricket.

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Governance of the school

 Governance at Stockton is effective. Governors bring useful skills to their roles and use a variety of means, including visits to school, to check on school performance. This enables them to hold senior leaders to account well. They ensure that all statutory duties are met, including those relating to safeguarding.  Governors have been determined to improve the quality of teaching. Since the last inspection, some staff have left the school. Effective recruitment has helped to ensure that new staff contribute well to teaching performance.  The headteacher provides governors with detailed information about how well teachers are performing. Governors check this information by scrutinising the progress of pupils in each year group. This ensures that governors use reliable information when making decisions about how they reward good performance and tackle that which is not good enough.  Governors use funding to support the school’s improvement priorities. They know that

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Governance of the school

the money is spent wisely as they check that pupils are performing better as a result of the expenditure. For example, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their individual starting points.  The governing body is kept well informed. The headteacher provides governors with reports which evaluate specific aspects of school performance. These include how well pupils attend school and what staff are doing to support any pupils who are in danger of not making enough progress. Governors are currently exploring how they can improve the school’s communication with parents.  Each governor has specific responsibilities. For example, one member works with the early years leader to check that provision is maintained at a high standard. Governors visit the school often. They provide notes to all governors about what they have seen and if any changes have been agreed with staff. All this enhances governors’

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All staff, including those working in the school’s before- and after-school club, receive timely, relevant training. They use this to ensure that they stay vigilant, checking that pupils are kept safe. All relevant policies are kept up to date, agreed by governors and understood by staff.  Governors are aware of the importance of safeguarding. Individual members bring safeguarding experience to their roles and use this to check that staff follow agreed procedures appropriately. They use their visits to school to talk with staff and pupils to help them understand any current issues.  Pupils, parents and staff are confident that the school’s work to keep pupils safe is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection. The headteacher has ensured that all staff, including those appointed since the time of the last inspection, understand what is expected of them. Teachers and teaching assistants have stepped up to these expectations and, as a result, teaching is now good.  The most notable improvement is in the teaching of reading and writing. Children get an excellent start in the early years. Here, they learn and consolidate initial phonic skills well. Teachers and teaching assistants use their secure subject knowledge to ensure that pupils build on these initial reading skills through key stages 1 and 2. Harder reading skills, including how to infer and deduce meaning, are also taught well. Staff ensure that most-able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are questioned effectively. This makes them think hard when they answer questions about

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

the books they are reading.  Pupils made good progress in their writing last year, and continue to do so currently. This is the result of good teaching. Pupils know what teachers expect of them and make sure that they present their work neatly, using well-rehearsed handwriting skills. Pupils are taught punctuation and grammar skills well. They use these skills to control their writing, ensuring that their work is grammatically correct. Such accuracy is seen in pupils’ writing across a range of subjects and in homework activities.  Teachers and teaching assistants have acquired secure subject knowledge through their training. This knowledge, coupled with their accurate understanding of what pupils need to do to make better progress, helps them design tasks which challenge pupils well. This is more effective in reading and writing activities than in mathematics. In mathematics, there is variation between classes in how well pupils of different

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

abilities secure skills such as accuracy in explaining how they have solved problems, which is a required skill in the mathematics curriculum.  The most able pupils are taught reading and writing well. This is because teachers make it clear what is expected of them. This includes accurate use of higher-level grammar and punctuation skills. This results in these pupils displaying positive attitudes in these subjects. In mathematics, the teaching is less effective. Teachers do not give pupils work that is hard enough throughout their lessons. This restricts the progress they make and also leads to pupils being less motivated than in other subjects.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are taught well. The two leaders responsible for the provision and progress of these pupils complement each other well. Their roles are clearly defined. This means that teachers and teaching assistants receive clear instructions about what they need to do to support the pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Their teaching is effective. An example, seen on inspection, involved a key stage 1 pupil who enjoyed engaging with activities designed to help develop speech and language skills. The teaching assistant ensured that the pupil was using correct pronunciation.  Pupils enjoy homework tasks, especially those which encourage them to work with their families. Imaginative models and writing are displayed around the school. These include a display of Olympic events which includes pupils’ writing about the characteristics of an Olympic champion. This writing shows that pupils understand what contributes to a determination to succeed and why tolerance and respect for fellow competitors are important.  Weaker teaching in the past has led to pupils in Years 5 and 6 still having substantial gaps in their reading, writing and mathematical understanding. These continue to restrict their attainment. Leaders and teaching staff are aware of these gaps and are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

addressing these as well as they can. This is ensuring that pupils are making strong progress in these year groups. However, they are not all likely to reach the standards they should by the end of this year.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Bullying is very rare at Stockton. Pupils understand what bullying is and the upset it causes. They work and play well together to ensure that any such behaviour does not occur. Pupils understand the importance of valuing diversity and, as a result, there is no evidence of discrimination.  Pupils are taught about dangers they might face when working and playing online. Teaching is effective as pupils know what to do should they experience such dangers. Parents and governors attend workshops delivered by school staff, designed to provide up-to-date information. Parents and governors value this provision.  The headteacher has a good understanding of any specific needs of individual pupils. She ensures that staff receive relevant support from external services, who work well with staff to suggest how they can provide better help to pupils. Staff act on the advice

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Personal development and welfare

they receive and, as a result, pupils’ well-being and self-confidence continue to develop.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Responses from pupils, parents and staff to surveys show that pupils’ behaviour has improved since the last inspection. Pupils talk about their trust in staff that any poor behaviour will be dealt with quickly and effectively.  Pupils conduct themselves well around the school, including in the before- and after- school club. They understand what is expected of them in terms of their behaviour. They take pride in their achievement and this can be seen in how they present the work in their books.  In lessons, pupils collaborate well. For example, pupils in Year 1 discussed how they could use mathematical shapes to create a gingerbread house and then created their own examples. Pupils’ cooperation with each other in their learning contributes well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ attendance rates are above the national average. School leaders have

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Behaviour

developed strategies to enable parents to get their children to school on time more easily. For example, the breakfast club welcomes pupils from eight o’clock each morning. As a result, all groups of pupils attend well and are punctual, including those who are disadvantaged.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Attainment is rising because pupils now make good progress. More pupils achieved expected standards by the end of each year group last year than previously. This is owing to better teaching. Standards in Years 5 and 6 are lower than in other year groups as pupils in this class have not received sustained good teaching in the past. These pupils are making good progress from their starting points at the beginning of this academic year.  Over the last two years, a greater proportion of children than the national average attained a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year. Over the same period, pupils attained well by the end of key stage 2. This meant that pupils were well prepared for their move into Year 7.  Last year, in national assessments, pupils in Year 6 attained less well in mathematics and in grammar, punctuation and spelling than in other subjects. Standards in grammar, punctuation and spelling are good currently. Pupils’ outcomes in

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Outcomes for pupils Good

mathematics have improved, but standards are still weaker than in reading and writing.  Pupils build well on their strong understanding of phonics, secured in the Reception class, through key stage 1. This has led to a greater proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2015, when compared with national figures. Last year, all pupils attained the expected standard.  The most able pupils make strongest progress in reading and writing, most notably in the early years, key stage 1 and in Years 3 and 4. This is owing to more sustained effective teaching over time in these classes. Last year, and currently, progress of the most able pupils in mathematics is not as strong as in other subjects.  There are very few disadvantaged pupils at Stockton. They all achieve well currently. Their individual needs are addressed well, with funding used to support specific

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Outcomes for pupils Good

learning needs. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils who are particularly able receive good-quality teaching in most subjects. Over recent years, this group of pupils at Stockton has achieved well by the time they leave the school when compared with other pupils nationally.  Leaders with responsibility for the provision and progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities use funding effectively. External advice is purchased and staff respond well, using guidance to help pupils make good progress. Leaders are ambitious for these pupils, making challenging expectations clear to staff.  In recent years, pupils have attained higher standards in reading and writing than in mathematics. The quality of teaching has been better in reading and writing. As a result, each year more pupils move into the next year group having reached the required standard in these subjects. This continues to be the case this year. Progress is

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Outcomes for pupils Good

good in a range of subjects, including topic work, where pupils read and write to the same standard as in their English lessons.  Pupils are making better progress in mathematics this year than previously. Pupils are becoming more fluent in their use of numbers which helps them tackle problems more quickly and effectively.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 The provision in the early years is outstanding. Children have made excellent progress from their different starting points over the last two years. This year, children are making similar rates of progress.  Most children enter the Reception Year with skills that are typical for their age. The early years leader is skilled and experienced at determining children’s abilities accurately. Staff make accurate judgements about children’s progress. They use these to plan subsequent activities which challenge the children further. As a result, children move into Year 1 well prepared for new learning as they have made rapid progress in all aspects of learning.  The early years leader, well supported and challenged by the headteacher, is very effective. She ensures that children are exceptionally motivated to learn in very well- designed indoor and outdoor environments. Children’s early language and mathematical skills are particularly well developed. This is owing to extremely effective

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Early years provision Outstanding

teaching. Staff ask questions which require children to explain their thinking clearly. Children are then encouraged to learn about new vocabulary and numbers, which they greatly enjoy.  Teaching is consistently of a very high quality. The teacher and teaching assistant ensure that the activities and resources consistently stimulate the children to be curious. This results in children being very keen to explore topics and develop their imagination. For example, two boys created their own story in the role-play area, which involved dinosaurs and their quest to find treasure. Their effective collaboration resulted in the boys being able to retell their story, which was well structured and exciting, extremely well.  Engagement between the school and parents is very effective. Parents are frequently invited into the setting during teaching times. This means that parents can see how sessions are taught and how their child is responding to the teaching. Parents value

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Early years provision Outstanding

these sessions as they enable them to help their child continue to learn well at home. For example, during the inspection, parents watched staff teaching their children phonics. They saw how staff used a range of techniques, including physical actions, to support children’s understanding.  The early years leader uses her secure knowledge of children’s needs to select external agency support that will best support staff. Staff then use the resulting guidance very effectively, to plan and deliver activities that greatly support any child experiencing difficulties. As a result, children with specific difficulties make at least good progress.  Children are very well cared for and kept safe. They behave well as they are motivated by the learning they experience. Their curiosity and willingness to work and play with others contribute very well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stockton.warwickshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 November 2014

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  Stockton is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes in the school. There are classes for Reception and Year 1; Years 1 and 2; Years 3 and 4; and Years 5 and 6. Children attend full-time in the Reception Year.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average.  Most pupils come from a White British background. Very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  A before- and after-school club runs every day and is managed by the governors.

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Information about this school

 Four new teachers have joined the school since the time of the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in all classes and visited small group intervention sessions. He visited six lessons, five of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, local authority representatives and the chair of the governing body and other governors.  The inspector talked to pupils about their reading and listened to both higher- and lower-ability pupils read.  The inspector examined work in pupils’ books.  The school’s child protection and safeguarding procedures were scrutinised.  The inspector observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documentation written to support school improvement, including minutes from meetings of the governing body.  The inspector took account of the 25 replies to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and spoke with parents. He also looked at a survey completed by staff.  The inspector reviewed the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Jeremy Bird, 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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