Stoke-by-Nayland Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Stoke-by-Nayland Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School School Street, Stoke-by-Nayland, Nr Colchester, Suffolk CO6 4QY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the previous inspection, the school has been through a period of instability and is no longer good. Local authority support has been pivotal in helping the school make significant improvements since the beginning of the school year.  Subject leaders of mathematics and English do not monitor their subjects effectively enough. Therefore, they are unsure about what they need to do to improve pupils’ achievement.  Governors do not monitor closely enough the work of school leaders, and consequently, do not know about pupils’ achievement and what needs to be done to improve it rapidly.  Provision for pupils who are disadvantaged is not always as effective as it could be. Although they make progress in line with their peers, they do not make as much progress as pupils nationally.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not yet good. Teachers do not plan well enough to ensure that pupils make at

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

least expected progress from their starting points. As a result, pupils do not make enough progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The teaching of mathematics requires improvement. Teachers do not provide pupils, particularly the most able, with appropriate challenge to make as much progress as they are capable of.  Pupils, especially the most able, are not given enough opportunities to apply their skills in other subjects. Teachers have too low expectations of what pupils can achieve. As a result, pupils, especially the most able, do not make as much progress as they should.  Early years requires improvement as outcomes for pupils, particularly pupils who are disadvantaged, are not yet good enough.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. The school is a welcoming community where pupils feel safe, and behave well.  The school’s work on transition supports pupils well, particularly vulnerable pupils, to get ready for the next stage in their education.  Pupils demonstrate good attitudes to learning and incidents of poor behaviour are rare. School, 7–8 February 2017

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that leaders at all levels, including governors, are fully involved in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school – developing the role of middle leaders by providing them with more opportunities to improve the quality of teaching and assessment in their areas across the school – raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in science, history and geography – ensuring that more effective support is provided for disadvantaged pupils to make progress in line with pupils nationally.  Improve pupils’ progress and attainment in mathematics by: – ensuring that when teachers plan work that they take full account of what pupils can already do – ensuring that pupils are provided with more opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to investigate and solve problems – providing the most able pupils with greater levels of challenge.  Improve outcomes by ensuring that all pupils, particularly the most able pupils, make

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

as much progress as they should in all curriculum subjects.  Improve early years by ensuring that: – all children, particularly the most able and disadvantaged children, receive the support they need to make as much progress as they should in all areas of learning – parents are involved as much as they can be in their children’s education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. School, 7–8 February 2017

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders, including governors, have not been robust in their monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. The school’s newly developed systems are in place, but are not yet having an impact on the progress that pupils make.  Leaders have not focused their attention precisely on the progress pupils make from their starting points. As a result, pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged and the most able, have not made the progress they should.  As a result of the poor achievement of pupils in 2016, particularly in mathematics, the local authority identified the school as a concern. It is supporting school leaders to ensure that rigorous processes and systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Until recently, the headteacher has been responsible for much of the leadership work. Having now transferred these roles to middle leaders, subject leadership for English

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

and mathematics is in its early stages. The local authority and links with partnership schools are providing support to develop these roles further. While some monitoring activities have shown that there is capacity to develop these roles, subject leadership is not yet having sufficient impact on improving the achievement of pupils.  Inspection evidence shows that leaders ensure that pupils who need extra pastoral care and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported to make progress from their different starting points. For example, pupils who need support to help them with confidence, anxiety and/or communication and language have made significant progress by working with a therapy dog. As a result, vulnerable pupils have been motivated and felt safe to discuss their concerns, and are more ready to start work.  British values and spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects are promoted through

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

assemblies, lessons and visits. Assemblies have a moral and spiritual element. Inspectors observed the telling of a religious story interwoven with the moral elements of caring and friendship. Pupils were fully involved in the assembly and acted out part of the story.  Work in history and topic work demonstrate that pupils are able to show empathy and understanding. For example, pupils were given the task of writing a diary entry from the viewpoint of a soldier in the trenches. Further work on terrorism and refugees gave pupils opportunities to consider and reflect on the causes of such events. School, 7–8 February 2017  Links with the neighbouring secondary school prepare pupils, particularly the most vulnerable pupils, for transition to secondary school. The week-long transition is extended for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who begin their transition early and have opportunities to spend extra time there if needed. Pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

build their confidence by engaging with joint projects using the facilities in the school. Most recently, the school hosted a science fair which pupils enjoyed. Pupils at Stoke- by-Nayland have opportunities to experience cultural diversity by visiting a large primary school in north London. Pupils enjoy the experience and then have an opportunity to share their surroundings when they, in return, play host.  The school uses the physical education (PE) and sport premium funding effectively to support the teaching of PE and to ensure that good-quality PE is being provided. Pupils now participate in more competitive sports and teachers have been able to develop their own skills. An increase in the range of sports is offered and as a result, there has been an increase in pupil participation.  Prior to the inspection, the school’s website did not meet statutory requirements. While this was improved during the time of the inspection, leaders acknowledge that to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

ensure that parents have access to the most recent school information, the website requires regular updating in order to be compliant.

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Governance of the school

 Governors know and understand the school and its context well. They are aware of the school’s priorities and are keen to support the headteacher in improving outcomes for all pupils. However, some new members of the governing body are still unsure of their roles and responsibilities. Although very willing, they are unclear about how to provide the best support and appropriate challenge to school leaders.  Some governors do not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the school’s assessment information and what it tells them. As a result, their understanding of how well the school is doing is over-reliant on the information they are given by school leaders.  Although governors can talk about how pupil premium funding is allocated, not all are able to explain the impact on the progress that disadvantaged pupils make. Therefore, they are unable to say how effectively the funding is being used.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school carries out appropriate checks on those appointed to work at the school. Leaders ensure that staff undertake regular training so that their knowledge of child protection procedures and protecting children from radicalisation is up to date.  The school’s processes for child protection are effective. Detailed information is well organised, with actions well documented and followed up to an end result. School, 7–8 February 2017

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching and learning is not yet good. Significant staff changes and problems in recruiting have meant that developing a consistent approach in teaching and learning across the school has been hindered. Nevertheless, the school has made significant progress in developing uniformity in some areas of teaching and learning in a short space of time. For example, there are clear expectations in terms of marking and feedback to pupils, as well as an expectation of a good level of punctuation in pupils’ writing. As a result, pupils’ writing was well punctuated in most year groups.  Teachers do not use pupil assessment information well enough to ensure that all pupils make the progress of which they are capable from their starting points. Consequently, work set does not ensure that all pupils, including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, make as much progress as they should.  The teaching of mathematics does not always stretch and challenge all pupils. The

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

most able pupils sometimes already understand work covered; therefore, they do not make good gains in their learning in some lessons. One pupil said, ‘Maths is boring, because I already know it.’ Consequently, pupils do not make good progress in mathematics.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve across the curriculum. In mathematics, for example, tasks do not always build on previous learning and in other areas of the curriculum, misconceptions are not followed up. The quality and content of pupils’ topic work are not always of a good standard and do not reflect what pupils are capable of. An example was seen in a history lesson when pupils’ misconceptions about the First World War were not followed up and so remained unchecked. Opportunities to extend pupils’ thinking are missed and therefore pupils are not able to build on previous learning. The same could be seen in science

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

books where, again, pupils’ misconceptions were not picked up by teachers.  The quality of teaching and learning of writing is improving. The work in pupils’ books shows that they are learning to write for a range of different purposes. There is evidence of higher expectations for the most able pupils, but tasks are not always challenging enough to ensure that all pupils make expected progress.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by the special educational needs coordinator and additional adults. Case studies show that pupils make at least expected progress from their starting points.  The teaching of reading has improved. Pupils who read to inspectors enjoy reading and were able to talk about their books enthusiastically. Younger pupils were able to use phonics strategies to read unfamiliar words, while older pupils were able to talk about the authors’ use of language. Pupils can identify the purpose of a range of punctuation

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

and the impact on the reader. One pupil talked personally about the effect of a ‘cliff hanger’ on the reader and said, ‘I just couldn’t wait to buy the next book in the series.’  Displays around the school and in classrooms celebrate pupils’ work. Many classrooms have useful displays and prompts to help pupils check information if they need additional support when working. School, 7–8 February 2017

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff at the school know the pupils and families well. Consequently, pupils feel safe and confident to participate in lessons.  The school’s links, in and outside the community, ensure that pupils not only have a strong sense of belonging, but can also be aspirational. One pupil said that he wanted to be a lawyer when he left school. The school council, and the whole-school charity work, give pupils a sense of responsibility.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They told inspectors that they would never give out any personal information online and always keep their passwords safe. They know to tell an adult in school or their parents if they are concerned about anything they had seen online.  The Parent View survey, and parents who contributed to the Ofsted text service, said that their children were happy and felt safe at the school. Pupils told inspectors that

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The vast majority of parents who completed the Parent View survey believe that behaviour is good.  Incident logs show that poor behaviour is rare and there are few recorded incidents. Pupils say that bullying rarely happened at school but if it did, it was dealt with quickly and effectively. They know what to do and whom to speak to if they are worried or upset.  Pupils are welcoming and friendly towards visitors. They are keen to speak about their school and their work.  Most parents who responded to Parent View agreed that pupils are well behaved.  Attendance of pupils is slightly below national figures. The school is monitoring attendance closely to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families get the support they need to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. There are signs that attendance is improving.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 In 2016, the proportion of pupils who left key stage 2 reaching the expected standard in reading and mathematics was below national averages. Inspection evidence indicates that current pupils are making better progress in reading. School, 7–8 February 2017  Progress is not strong in mathematics across all year groups. Although inspectors saw an improving picture in lessons, work in pupils’ books shows that pupils do not make enough progress over time. This is particularly true for the most able pupils. Evidence showed that there is too much repetition of tasks that are too easy for pupils. Follow- up activities do not sufficiently build upon the learning for some pupils.  The proportion of pupils in Year 1 who met the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2016 was below the national average. However, caution needs to be taken when making national comparisons due to the smaller than average cohort

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

size. Inspection evidence shows that pupils across the school catch up in Year 2 and make good progress in phonics, and indicates that pupils are making at least expected progress in reading.  Overall, the progress pupils made in writing in Year 6 was broadly in line with national expectations in 2016. Pupils’ writing books and the school’s current pupil information suggest that most current pupils are making at least expected progress in writing. Leaders agree that work in pupils’ books confirms that standards are improving, but that the most able pupils are still not achieving as highly as they could.  A high proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have complex needs and are also disadvantaged. The school provides effective support that enables them to make at least expected progress from their starting points.  Some pupils who are disadvantaged only make as much progress as their peers. The

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

school is now monitoring the progress of disadvantaged pupils more closely. Current pupil information shows that some pupils are currently on track to make progress in line with other pupils nationally.  Pupils’ achievement in other subjects is variable. This is because teachers do not always expect high standards in subjects such as history and science. The most able pupils do not have enough opportunity to apply their subject skills in a range of different ways. When they do have the chance, they clearly enjoy the opportunity. This was evident in work that pupils chose to complete in their own time.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Children enter Reception with skills that are broadly typical for their age, but small year groups lead to variations. Children come to the school from a variety of settings and some from outside the community. Leaders visit the pre-school settings prior to the children starting Reception. The information they receive helps the school understand the children’s starting points so that they can plan to meet their needs. This helps to ensure a good start to full-time education at Stoke-by-Nayland Primary School.  Leaders do not always monitor the progress of all children closely enough. As a result, some children, particularly the most able children and those who are disadvantaged, do not make the progress they should. School, 7–8 February 2017  Leadership of the early years is developing. Teachers and adults work well together. Sometimes, however, the school is not proactive enough in involving all parents as

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Early years provision Requires improvement

much as they could in children’s learning. This means that parents are not given the opportunity to support their children as much as they could and as a result the school cannot be sure it is providing fully effective support.  Work in children’s learning journals shows that they make steady progress in early writing and number work, as can be seen in the staff observations and photographs in children’s learning journals.  Children are taught phonics well in the Reception class. Children get the chance to apply their phonics skills in reading and forming letters during the sessions. As a result, children are making good progress in phonics.  Children are happy and safe in the early years. They engage enthusiastically in whole- class learning. For example, inspectors observed a music lesson in which children were describing the Great Fire of London through carefully selected instruments. Children

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Early years provision Requires improvement

were able to accurately match appropriate sounds to different stages of the event. The teacher’s careful questioning helped children explore the different sounds each instrument can make.  Teachers’ detailed information on children currently in Reception suggests that the proportion of children on track to achieve a good level of development will be in line with the national average. This ensures that children will be ready for their learning in Year 1. School, 7–8 February 2017

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stokebynaylandprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Email address ad.stokebynayland.p@talk21.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16–17 May 2012

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Year groups vary in size year-on-year.  The school has found it difficult to recruit teaching staff. The headteacher and one other member of staff are the only full-time members of staff.  Most pupils are White British. The proportions of pupils who have minority ethnic heritage and those who speak English as an additional language are lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than the national average. School, 7–8 February 2017  The number of pupils who join the school at other than the usual times is higher than that usually found. School, 7–8 February 2017

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning across all year groups.  Most observations of learning were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector held meetings with governors, representatives from the local authority and school staff, including senior and middle leaders.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ work, including information on pupils’ attainment and progress and records of behaviour and safety. She also scrutinised the monitoring of teaching and the management of teachers’ performance, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding documents, the school’s own pupil questionnaires and the school’s website.  Discussions were held with pupils.  Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils were examined, including mandatory checks made regarding the recruitment of new staff.  The inspector listened to pupils read and talked to them about the books they enjoy.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector took account of 21 responses to the online parental questionnaire, Parent View, and text responses from parents.  The questionnaires completed by nine members of staff were also considered. No pupils completed the online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector School, 7–8 February 2017 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

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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