Andoversford Primary School

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

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Mrs Louise Bennett Headteacher Andoversford Primary School Old Gloucester Road Andoversford Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL54 4HR

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 21 February 2017, 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 April 2012.

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have sustained the best aspects of the school and addressed effectively the areas identified as in need of further improvement. You have an uncompromising drive for excellence and have built a strong staff team whose members share your high ambition for the school. Good levels of support and challenge from governors have helped you set the right direction for the school.

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

The previous inspection recommended that leadership should be strengthened by improving the skills of subject leaders. You have provided a wide range of training and professional development for staff that have developed their expertise effectively. This has enabled them to lead new initiatives successfully and make improvements to teaching. For example, leaders have strengthened the teaching of comprehension skills in reading, resulting in better progress for pupils. As a consequence, an increasing number are on track to attain the higher standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

Following a dip in pupils’ performance in mathematics in 2016, you have introduced a new approach to develop pupils’ reasoning skills. Increasingly, teachers set work that stretches pupils’ thinking to the full, especially in Years 5 and 6. You recognise that this effective practice is not yet as strongly established in other classes. Nevertheless, standards in mathematics have risen across the school and a greater number of Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve a high standard. You have a strong commitment to ensuring that all pupils achieve well and this is reflected in the precise way you track their progress. You identified that some disadvantaged pupils did not achieve as well as others in school and you put well- targeted strategies in place to ensure that they catch up quickly. You have taken appropriate steps to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by your skilful staff team. As a result, they are making

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

good progress and are included fully in school life.

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

The school has a welcoming ethos with vibrant displays celebrating pupils’ achievements across a range of subjects. It is very much at the heart of the community. This is what appeals to parents who comment that the school has a ‘real family atmosphere’ where pupils are valued as individuals and care for each other. Leaders take pride in the fact that this is a small school with high aspirations for all pupils to be the best they can.

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

You and your governors have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. You are extremely meticulous in your checks to ensure that systems to keep pupils safe are effective. Staff and governors are trained thoroughly in the most up-to-date safeguarding procedures. Leaders understand how to recruit staff safely and they follow statutory guidelines diligently. Events such as the recent internet safety training make sure that pupils are well prepared to face risks in society. Staff are quick to identify and sort out any concerns about pupils. As a result, pupils say that they feel happy and secure in school and this view is supported by parents.

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Short inspection of Andoversford Primary School

Pupils’ attendance is above the national average and punctuality is good because pupils like school and are keen to attend. Leaders work effectively with other professionals, such as the parent support worker, to help families sort out any worries and promote regular attendance. The close working relationship with a specialist children’s counsellor contributes strongly to the good welfare and safety provided by the school.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, I met with you to discuss the school’s progress since the previous inspection. We agreed the following lines of enquiry: how well reading skills are taught, how successfully leaders are developing reasoning skills in mathematics, the progress made by pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, and how well the school keeps pupils safe.  You have ensured that reading skills are taught systematically across the school. Extensive training has enabled teachers and teaching assistants to become skilful in developing pupils’ deeper understanding of their reading. Pupils demonstrate fluent reading with clear understanding and talk knowledgeably about their reading across a range of literature. Initiatives such as the ‘home reading challenge’ successfully promote regular reading for pleasure. As a consequence, most pupils are making rapid progress and the most able are on track to achieve

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Inspection findings

beyond the expected standards for their age.  Last year you were disappointed with the results of the most able pupils in mathematics. Leaders wasted no time in implementing a new teaching approach of ‘discovery, developing and deepening’ to introduce higher levels of challenge. Teachers organise their teaching precisely to meet pupils’ needs and fluency in calculation is developing well. On the whole, they move the learning on quickly enough for the most able pupils to extend their thinking. For example, Year 6 pupils were observed using their reasoning skills to good effect to solve problems in geometry when working out the size of angles in different types of triangles. During my visit, we also looked at a range of pupils’ work and agreed that the most able Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve a high standard. However, leaders recognise that the new approach is not fully embedded in day-to-day teaching in all classes to develop pupils’ reasoning skills and mastery of

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Inspection findings

mathematics.  You closely monitor the learning and progress of disadvantaged pupils. You have ensured that the work teachers plan matches the needs of these pupils. This has helped them to catch up quickly with their peers. You know exactly where any differences in their attainment remain and are taking effective action to enable them to make the best possible progress. Well-trained staff demonstrate good skills in providing the right levels of support and challenge when working with pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. You involve parents well in their children’s learning and, as a result, these pupils are increasingly successful both in their academic progress and their personal development.  Pupils like coming to school and talk enthusiastically about their learning experiences such as meeting ‘real’ authors at the Cheltenham Literature Festival who inspired their writing. They appreciate the kindness shown to them by staff

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Inspection findings

and this is reflected in their good behaviour and their helpfulness towards others.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  pupils continue to develop their mathematical reasoning skills, enabling them to solve more complex problems  the school continues to overcome any remaining shortfall in pupils’ achievement, especially among disadvantaged pupils. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Gloucestershire. 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 discussed the school’s self-evaluation, information about pupils’ progress and improvements since the previous inspection. Together, we observed learning in classrooms and looked at a large number of pupils’ books. I heard several pupils of differing abilities read. I met with pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2 to talk about their experience of school. Meetings were held with middle and subject leaders, the designated leader for safeguarding and with three governors. I also spoke with a representative of the local authority. I looked at a range of written evidence, including documents relating to safeguarding and attendance information. I took account of the views expressed by 29 parents who completed the online questionnaire and their written comments, and the views of the six staff who returned a questionnaire.

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