Coaley Church of England Primary School

Coaley Church of England Primary School The Street, Coaley, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 5EB

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors have not taken effective action to prevent the school from declining since the previous inspection. As a result, pupils do not reach the standards of which they are capable by the time they leave the school.  Governors do not understand their roles and responsibilities well enough. Consequently, they fail to hold leaders to account, which has contributed strongly to the current weaknesses in the school.  Leaders, including governors, do not use available performance information effectively. As a result, they have limited knowledge of the progress of different groups of pupils across the school, including disadvantaged pupils.  Governors have been ineffective in building leadership capacity at different levels. Middle leaders, including subject leaders, do not make strong contributions to school improvement.  Teachers do not use assessment information well to build successfully on pupils’ prior

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

learning. As a result, pupils have not developed the skills and knowledge they need to progress well over time.  Teachers do not check pupils’ learning or cater for pupils’ different abilities. Consequently, pupils are not supported or challenged to achieve well across the curriculum.  The teaching of basic writing, handwriting and calculation skills is weak. Pupils do not learn these skills well enough to be ready for the next stage of their learning.  Provision and teaching in the early years is not providing children with an adequate foundation for learning on which to build higher up the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since her appointment, the new headteacher has made a positive impact on the school, particularly on pupils’ behaviour and improving communication with parents.  Pupils enjoy reading and there is a strong culture of promoting reading for pleasure across the school.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, especially in writing and mathematics, by ensuring that teachers: – use assessment information effectively to build on pupils’ prior knowledge – have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve – plan interesting activities that engage pupils – check pupils’ learning and respond to their different needs and abilities, including those of the most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities – improve pupils’ writing skills and the quality of their handwriting across the school – use training opportunities to develop their expertise, alongside teaching assistants, to become more effective in their roles – develop pupils’ basic computation and calculation skills in mathematics.  Improve leadership and management in order to raise standards by ensuring that: – governors know their roles and responsibilities, and take effective action to hold

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

leaders to account – leaders and governors use available performance information to monitor the progress of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, in order to drive improvements – middle and subject leaders develop the skills necessary to contribute widely to school improvement – leadership of early years has a positive impact on children’s progress so that they are well prepared for the next stage of school. 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. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders, including governors, have not been swift enough to tackle weaknesses within teaching and learning. As a result, the school has declined since the previous inspection and governors still fail to show the understanding or urgency necessary to improve.  The school’s self-evaluation is inaccurate and overly positive. Consequently, leaders have not responded with the speed required to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  The capacity for improvement is weak because too much is dependent solely on the new headteacher. Middle leadership is not distributed well and there is insufficient professional skill and knowledge in this tier of leadership. Plans to improve the quality of teaching and learning are not being secured quickly enough and there are systemic weaknesses that impede these improvements.  Roles and responsibilities for leaders at all levels are not clearly determined. Core

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

subjects and areas of responsibility are not being led and managed effectively to improve outcomes for pupils, for example in science.  The headteacher takes responsibility for special educational needs. She has been effective in updating policy and implementing key plans for identified pupils. However, teachers do not use pupils’ plans consistently to inform teaching, so these are having an inconsistent impact on pupils’ outcomes.  Until recently, the school did not have effective systems for tracking pupils’ progress. Although these are now in place, they are still very new. Consequently, pupils’ progress is not yet being analysed or evaluated closely enough, which means that leaders do not have a clear or accurate view of how well groups of pupils are doing.  The appointment of the new headteacher in September 2016 has led to some recent improvements. She has identified the right priorities for improvement, which is having

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

a positive impact on some aspects of teaching and learning. For example, training to improve pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills is now evident in the teaching of mathematics.  Since her arrival, the headteacher has increased accountability, as well as training opportunities for staff. She is using appraisal systems effectively to check on the performance of staff. As a consequence, the quality of teaching is improving in a few areas, such as early years and in some aspects of mathematics.  Leaders promote a broad curriculum that includes the arts, humanities, technology, science and physical education. Pupils enjoy planned opportunities to apply their skills in different contexts. However, the transference of basic skills across the curriculum, in particular writing, is weak. Leaders do not check the quality of work in other subjects. This leads to inconsistency, for example, in science and topic work.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders provide a range of extra-curricular clubs, which pupils enjoy. These include choir, book club and various sports clubs. As a result, pupils have further opportunities to learn and apply skills with their peers.  Leaders work effectively to promote British values through the curriculum and at other times during the school day. These are entwined successfully with the values of the school so that pupils can make positive contributions. For example, pupils spoke confidently about acceptance, tolerance and humility, and explained how they welcome others who may be different from themselves.  Parents typically endorse the impact of the new headteacher and many commented positively on how she has improved pupils’ behaviour and communication. Parents say that they now feel welcome and enjoy the opportunities to come into school. Comments that were typical included, ‘I’m really impressed with the new headteacher.’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 External support from the local authority appropriately identified key weaknesses, for example in governance and early years. However, the governing body has been dilatory in reacting to some of the advice offered, and this has slowed the rate of improvement in the school. Key parts of the school, especially the early years, are too heavily dependent on external support.

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Governance of the school

 Following a review of the governing body in November 2016, the governors recognised some of their shortcomings and set about making changes to personnel and practice. They completed a revised action plan. However, the majority of these actions have been deferred or delayed for various reasons. For example, essential governor training is not due to begin until May 2017 and governors have not yet agreed a strategy for monitoring the school’s performance. This is symptomatic of the lack of involvement and challenge that has led to inaccurate self-evaluation and a decline in the school’s performance over time.  Governors do not have a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Their inaccurate evaluations are often too generous. Consequently, too little action is taken to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment when this is needed.  Governors have recently reallocated the role of the nominated governor responsible for

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Governance of the school

monitoring the impact of the spending of the pupil premium additional funding. However, in spite of this, governors do not have an accurate view of the current outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, including the most able.  The additional grant for physical education and sport is used appropriately. This provides high-quality coaching for lessons and extra-curricular opportunities.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The arrival of the new headteacher has sharpened the school’s processes and systems for safeguarding children. In addition, following a review from the local authority, the school’s employment checks and vetting arrangements are comprehensive and complete. As a result, all staff and governors are fully checked to be able to work safely with children.  Staff are diligent and use what they have learned in training to ensure that pupils are safe and well looked after. There is a strong culture of safeguarding. For example, staff have been responsible for keeping notes and records that have later been used to make successful referrals to other agencies, including the police and social services. If initial referrals have been refused, staff have been tenacious and effective in monitoring situations for subsequent successful referrals.  All staff have been fully trained and understand their roles and responsibilities in

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Safeguarding

keeping children safe. Furthermore, pupils receive training and are taught to recognise and manage risks, including when working online. For example, Year 4 pupils enjoyed watching a play about internet safety at another school. Pupils also have an understanding of the risks and dangers associated with medicines and drugs.  The school environment is used effectively to promote and raise awareness of safeguarding. The staffroom acts as a safeguarding ‘hub’ that staff use for storing and sharing notes, records and training updates. Pupils also recognise that the school environment can point them to support, including the school’s designated safeguarding officers and help through Childline. Year 5 pupils can sing and recite the telephone number for Childline and speak enthusiastically about the internet-safety presentations they are making.  Pupils say that they feel safe and trust staff, especially since the appointment of the

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Safeguarding

new headteacher. She has raised expectations in relation to child protection that ensure that pupils are kept safe and have a strong understanding of this for themselves.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teachers do not make effective use of assessment information. As a result, pupils are not enabled to build well on prior learning and knowledge to reach the standards of which they are capable.  Teachers do not check effectively enough what pupils have already learned. Work given to pupils can be either too easy or difficult, which slows pupils’ progress. Planned learning does not match pupils’ needs closely enough, including for the most able pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of pupils. Consequently, pupils do not produce work to the standards of which they are capable. Pupils are not well challenged or supported to produce high-quality work across the curriculum.  There are too few opportunities for teaching and embedding skills that lead to high- quality writing. Pupils’ writing is not being developed through other subjects and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

experiences. Furthermore, teaching is not effectively reinforcing recent attempts to improve pupils’ handwriting. Pupils’ handwriting lacks fluency and control.  The teaching of mathematics is now supporting pupils to develop stronger problem- solving and reasoning skills. They are starting to be able to explain and justify their thinking. However, teachers are not yet securely developing fluency in pupils’ calculation and computational skills, which is slowing their progress over time.  Teaching assistants do not consistently have a positive impact on pupils’ learning in lessons. They do not have the subject knowledge needed to help pupils catch up. Pupils are not sufficiently supported and make slow progress over time.  Reading is encouraged across the school day. As a result, pupils enjoy books and literature through a variety of media and in a range of contexts.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Pupils are not sufficiently well prepared for the next stage of their learning.  Pupils interact and socialise well. They play together well and are mindful of the feelings of those around them.  Pupils typically say, ‘This is a happy school.’ They particularly enjoy the range of activities through the school day, and at play, which encourage them to take care of each other. There are zones and areas for the pupils to help each other, and the reflection area shows different ways that pupils have reflected on the school’s values.  The headteacher has worked effectively with the local clergy to raise the importance of the school’s values. Pupils understand these values, for example ‘humility’ and ‘thankfulness’, and talk passionately about them. As a result, behaviour and conduct around the school are improving and pupils feel valued and appreciated.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils feel safe and firmly believe that there is no bullying. However, when incidents occur, they have confidence in the staff and these are resolved quickly.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils lose interest when teaching does not motivate, challenge or inspire them. As a result, they stop contributing or listening, which impedes their progress or that of others.  At times, some pupils can be overly reliant on the support of an adult. As a result, they do not push themselves to do their best in the full range of subjects and they fail to take pride in their work.  The headteacher checks pupils’ attendance regularly. She takes action to intervene where attendance drops and parents are kept informed. Overall attendance is improving well, including the attendance of those who are eligible for free school meals. There has been a reduction in the number of children who are persistently absent from school. However, the attendance of boys is not improving as strongly as for other groups of pupils. It marginally fell recently in comparison with the same

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 The school was below the government’s floor standards for pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics and for pupils’ progress in writing at the end of key stage 2 in 2016.  National tests in 2016 showed that the school was below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics attainment at the end of key stage 1. Similarly, there were too few pupils meeting the higher standards in writing and mathematics.  The progress of current pupils seen in workbooks across the school is weak, especially in pupils’ writing, handwriting and some mathematical skills. Too often, pupils are not making enough progress to catch up. They fail to build securely on prior attainment to meet expected standards at the end of key stages 1 and 2.  Pupils are not gaining skills and confidence in sentence composition, structure and organisation to write fluently and with meaning. In particular, they are not applying

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

these in the full range of learning across the curriculum. Pupils are not ready for some of the more complex requirements and expectations of key stage 3.  Pupils are not gaining the fluency needed in basic number skills, calculation and computation to be ready for the next stage in their learning. Commonly, the progression of pupils’ skills and their understanding of number do not build meaningfully or incrementally from the previous stage of learning. Progress in mathematics is slow.  Detailed analysis of pupils’ books shows that boys and girls are both failing to make the progress necessary to meet the expected standards in writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school.  Standards are very low across the school, particularly in writing and mathematics. In addition, there are insufficient numbers of the most able pupils currently working towards the higher standards in reading, writing or mathematics.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, are not currently achieving well across the school. This is particularly the case in writing and mathematics.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make variable progress. The majority of pupils who have lower level needs are not progressing securely. Work in books shows that skills are not being taught incrementally and in line with agreed plans. However, a few pupils who have highly complex needs are making strong progress because support is well matched to their requirements.  Pupils’ progress and skills in subjects other than English and mathematics are weak. For example, the work in science and other topic books shows poor transference of cross-curricular skills. Consequently, pupils are not applying their skills to a range of contexts to deepen their understanding and knowledge in the curriculum.  At the end of key stage 1, phonics outcomes are below the national average. In

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

particular, the most able pupils are not challenged to build on prior knowledge quickly enough. In addition, too few who did not meet the standard in the Year 1 screening check are catching up, especially lower attaining boys.  Pupils’ reading skills across the school are improving strongly. Most-able pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those in Years 5 and 6, are now reading with increasing fluency and understanding towards the standards expected for their age.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Assessment information is not well used to support the children. When children enter the Reception Year, many are working broadly where they are expected to be, but they do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations of the children, especially those who are capable of being challenged and supported to achieve more. As a result, the most able children make slow progress and are not producing the outcomes of which they are capable across the early years curriculum. At the midpoint of the academic year, children are still working with basic letters and sounds which they should already know and be using.  Teachers do not make the best of provision and resources to help children learn, or to remove barriers to learning for them. Learning opportunities do not meet the needs of individuals. Consequently, children do not make strong progress, particularly in writing,

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Early years provision Inadequate

physical development and in aspects of personal, social and emotional development for boys.  Planning does not ensure that basic skills are well threaded through the curriculum. This is particularly true in writing. Children do not have broad opportunities to practise, rehearse and develop skills to build resilience and strength to write and form sentences.  Leaders are heavily dependent on the external support of the local authority. This informs the school’s action plans and offers essential support to improve teaching.  Assessments are now in place and children’s progress is starting to be tracked and monitored. Children’s progress is regularly reviewed by the headteacher. As a result, children are now starting to be targeted for individual support.  Children in the early years are happy and play well together. They show positive attitudes to learning, for example when they were observed working together to roll

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Early years provision Inadequate

balls down a pipe.  Transition is well managed. Teachers use a range of activities to welcome the children, including hosting familiarisation mornings, and they work closely with partners in other settings, including the on-site nursery.  Safeguarding is effective. Children feel safe and are well cared for.

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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

Date of previous inspection 14–15 May 2013

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school has three mixed-age classes. These include a mixed Reception Year and key stage 1 class, a mixed Years 3 and 4 class and a mixed Years 5 and 6 class.  The number on roll makes this school much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There is a similar proportion of girls and boys in the school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the additional grant for disadvantaged pupils is less than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national average. The proportion of those who have an education, health and care plan is similar to the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited all classes and was often accompanied by the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher as well as the subject leader for mathematics. Other additional meetings were held with the special educational needs coordinator (headteacher), representatives of the school’s governing body and the early years leader.  During the inspection, the lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector scrutinised a number of documents, including the governing body’s monitoring action plan and record of visits, assessment information, the school’s self- evaluation, the school development plan, anonymised performance management records and evidence relating to safer recruitment and child protection.  Most visits to classrooms were conducted through accompanied learning walks. The inspector also conducted observations in a Years 3 and 4 physical education lesson.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors undertook a scrutiny of pupils’ books to evaluate the quality of work and check the accuracy of assessment information held by the school in writing and mathematics. An additional workbook scrutiny and a learning walk were conducted as part of an evaluation of the breadth of the curriculum. This included an analysis of science and topic books.  Children spoke to the lead inspector during various activities throughout the inspection. In addition, the lead inspector met with the school council and heard pupils of different abilities read in Years 2, 5 and 6, including the most able and disadvantaged pupils.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime and lunchtime.  The 23 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and accompanying free-text comments, were taken into account. The lead inspector also considered letters from parents and met parents directly. There were no responses from pupils. Four staff

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Information about this inspection

survey responses were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Stewart Gale, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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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