Myddle CofE Primary School

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

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Ms Clare Williams Executive Headteacher Myddle CofE Primary School Myddle Shrewsbury SY4 3RP

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Short inspection of Myddle CofE Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 6 July 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 May 2013.

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Short inspection of Myddle CofE Primary School

As a result of your enthusiastic and unwavering leadership, the school has maintained the good quality of education since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Myddle CofE Primary School

Since your appointment, just over a year ago, you have overseen a period of stability of staffing and improvement in outcomes. This has followed a period of turbulence, caused by staffing changes and a previous decline in outcomes at the end of key stage 2. After disappointing test and assessment results in Year 6 in 2016, pupils have achieved much higher outcomes this year, as a result of consistently strong teaching and rapid in-year progress. The new tracking system that you have introduced is holding teachers to account for pupil outcomes.

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Short inspection of Myddle CofE Primary School

Behaviour and attendance are of a very high standard. Pupils live out the school’s Christian values, ‘Growing, learning and living in the love of God’. Parents spoken to were overwhelmingly positive about the school and your leadership. Pupils and parents welcomed the extensive curriculum, which offers pupils of all ages numerous indoor and outdoor experiences. The forest school is especially popular and contributes to the consistently high outcomes achieved in science.

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Short inspection of Myddle CofE Primary School

Inspectors said in the last inspection report that the school should raise achievement to outstanding, including in writing and mathematics. This has not yet been achieved, but you have ensured that outcomes remain good after the dip in Year 6 in 2016. You have successfully focused on activities to engage pupils, particularly boys, in their writing and improved the quality of teaching of mathematics. Consequently, pupils have greater opportunities for extended writing in ‘real-life’ situations, such as letter writing, and problem solving and reasoning in mathematics.

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Short inspection of Myddle CofE Primary School

You and your governors know why the school is not yet outstanding. Although outcomes have improved rapidly over the last year, the legacy of previous staffing turbulence means that older pupils in Years 5 and 6 have not made strong progress consistently for long enough from their starting points at the end of Year 2. As a result, not enough pupils are working at greater depth in mathematics by the end of Year 6. The website does not meet the Department for Education (DfE) requirements for the information that schools should publish. Leaders do not take sufficient account of the views of pupils about their learning. Pupils have limited awareness of cultural diversity in the United Kingdom.

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Short inspection of Myddle CofE Primary School

Leaders and governors ensure that they are fully up to date with training and guidance. They promote a culture of vigilance, including for those pupils who have specific medical needs. Any issues raised by staff or pupils are followed up promptly and, when necessary, reported and referred in a timely manner. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. Through the consistent use and filing of ‘concern forms’ in one place, leaders ensure that no important information is lost or separated. These concerns are regularly reviewed for trends and patterns emerging. Governors ensure that leaders meet their statutory duties.

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Inspection findings

 Pupil progress has rapidly improved throughout the school, during the last year, in reading, writing and mathematics in each year group in key stages 1 and 2. Experienced and knowledgeable staff are skilled at teaching mixed-age classes. They are highly skilled at adapting work to meet the wide range of starting points in each class. For example, older pupils worked together well on problem-solving tasks of differing levels of challenge to find which local supermarket offered the best deals on chocolate bars.  The new tracking system that you have introduced identifies the progress that each pupil is making. Because the information is collected regularly, it enables you to identify quickly any individuals at risk of falling behind. This helps you to put in place effective measures to support them. You also hold teachers rigorously to account for the progress that pupils are making through regular

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Inspection findings

pupil progress meetings. These, together with regular scrutiny of pupils’ work and lesson observations, result in your knowing well the strengths and areas for development in teaching.  You have engaged boys well in their writing through a number of initiatives to stimulate their learning. These include the use of technology, including writing blogs, forest school, trips, such as a river boat cruise on the River Severn, and themes, such as battles and suspense. Although some boys still said that they do not enjoy writing, these activities have led to improved outcomes for boys.  In order to improve on last year’s very low Year 6 outcomes in grammar, punctuation and spelling, pupils are now highly focused on developing these skills in their literacy lessons. Younger pupils too are able to talk about grammatical terms with confidence. This year’s outcomes in Year 6 have significantly improved.  The proportion of pupils who have met the phonics standards for the end of Year

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Inspection findings

1 is above the national average. Outcomes in reading have improved rapidly in key stages 1 and 2.  Outcomes in early years have significantly improved from below average in 2016 to above in 2017. Leaders have placed a strong emphasis on shape, space and measure where outcomes previously were low. Pupils have numerous opportunities to develop their understanding of 2D and 3D shapes, using real objects, including an outdoor ‘shape hunt’ to engage the interest of boys.  Leaders have tracked the progress of the small number of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities very effectively. They know which pupils are on track and which have fallen behind and are constantly evaluating the impact of the support given. Information presented to governors provides them with a clear view of the impact of provision for these pupils, most of whom are doing well.  Pupils understand the behaviour policy and spoke confidently about the ‘BARK’

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Inspection findings

(behaviour, attitude, respect, kindness) rewards; five ‘BARK bones’ equate to a certificate to take home for parents. Pupils said that the ‘BARK’ policy, in which three sanctions lead to the school contacting parents, has not had to be used for over three years because behaviour has been good. All pupils spoken to rated feeling safe as ‘10 out of 10’. They said that they feel safe in school because of the teachers, other adults, their friends and the secure gates. They know what to do in potentially unsafe situations when using computers.  Parents spoken to at the gate were unanimous that the school is, in their words, ‘brilliant’. They all agreed that teachers are approachable, friendly and very supportive of children’s individual needs. They said that the school provides many outdoor activities, which allow their children to explore the wider school environment. They see the mixed-age classes as an advantage.

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Inspection findings

 Those parent responding to freetext were mostly positive. A large majority of those responding to Parent View agreed that the school is well led and responds well to their concerns. A minority did not agree, however.  There are now more high-attaining pupils working in greater depth by the end of key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics. In Year 6, there are also more attaining at a higher level in reading and writing, but not yet in mathematics. As a result, no pupil in Year 6 is yet working at greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics combined.  Leaders have not taken sufficient account of the views of pupils about their learning in the different subjects that they study.  Pupils spoken to during the inspection visit have limited understanding and experience of cultural diversity in the United Kingdom.  The website does not meet the DfE requirements for information that the school

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Inspection findings

should publish on key stage 2 results, charging policy and evaluation of the pupil premium.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 more pupils are working in greater depth, particularly in mathematics, by the end of Year 6  they take greater account of the views of pupils on their learning  pupils have more experiences and understanding of cultural diversity in the United Kingdom  the website meets the DfE requirements for information that the school should publish.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Hereford and the director of children’s services for Shropshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met the executive headteacher and other leaders and members of staff. I also held discussions with four members of the governing body, including the chair. I met a representative from the local authority. I visited parts of three lessons, observed jointly with the executive headteacher and/or assistant headteacher. I also observed pupils as they moved around the school. I met with a group of pupils. I scrutinised the school’s self-evaluation, pupil performance information and safeguarding and child protection records. I spoke to six parents at the school gate. In addition, there were 24 responses to the online Parent View and 16 to Parent View freetext. There were three responses to the staff survey but none to the pupil survey.

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