Otley Primary School

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

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Mrs Jeanette Hubbard-Whitehead Headteacher Otley Primary School Chapel Road Otley Ipswich Suffolk IP6 9NT

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 30 November 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 September 2013.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Pupils and parents are very positive about the quality of provision. As a small school, staff know pupils well and relationships are very positive. Pupils are encouraged to work together and support one another. As a result, there is a strong community spirit within the school. Pupils say they enjoy school.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

Standards at the end of key stage 2 have continued to improve. In 2017, the progress of pupils in writing was outstanding and attainment was well above average. After the previous inspection, you correctly identified the need to improve outcomes in mathematics. As a result of the actions you have taken, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics at the end of Year 6 was above average in 2017.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

You have successfully tackled the areas for improvement from the previous inspection. A range of information is now used to measure pupils in reading, writing and mathematics in all year groups. This information is used to provide support for pupils whose progress is below expectations. You have also considered methods of providing pupils with feedback about their work. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils are given advice that is appropriate to their age and helps them improve their work. Pupils study a broad range of subjects that allow them to develop their knowledge across all areas of the curriculum. Pupils enjoy the curriculum trips, visits and speakers that enhance their learning experiences. ‘Non-curriculum’ days provide opportunities for pupils to work together on cross-curricular topics. There is a good range of after-school activities which are well attended.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

Strong provision is made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils study different religions and cultures as part of the curriculum. They also enjoy participating in musical and sporting events. Pupils take part in community events such as the local service of remembrance. The paired learning scheme that matches younger pupils with older ones is valued by the pupils. Younger pupils are supported both socially and academically. Older pupils say they enjoy supporting the younger pupils, especially with their learning.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

Governors are very knowledgeable about the work of leaders and about school standards because they are well trained and possess a range of appropriate skills. They ensure that their training is up to date. Governors challenge leaders in meetings and make visits to the school in order to see, first-hand, standards within the classroom. They have a clear vision for the school and high expectations of staff and pupils.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

Leaders and governors have ensured that safeguarding arrangements are effective. You, your staff and governors place great importance on keeping pupils safe. Staff are appropriately trained and kept up to date on the latest guidance. They are aware of the procedures they should follow if they are concerned about a pupil’s welfare. Leaders ensure that the appropriate pre-employment checks are carried out on all staff, governors and volunteers before they are allowed to work with pupils.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

Your curriculum helps pupils to know how to keep themselves safe, including when working online. You ensure that pupils are unable to access inappropriate sites when using computers in school. Other aspects of keeping safe, such as bullying and road safety, are taught through the personal, social and health education curriculum.

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Short inspection of Otley Primary School

Pupils say they feel safe in school and that bullying is rare. They are confident that adults will listen to and deal with any concerns they may have. During playtime, staff supervise pupils vigilantly. Pupils play well together. Parents agree that pupils are safe and well cared for.

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Inspection findings

 To establish whether the school remained good, I wanted to find out why pupils’ achievement in reading was not as strong as that in mathematics and writing, especially at the end of key stage 2. I also wanted to find out what actions you were taking to improve standards in reading.  Inspection evidence confirms that you have analysed reading results and identified comprehension skills as the area to improve. As a result, changes have been made to how comprehension skills are taught. Progress data and the work in pupils’ books indicate that this is starting to have a positive impact on improving pupils’ understanding of texts. However, we agreed that it is too early to establish whether these changes will have a long-term impact on improving outcomes in reading.  As a second line of enquiry, I wished to establish how well teachers are providing work that matches the ability of the pupils. I chose this because the progress of

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Inspection findings

the higher-ability and middle-ability pupils is variable. The proportion of pupils meeting expected levels of progress in English and mathematics has been below average by the end of key stage 2. The progress of lower-ability pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities consistently make at least expected progress.  I looked at a sample of books from each class and found that, in English, pupils are set very similar work. However, pupils of all abilities are provided with opportunities to develop their writing skills further. The level of reading activities set is improving and is better matched to pupils’ needs. Work in mathematics books contains some superb examples of work set at an appropriate level of challenge. Pupils are given plenty of opportunity to develop their reasoning skills. As a result, current pupils are making good progress, especially in mathematics.

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Inspection findings

 We discussed how frequently and thoroughly you monitor the progress of pupils. Leaders monitor pupils’ progress each term and discussions are held with teachers in order to plan personalised programmes for those who are not making the expected rates of progress. We agreed that the time between each progress review may be too long to address some gaps in pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. Progress could be accelerated by providing short, focused and timely interventions.  Finally, I looked at the progress pupils are making in subjects other than mathematics and English. To do this, I looked at science, topic and French books, as well as individual learning journeys, to look at children’s progress in the early years. Learning journeys indicate that children in Reception are making good progress.  Pupils are making good progress in French because they are given challenging activities. By Year 6, many pupils are able to write simple sentences in French

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Inspection findings

using the correct grammar. Pupils are provided with the opportunity to use their literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum in subjects such as geography, design technology and history. They are also given work that develops their knowledge within these subjects.  From Year 1, pupils are developing their understanding of scientific words and practical inquiry skills. By Year 6, most pupils’ science work demonstrates that they are able to make predictions based on previous knowledge, carry out an investigation accurately and use scientific words accurately throughout their written work.  My conclusion is that progress across the curriculum is good for most groups of pupils.

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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

 progress and attainment in reading improve by continuing to develop pupils’ comprehension skills  short interventions are quickly and consistently put into place where any pupil is identified as having a gap in their skills, knowledge and understanding in order to accelerate progress.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Suffolk. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this one-day inspection, I discussed the work of the school with you, the deputy headteacher and leaders for English and science.

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Information about the inspection

I observed and spoke with pupils during playtime and lunchtime.

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Information about the inspection

I met with the representative from the local authority and with three governors who were able to provide me with additional information.

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Information about the inspection

Along with senior leaders, I visited the classrooms to observe the pupils’ learning. I looked at a sample of pupils’ books across a range of subjects in order to judge the impact of teaching over time.

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Information about the inspection

I took into account the school’s documentation, assessment information, policies and information on the school’s website. I also considered attendance records and information relating to safeguarding. I considered the 25 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

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