The Colsterworth Church of England Primary School

The Colsterworth Church of England Primary School Back Lane, Colsterworth, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG33 5NJ

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for pupils Inadequate Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2016. On her arrival, she accurately identified the shortcomings of the school. Under difficult circumstances, she has worked to address these. Improvements have happened. These improvements have not been sufficient or rapid enough to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment or pupils’ outcomes.  Governors have an overly generous view of the school. They believe the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ outcomes to be better than they are. They have not made sure that external government funding, including the pupil premium, benefits eligible pupils.  Pupils’ outcomes are inadequate. Pupils do not make the progress that their starting points would indicate they should. This is particularly, but not exclusively, the case at key stage 2. In 2016 and in 2017 pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics fell well below the national average.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate. Teaching is too often pitched at the incorrect level to meet pupils’ learning needs. Most-able pupils are rarely challenged. Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities do not receive precise enough help. Disadvantaged pupils do not receive specific academic provision to address any barriers to their learning.  Some pupils do not gain sufficient opportunity to develop their love and excitement for learning. When the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is weak, pupils become uninterested and bored.  Provision in the early years requires improvement. Children’s attainment is in line with that typically seen nationally, their attendance is good and parents value this provision highly. Some areas are not yet good.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

The school has the following strengths  Senior and middle leaders are now more fully involved in the leadership of the school. They have displayed good capacity to move the school forward.  Pupils’ attendance is now above the national average for all pupils and groups of pupils.  Pupils and their families are known well by all staff. They feel safe in their school.  Parents say that they particularly value the ‘community feel’ of this smaller than national average sized school.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to accelerate pupils’ progress and raise standards of attainment, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and the most able by ensuring that: all teachers understand and use information about pupils’ attainment and progress to ensure that work is pitched at the correct level – pupils have more opportunities to develop their skills in reasoning and solving problems in mathematics – pupils have sufficient opportunities to develop their independent writing and use accurately their spelling, punctuation and grammar skills. – all teachers have high expectations of what pupils, including the most able, can achieve and provide them with a stimulating learning environment in which to learn through work that is suitably challenging – lower-ability pupils are set challenging tasks that they can attempt for themselves and that deepen their knowledge and understanding

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive precise help, which is regularly checked to ensure that it is having the maximum impact to improve their academic progress – the teachers’ assessments in reading, writing and mathematics are accurate and the quality is externally moderated – more frequent opportunities occur for the good practice within the school to be shared and for all staff to visit other schools to observe and learn from others – teaching assistants receive training that ensures that they are effective in supporting pupils’ progress.  Improve the quality of leadership and management to improve pupils’ learning by: – making sure that leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to improve the – attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils – ensuring that there is sufficient governor capacity to hold leaders effectively to – account for improving the school

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that senior and middle leaders check the quality of teaching regularly and have received the appropriate training and support to do so effectively.  Improve the quality of early years provision by: – making sure that leaders have a comprehensive overview of the areas of learning where children are most and least successful, using this information to adapt learning and ensure that more pupils than the national average achieve a good level of development – making sure that learning is pitched at the correct level and is appropriately challenging, particularly for the most able – further improving the outdoor provision. External reviews of governance and the use of the premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The headteacher has been in post for little over one year. She has worked with great determination to address some of the shortcomings of the school. Although many improvements have happened, pupils do not make the progress that they are capable of and too many underachieve.  Leaders have not made sure that the pupil premium is spent wisely. The pupil premium strategy is weak. Disadvantaged pupils do not receive the academic support needed to address the barriers to their learning. They fail to make the progress that their starting points indicate that they could.  Leaders have not made sure that the funding to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is spent appropriately. Some pupils do not receive the targeted intervention needed in order that their academic progress is accelerated.  Leaders do not have an accurate view of the quality of teaching. Their view is overly generous. The monitoring processes that inform their views are new and lack precision.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

As yet, they do not take into account the extent to which teaching is having an impact on pupils’ outcomes. Currently, the weaknesses in teaching are not being addressed quickly or effectively enough.  External support has not been effective in ensuring that the school improves at the rate that it needs to. This support has not helped leaders to have an accurate view of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment or improve pupils’ progress.  The headteacher has ensured that appropriate school improvement plans are in place. She has communicated well her vision for the school and her ambition to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality education within a school culture that is a ‘family’. In a relatively brief period, she has gained the support of all staff. Those that responded to the online staff questionnaire stated that they believed that the school was well led and managed. All said that they were proud to work at the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Teachers’ performance is now managed effectively. Appropriate targets are set and link to whole-school improvement priorities. Recently, some teachers have had access to professional development opportunities that include visits to other schools in order to learn from best practice. Not all teachers have received this much-needed opportunity. The impact of teachers’ training is not closely enough monitored. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate.  The curriculum covers all subjects on a two-year programme. The development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills across a range of subjects has been carefully considered. Leaders have made sure that all pupils engage in a range of activities out of school; for example, pupils engage in outdoor pursuits. They have the opportunity to learn about construction and bricklaying. Many additional events happen in school in order to excite pupils’ interests, including an Egyptian day and many

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

opportunities to cook. More is needed, however, to challenge pupils, to provide opportunities for them to grapple with problems and apply their knowledge and skills.  The primary physical education and sport premium is used well by leaders to promote pupils’ involvement in sport. Many pupils engage in sporting activities and competitions.  The school has a positive ethos. Pupils receive a great deal of care from their teachers and all other staff. Much is done to teach pupils about life in modern Britain, including about those who have different faiths and cultures. Pupils learn about democracy and appreciate the many ways in which their opinions are responded to. Pupils have regular involvement in activities within their local community and with the church.  Governors are clear that relations between the school and parents are much improved since the headteacher joined the school. She ensures that she is a visible presence to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

parents. She welcomes families and children to the school at the start of the school day. She ensures that she is available. Many parents said that they appreciated this and the many ways in which home and school communication had improved.

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Governance of the school

 Governors do not have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Their view is too generous. Until very recently, they have not held leaders to account to ensure that pupils achieve as they should.  Governors have not ensured that external funding to the school is spent wisely by leaders. The pupil premium strategy is weak. Funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is not spent on interventions to rapidly address their academic barriers.  Currently, there are governor vacancies. There are some talented members of the governing body. Even so, they do not have sufficient capacity to hold leaders to account in the ways that are needed.  Governors are now doing more to involve parents in the life of the school and the education of their children.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The headteacher has been conscientious in ensuring that the arrangements to safeguard pupils are well understood by all staff and by pupils. Pupils told inspectors that they felt safe in their school.  Checks associated with all staff meet requirements.  The headteacher has ensured that all staff have received appropriate training. The safeguarding policy has been updated and meets requirements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate. Teachers do not ensure that work is matched to pupils’ different abilities. They do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are not sufficiently challenged to make rapid progress.  Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ progress in lessons is inadequate. Not enough happens to check regularly that pupils are working at the appropriate levels. Some pupils, particularly the most able, are not helped to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills needed for them to progress at the rates that their starting points indicate. The rate of progress made by too many pupils is too slow.  The marking and assessment policy is not followed consistently well by teachers. This means that some pupils do not receive the feedback they need in order to correct errors, address their misconceptions or improve their knowledge and skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Recently, the deputy headteacher has ensured that pupils who have special educational needs are receiving the focused support needed in order to accelerate their progress. Too often though, the needs of these pupils are not met in class because the work set by their teachers is not pitched correctly. Expectations for these pupils are too low.  Disadvantaged pupils in key stage 2 are not receiving sufficient academic support to help them address barriers to their learning. Leaders have identified some of these barriers, for example the need for some pupils to extend their vocabulary. However, not enough has been put in place to address this within classrooms. Disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as their peers within school or other pupils, nationally.  Teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to problem solve and apply their knowledge in mathematics. At times, pupils spend too long repeating skills they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

have already grasped at the expense of moving to more challenging tasks. Pupils, particularly the most able, do not make the progress that they could as a result.  Pupils do not produce accurate independent writing regularly enough. They have not received effective help from their teachers to edit and check their work to ensure that errors are corrected. At times, pupils repeat the same errors throughout their work and their progress is hindered as a result.  The quality and impact of teaching assistants on pupils’ learning is variable. Teachers do not direct their work to focus sufficiently on improving pupils’ progress. Often, teaching assistants have not received the training they require to improve their practice.  There is some good practice within the school. In Year 4/5 for example, pupils achieve well as a result of their expert teacher. Learning is planned to match pupils’ needs, planned activities stimulate pupils’ interests and learning resources are well used. This

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

good practice should be shared more widely.

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Personal development and welfare

 Some pupils do not gain sufficient opportunity to be successful and confident learners. This is because the quality of teaching in many areas is inadequate and progress is limited as a result.  Leaders’ ambition is to ensure that the school’s culture has a sense of ‘family’. Pupils receive a great deal of care and support in school. Their physical development is helped as a result of improved sporting opportunities and the school’s use of the primary physical education and sport premium. Pupils told inspectors how much they enjoy taking part in activities such as swimming.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when using the computer or mobile phone. They are helped to understand some of the risks they may encounter, including how others may try to force them to behave in ways that make them feel uncomfortable.  Pupils say that bullying is extremely rare and that any difficulties associated with

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Personal development and welfare

friends ‘falling out’ are dealt with quickly by their teachers.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Where teaching is not pitched properly to the needs of pupils they become distracted, uninterested and bored. It is to pupils’ credit that they do not misbehave badly – often they just wait politely to be properly taught.  Pupils know and understand the school behaviour policy. They are clear about the consequences of their actions and how these may be dealt with by teachers and leaders. Pupils’ behaviour is good around school. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare.  Pupils’ attendance is above the national average for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.  Pupils’ good manners mean they are a credit to their school. They are polite and welcoming to visitors. Many routinely open doors for each other and for their teachers. At social times, they play companionably together and show each other care, kindness

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Assessment at key stage 1 is inconsistent and has been inaccurate in the past. At times, teachers’ assessments of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding have been too generous. This has been unhelpful as they move to the next stage in their education.  Leaders’ information and work in current pupils’ books reveal that pupils are not making the progress that their starting points would indicate they could. Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and the most able are not making the progress that they are capable of.  In 2016, pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 2 were inadequate and below the floor standards. Not enough pupils achieved at a greater depth.  In 2017, pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 was well below the national average. Attainment in writing and in reading was also low.  In 2016 and in 2017, disadvantaged pupils did not achieve as well as their peers in

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

school or other pupils nationally at the end of key stage 2. Most-able pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities did not achieve as well as they could.  In 2017, the proportion of pupils achieving the standard in Year 1 phonics fell well below the national average. Achievement at key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics also declined.  Key stage 1 and 2 assessments in some subject areas, but not all, have now been externally moderated and judged accurate.  Leaders’ current information indicates that pupils’ outcomes are likely to show a trend of improvement throughout the school in 2018 – including in the early years, key stages 1 and 2 and in the Year 1 phonics test

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 The deputy headteacher has just returned to the school after an extended period of leave. She has taken over the leadership of the early years. She has an accurate view of the strengths and the weaknesses of the provision and is rapidly implementing the correct actions needed to improve it, so that it is good. It is too soon to assess the impact of these actions.  The quality of individual children’s assessments is good. Staff know the children well. However, there is no comprehensive assessment overview. Therefore, teachers are not able to examine accurate information about the whole group to assess the areas of learning that are presenting the most difficulty for children and groups of children.  Planned activities are not routinely matched to children’s learning and development needs. Teachers take great care to consider themes that interest and excite children. Many children show real enthusiasm and a thirst to learn. At times, however, the

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Early years provision Requires improvement

learning is at too low a level. This inhibits children’s progress, particularly the progress of the most able children. Some children are not well enough prepared for the next stage in their education.  Children enter the provision with skills and abilities broadly in line with those typical for their age. In 2017, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was in line with that seen nationally. The rate of progress for some children, particularly the most able, is too slow.  Staff have made every effort to make the best of the limited outdoor provision. Children enjoy many of the planned activities but these activities are impeded because the outdoor space requires renovation.  Parents value the provision highly. Children’s attendance is good. Parents have regular online access to see how well their child is learning. They are able to communicate regularly with the early years leader about the progress that their child is making.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Transition arrangements with the pre-school are comprehensive and include regular visits and focused sessions. Events are conducted throughout the year and high-quality information sharing takes place. Parents told inspectors how much they appreciated the efforts taken by staff to ensure that their child settled into the provision. All spoken with said that their children enjoyed school.  Children behave well and safely. Staff provide secure environments and clear routines. Staff make their expectations of behaviour and safety clear, and children respond well. Safeguarding arrangements are appropriate and effective, and statutory duties are met.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address enquiries@colsterworth.lincs.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum, the progress of key stage 2 pupils and the school prospectus on its website.  The current headteacher was appointed in September 2016.  Two members of the leadership team were on extended leave during the academic year 2016/17.  The school is supported by a local authority locality lead adviser. The headteacher has received support from a consultant headteacher. The school is linked to a local cluster of schools and has links with KYRA Teaching School.  The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding is below average.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.  The number of children in the early years that are disadvantaged or who have SEN and/or disabilities is too low to be reported on.

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Information about this school

 In 2016, the school did not meet the government’s current floor standards for pupils’ outcomes by the end of key stage 2.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in the majority of classes in the school. Some lessons were seen jointly with school leaders.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the chair of the governing body and two governors. The lead inspector met with a local authority representative and had a further telephone conversation with a consultant headteacher who has been supporting the headteacher.  Inspectors scrutinised, in detail, a range of pupils’ books in a variety of subjects in all key stages. Some of this activity was conducted jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of the school’s documentation, including the evaluation of its own performance and development plan, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, behaviour, bullying and attendance records, safeguarding procedures, reviews of the pupil premium and physical education and sports funding,

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Information about this inspection

and minutes of the meetings and visits from local authority representatives. Governor minutes were also reviewed.  Inspectors observed behaviour around the school, including at break and lunchtimes. They spoke formally to a group of Year 6 pupils and informally with others around the school.  Inspectors took into consideration the 18 responses from parents to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Inspectors spoke with parents before school.  Six responses to the online staff questionnaire were also considered.

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Evans Ofsted 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

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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