Oxley Primary School Shepshed

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

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Mr Jason Gilman Headteacher Oxley Primary School Shepshed Thorpe Road Shepshed Loughborough Leicestershire LE12 9LU

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

Following my visit to the school on 24 January 2018, 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 2013.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

You provide a warm and nurturing environment where staff and pupils can thrive. Since your appointment in 2014, you and your recently appointed deputy headteacher have implemented school improvement plans that focus upon delivering high-quality teaching, learning and assessment. You and your deputy headteacher ensure that there is regular monitoring of teaching and learning. You give a range of opportunities to develop your largely new teaching team. You place a strong emphasis upon developing your team’s expertise through high-quality coaching and mentoring.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

You and the governing body have successfully extended the school’s age range to include Year 6. After a long period of planning and preparation, you have coordinated the building of two additional classrooms. You have also appointed new staff, including a deputy headteacher.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

The positive ethos of ‘I can’ is echoed by the pupils and staff. One pupil said that pupils are at school to ‘work hard and try our best’. Pupils thrive on the positive praise they receive from adults on a daily basis. They like to receive the class reward points during lessons and the green cards of praise when they visit the headteacher with their good work. High aspirations are shared during school assemblies and pupils are given opportunities to reflect on how they can overcome challenges and further improve as individuals. The range of enrichment opportunities on offer are thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils. They speak highly of the lunchtime clubs provided by sports coaches. They also enjoy their responsibilities as elected house captains and play leaders.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

Parents speak warmly of the care that you and your staff give to their children. They feel that they are fully involved in their children’s learning, particularly because they receive daily updates through the school’s online reward system. They know that should they have a concern, they can meet with their child’s class teacher. Parents spoke highly of the care you provide for pupils who have specific medical needs. They are appreciative of your team’s support and expertise.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

The early years team provides vibrant learning opportunities for the children. For example, children were excited to be visiting the local supermarket to learn about different foods, roles and responsibilities in a supermarket. In the morning, children were encouraged to paint pictures of different types of fruit that they may see at the shop. The role play area was set up as a shop so that pupils had opportunities to develop their language and communication skills. Children in the early years are enthusiastic learners because the early years team provides exciting learning opportunities that are well thought out and capture their imaginations.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

Phonics teaching is a strength of the school. Pupils know how to use and apply their sounds to words. Adults provide opportunities for pupils to practise their sounds. They are well supported by adults to ensure that they say their sounds accurately. They are encouraged to blend their sounds to read short words. Pupils enjoy participating in their lessons and are given the opportunity to be ‘the teacher’.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

Since the last inspection, you have ensured that teachers set tasks that provide the right levels of challenge to move pupils’ learning on, particularly for the most able pupils. You acknowledge that this is more successful in English than in mathematics. You know that there is further work to be done to ensure that the higher-attaining pupils are challenged consistently so that they make accelerated progress in mathematics. Where teaching is less effective, pupils’ progress slows since they are not challenged sufficiently and complete tasks easily. In response, you and the deputy headteacher have reviewed the teaching and learning policy.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

You and the mathematics leader are working closely with a range of external groups to ensure that there is effective mathematics training. The mathematics leader has reviewed the school’s mathematics planning and regularly checks on pupils’ learning. She has an accurate view of the strengths and areas for further improvement. She is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive high-quality mathematics teaching. You recognise that further work is needed to fully develop the skills and expertise of all subject leaders so that they rigorously check improvements in their subjects.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

You have focused on ensuring that teachers and middle leaders concentrate upon the learning and progress of different groups. You and senior leaders hold regular meetings with teachers to discuss the learning needs of all pupils. You carefully track and review the progress of different of pupils and ensure that all teachers have a complete overview of pupil groups across the school. Pupils’ workbooks show that pupils have ample opportunities to practise their calculation skills when solving real-life problems. Pupils’ workbooks show that they use practical equipment to work out the perimeter and area. They also practise the four number operations when solving mathematical word problems set for them.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to explain what they are learning and ask pertinent questions to check on pupils’ understanding.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

You and the deputy headteacher have robust procedures in place to ensure that there is a positive culture of safeguarding. Staff and the governing body receive appropriate training and receive regular updates. The governing body receives training to help governors recruit staff safely. The governing body has a dedicated governor for safeguarding who checks the single central register. I spoke to a range of staff who knew clearly the procedures for raising any concerns with the designated leaders for safeguarding. Records show that referrals from staff are dealt with promptly by you and the deputy headteacher. Your records are detailed and well organised. You ensure that you have a whole-school overview of concerns raised so that you can monitor pupils’ welfare closely. Pupils who are looked after have effective personal education plans in place. You liaise regularly with the headteacher responsible for children looked after in the local authority.

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Short inspection of Oxley Primary School Shepshed

Together, you and the deputy headteacher are diligent when checking and monitoring pupils’ welfare. Pupils told me that they feel safe and know how to keep safe online. One child told me that ‘we should not be nasty online’. Your messages about keeping children safe are supporting pupils to make the right choices and seek adult support should they have concerns.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, we looked at pupils’ books, in particular at the rates of progress between boys and girls. Pupils’ assessment information at the end of key stage 1 in 2017 highlighted that there was a difference in attainment between boys and girls in reading and writing. Your pupil assessment information shows that over time, the difference in attainment reduces. Also, you were able to show me that progress rates between boys and girls are similar throughout the school. You and the deputy headteacher ensure that there are regular detailed discussions about pupils’ progress to ensure that teachers are meeting the needs of different groups of pupils. The early years leaders are ably managing the range of needs of children on entry to the early years. They note that children are entering the early years with levels of attainment that are below what is typical for their age.  You and the deputy headteacher have reviewed the monitoring and evaluation systems

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Inspection findings

in the school to ensure that they are robust and rigorous. You and your teachers meet regularly to discuss pupils’ progress. Teachers are becoming skilled at analysing the progress of different groups of pupils. Teachers provide additional support for pupils who need to catch up using their assessment information.

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Inspection findings

Additional support is monitored carefully at regular intervals throughout the school year. The school is part of a local group of primary schools where leaders collaboratively provide challenge and support. You and your team are able to moderate pupils’ work with other local schools. You and your staff also attend relevant training through the Loughborough Learning Alliance.  During the inspection, we looked at how well teachers provided appropriate tasks to meet pupils’ needs in mathematics. In 2017, not enough middle-attaining pupils reached the expected standard at the end of key stage 1. The mathematics leader was able to explain clearly the particular needs of those pupils who did not meet the expected standard. In response to this, you have ensured that these pupils are now receiving additional learning support to ensure that they make accelerated progress. The mathematics leader has introduced discrete number sessions in lessons so that pupils are

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Inspection findings

able to practise their number skills and build on their fluency.  During our tour of the school, we noticed that not all teachers used pupils’ assessment information to provide consistently tasks that met the specific needs of pupils in mathematics. We looked in pupils’ books and noticed that pupils, particularly the most able, did not have tasks that sufficiently challenged them. Where teaching was less effective, we noticed that pupils finished tasks swiftly. As a result, their progress slowed in lessons. You have recently reviewed the teaching and learning policy. The mathematics leader is also supporting teachers to further develop their teaching and learning skills to improve the quality of mathematics across the school. You and the deputy headteacher know that further work is needed to ensure that the teaching of mathematics further improves.  The planning and implementation of the new age range has been successful. The school

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Inspection findings

has two new classrooms that are spacious and well resourced. You have also appointed more staff. The deputy headteacher, who is also an experienced Year 6 teacher, regularly works alongside the Year 6 team to ensure that the curriculum is planned carefully. They moderate pupils work regularly and ensure that tasks meet pupils’ needs consistently.  You acknowledge that subject leaders need to develop their skills further so that they rigorously lead and check on improvements in their subjects. Subject leaders are developing their monitoring and evaluation skills so that they can accurately identify further improvements using assessment information rigorously. Subject leaders are also working with a range of external partners to implement coaching and training opportunities across the school.  The governing body is led well by the chair of governors. He recognises that there is work to be done to ensure that the skills of the governing body are further developed.

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Inspection findings

Together, you and the chair of the governing body are establishing robust systems to ensure that the governing body is able to check on the work of the school and challenge leaders.

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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

 teachers use assessment information to develop appropriate tasks in mathematics to meet pupils’ needs, particularly the most able pupils  subject leaders develop their skills further in leading and checking improvements in their subjects  the governing body’s skills and expertise are further developed so that they are able to challenge leaders consistently.

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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 Leicestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I held meetings with you and the deputy headteacher. I also met with two governors, including the chair of governors. I spoke with parents before school and with a group of pupils about their school experience. Jointly with you, I visited every class and we sampled pupils’ books. In addition, I checked the school’s safeguarding arrangements and records, including the school’s record of recruitment checks on staff. I evaluated the school’s documentation about pupils’ achievement, planning for improvement and attendance. I took account of the 51 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the 24 responses from parents to Ofsted’s free-text service. There were 21 responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff. There were no pupil responses for me to consider.

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