Terrington St Clement Community School

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

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Miss Elizabeth Hackett Headteacher Terrington St Clement Community School 72 Churchgate Way Terrington St Clement King’s Lynn Norfolk PE34 4LZ

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

Following my visit to the school on 20 February 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 July 2014.

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in certain areas. This may indicate that the school is improving towards being outstanding. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

You have ensured that the areas for improvement from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed. In particular, you have made sure that staff provide high-quality teaching and learning across the school. Effective training and work with outstanding schools have improved the skills of teachers and leaders. Additionally, stimulating displays now support pupils’ learning effectively. Teachers’ high expectations encourage pupils’ very positive attitudes in lessons. As a result, pupils take pride in their work, which is recorded and presented to a high standard.

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

The progress that pupils make from the end of key stage 1 to the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics is a strength of the school and is above the national average. Writing progress, which was a weakness at the previous inspection, has been in the highest 20% of schools nationally for three years, rising to be within the highest 10% in 2017. Mathematics has been in the highest 20% for two years. Leaders’ recent focus on improving teaching and learning in reading is ensuring that the progress pupils make in this subject is improving rapidly across the school. Pupils say they are very happy at the school, describing it as ‘a friendly, safe place’ where ‘everyone is welcome’. They praise the positive relationships they enjoy with each other and adults within the school. Inspection evidence confirms that relationships are, indeed, respectful and supportive. As a result, pupils behave extremely well as they develop into caring and confident members of the school

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

Parents, carers, pupils, staff and governors speak highly of the school’s caring and highly inclusive ethos. Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, offered comments such as, ‘I am extremely impressed by the school’, and, ‘Pupils thrive in all aspects of development’. Parents and governors have confidence in your strong leadership and value your approachability, along with that of your staff.

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

You have a precise knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This enables leaders and governors to produce sharply focused action plans to improve teaching and learning and pupils’ outcomes quickly. You react promptly to changing circumstances and adapt your plans accordingly. Staff respond very positively to new initiatives, which improve outcomes for all groups of pupils, especially for those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged. Leaders carry out a rigorous programme of checks on the quality of teaching. As a result, support is precisely targeted towards meeting the needs of all pupils.

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

The school provides a stimulating curriculum. Pupils were keen to tell me about recent topics, visits and extra-curricular activities. We observed high-quality physical education and music lessons which improved pupils’ skills well. You have, rightly, identified that you want to further enhance pupils’ achievements in subjects across the curriculum.

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

Leaders, staff and governors work with a clear focus to ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are highly effective. Child protection training for staff and governors is thorough and up to date. Consequently, any concerns are dealt with quickly and external agencies are involved as necessary. Rigorous processes are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the school’s procedures to keep pupils safe. These reflect the school’s vigilant, inclusive culture.

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Short inspection of Terrington St Clement Community School

Pupils with whom I spoke told me that they always feel safe in school. They trust the staff and feel they are well cared for. Pupils speak with mature knowledge and understanding about bullying, saying that it is very rare but that if it happens, it is sorted out quickly and fairly. They know how to be safe when using the internet.

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Inspection findings

 My first key line of enquiry looked at how well current pupils are doing and whether the school’s high rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics are likely to be maintained. This included investigating whether any differences in progress between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates are diminishing, and if the most able pupils are sufficiently challenged to make the best possible progress. Together, we observed teaching and learning in all classes. We also scrutinised the work in pupils’ books in English, mathematics and a range of other subjects and looked at teachers’ assessments.  Your precise analysis of performance information shows that pupils in all year groups are making good and better progress from their various starting points in English and mathematics. It also indicates that a greater proportion of pupils are on track to reach the expected and higher standards in these subjects. This

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Inspection findings

implies that pupils’ outcomes are likely to be maintained or improved at the end of Year 6 and Year 2. The high quality of teaching, and work seen in pupils’ books across the school, also indicate that this is likely to be the case, especially in reading. We agreed that pupils are making good progress in other subjects but more challenging, independent learning would enable all groups of pupils to improve their attainment and progress even more.  Disadvantaged pupils are now doing as well or better than others in their year group, so that any differences in their rates of progress are diminishing. We saw evidence that a higher proportion of the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are completing tasks at a greater depth, to ensure that they make the best possible progress.  My next focus was to look at the school’s provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities within the specialist resource base

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Inspection findings

and the rest of the school. As the special educational needs coordinator, you ensure that the pupils attending the specialist centre, from a variety of schools, receive high-quality provision. The speech and language therapist provides an intensive programme for trained staff to follow. As a result, these pupils make good and better progress in the development of their language skills.  The pupils in the specialist resource base behaved well throughout the day and showed appropriate table manners. Quality home-school diaries ensure that parents are kept informed about their child’s development. Pupils showed good concentration and were enthralled when watching an exciting video clip to improve their language and phonics skills. Governors monitor this provision rigorously to ensure that the local authority funding is spent effectively.  Within the school, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are identified quickly

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Inspection findings

and accurately. Evidence reveals that highly effective support is provided by teachers and trained teaching assistants in the classrooms and the school’s ‘lodge’. As a result, these pupils make good behavioural, social, emotional and educational progress from their various starting points.  My final line of enquiry was to investigate the provision in the early years. This is because the proportion of children meeting the expected standard of a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has varied over time.  The experienced early years leader is continuously improving provision for the Nursery and Reception children. Both year groups follow class routines and work well together. We observed Reception children using their knowledge of phonics to support their spelling and writing. These children used capital letters and full stops appropriately, while taking great care to form letters correctly. Books show

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Inspection findings

that children make rapid progress in developing their writing skills, from initial mark making to writing simple sentences.  Many exciting activities are provided for children to develop their skills and knowledge in all areas of learning. Effective questioning from adults improves children’s speaking and listening skills. Children enhanced their numeracy and creative skills when carefully drawing plans to help them build towers, bridges and vehicles. They named the shapes they had drawn. The children showed good attitudes to learning and focused concentration throughout these activities.  Assessment of pupils’ starting points and the progress they make throughout the year is rigorous and accurate. This evidence, combined with highly effective teaching, and the work in books indicate that children are making good and better progress from their various starting points. As a result, a higher proportion

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Inspection findings

of children are on track to reach a good level of development this academic year. Children are being prepared well for key stage 1. The early years leader and Year 1 teachers work together to guarantee a smooth transition between the two key stages, ensuring that no learning time is wasted at the start of Year 1.

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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

 pupils become more independent learners to further raise standards in subjects across the curriculum.

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

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, other leaders and governors. I listened to some Year 6 pupils read, and spoke with a group of pupils. I looked at a range of documentation, including information about the school’s self-evaluation and plans for future improvement. I examined policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils, including the school’s single central record, which includes pre-employment checks on staff. I visited all classrooms within the school to observe pupils’ learning and scrutinised the work in their books. Additionally, I visited the specialist resource base, the Language Integrated Facility, at Terrington. I took account of the views of 37 staff members, 205 pupils and 46 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online surveys. Written views of 26 parents from the free-text service were also considered.

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