Shap Endowed CofE Primary School

Shap Endowed CofE Primary School Shap, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 3NL

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors have responded swiftly to the recommendations from the short inspection in June 2018. Their decisive actions have ensured that Shap continues to be a good school.  Governors and leaders analyse a range of information to arrive at an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They focus their plans for improvement on pupils’ outcomes.  Governors have worked successfully to improve their own effectiveness. They now hold leaders to account for their work, including for the use of the pupil premium funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.  The curriculum leaders enable pupils to learn across a range of subjects. Some subject leaders do not consistently ensure that all pupils, especially the most able, are making the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers plan learning which enables pupils to learn well. Work in pupils’ books shows that most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

making strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Sometimes the work that the pupils receive in some subjects, especially the most able pupils, does not challenge them enough or support their progress in writing.  Younger pupils achieve well in phonics because this aspect is taught well. Almost all reach the expected standard in the end of Year 1 national phonics screening check.  Children in the early years make a strong start to their education. Most children reach a good level of development by the time they start Year 1.  Pupils benefit from good arrangements for their personal development and welfare. Leaders communicate well with other agencies to ensure that pupils receive the help they need. Pupils’ behaviour is consistently good in class and around school because teachers’ expectations are high.  Good leadership ensures that the school provides well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

this group of pupils to make strong progress from their individual starting points.  Leaders and governors have established a culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders ensure that adults are trained to recognise signs of harm and know how to report any concerns they may have. Pupils feel safe in school, and know who to speak to if they are worried.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – leaders of subjects other than English and mathematics consistently ensure that all pupils, especially the most able, are making strong progress.  Improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: – in a wide range of subjects, teaching routinely provides work that stretches the most able pupils so that more of them make strong progress and achieve the high standards of which they are capable – pupils hone their writing skills in a wider range of subjects, so they make even better progress in writing.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and governors were right to be concerned when the short inspection in June 2018 identified a number of recommendations for improvement. However, they galvanised themselves into action and took important steps to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in school. As a result, Shap Endowed CE Primary School continues to be a happy, welcoming place where pupils learn well.  Leaders and governors now have a much more accurate picture of the school’s many strengths and weaknesses than in recent years. This is because they draw upon a wider range of information and have a better understanding of the school’s assessments. Their evaluations are honest and reflective, and enable them to prioritise focusing their efforts on the appropriate improvements for pupils.  Since the previous inspection, leaders, including subject leaders, have strengthened the school’s systems for assessing pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

mathematics. They make good use of the information these systems produce to keep a close eye on the progress pupils are making over time. Leaders make sure that teachers take appropriate action where pupils are at risk of falling behind.  Leaders and governors ensure that pupils learn across a range of curriculum subjects. Leaders have made sure that subject leaders have developed a clear overview of how teaching is covering the requirements of the national curriculum. However, leaders of subjects other than English and mathematics do not consistently ensure that teaching in their subjects sufficiently challenges pupils to make strong progress, especially the most able pupils.  Leaders make good use of available training to ensure that subject leaders and teachers develop professionally. They ensure that teachers work with colleagues from other schools to share and learn from good practice, and to check the accuracy of their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

assessments. This has a positive impact on pupils’ progress.  Leaders and governors use the pupil premium funding effectively. Disadvantaged pupils across year groups are making progress in reading, writing and mathematics similar to that of other pupils.  Leadership of the provision for pupils with SEND is effective. Leaders, teachers and support staff work together to identify pupils’ needs, and to secure appropriate professional advice and guidance where it is needed. Pupils with SEND benefit from well-planned support and adjustments to teaching, and make strong progress from their individual starting points.  Leaders’ good use of the physical education (PE) and sports funding ensures that pupils have access to a wide range of sports and activities to help them develop healthy lifestyles. Pupils participate in competitions and work with coaches to develop their sports skills in activities as diverse as lacrosse, bowling and orienteering. Leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

are justifiably proud of the School Games gold award which the school holds as a result of its commitment to increasing pupils’ participation in competitions.

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Governance of the school

 Governors fully acknowledged the concerns about their effectiveness raised at the time of the previous inspection. A subsequent period of turbulence within the governing body presented them with further challenge. However, they have not allowed this to stand in the way of putting things right. Governors have worked tirelessly and with a steely determination to improve their work. They have embraced fully the timely support offered by the local authority, to carry out a comprehensive review of the strengths and weaknesses in the governing body, and to plan systematically for their improvement. Consequently, the governing body now holds leaders much more effectively to account. This is helping to drive the improvement in pupils’ outcomes.  Governors are highly committed and have a strong understanding of the needs and interests of the community the school serves. Governors play an important role in

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Governance of the school

securing and sustaining the school’s role within the community, for example through links with the church and with local businesses. These links help to enrich pupils’ learning and help pupils to develop personally.  Governors meet regularly with their linked subject leaders. The reports they compile after these visits show that they ask searching questions to satisfy themselves that leaders are doing all they can to help pupils make progress. Governors are determined to ensure that the records of the governing body meetings reflect fully the level of challenge they now provide for leaders.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Governors and leaders have established a culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to recognise signs of abuse, and follow appropriate procedures for reporting in a timely manner any concerns they may have about pupils’ welfare.  Leaders work effectively with a range of agencies to share important information, and to ensure that pupils and their families receive the help and support they need. Teachers value the clear systems leaders have put in place to help them understand potential barriers to pupils’ learning. They say that these systems help them to see the ‘bigger picture’ for pupils, and provide the support that pupils need.  The school’s curriculum ensures that pupils discuss relationships and develop a strong understanding of how to stay safe when online. The school is a warm, caring environment in which pupils say they feel safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The improvements leaders have made to the quality of teaching mean that pupils almost always benefit from well-planned learning which keeps them focused and interested. Pupils work diligently in class and follow teachers’ clear instructions well, because they know this is what is expected.  Teachers use their good questioning skills to encourage pupils to think more deeply and to explain their thinking in more detail. This helps pupils to develop their vocabulary, and at the same time enables teachers to assess what pupils have understood. For example, in an English lesson in lower key stage 2, pupils were keen to respond to their teacher’s questions about what they would like to ask a particular character from a book they had been reading. They listened carefully to the language their teacher modelled, and then explained their own ideas for questions, which reflected the good vocabulary they had heard. This helped them to move forward in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

their learning.  Teachers usually provide pupils with challenging work which builds upon what they have already learned, especially in reading, writing and mathematics. For example, in a mathematics lesson in upper key stage 2, pupils learned how to apply what they had learned about Roman numerals to tackle a range of number problems of increasing complexity. Pupils across both year groups, including the most able, deepened their understanding further and made strong progress.  Teachers plan work which enables pupils to learn across a range of subjects, including history, geography, art, science, computing and design technology. However, the work the most able pupils receive does not routinely challenge them sufficiently. As a result, they do not make the strong progress of which they are capable in these subjects.  Teachers make sure that pupils develop their reading and writing skills, and where

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

appropriate their mathematics skills, in other subjects. For example, pupils practised applying their learning about data and graphs to display the results of their investigations in science. However, the work that pupils are set in curriculum subjects other than English too infrequently requires them to write at length. This means that pupils, especially the most able, cannot practise and sharpen the skills they have learned in writing in a wider range of subjects. When this happens, it limits the extent to which pupils’ work in these subjects supports their progress in writing.  Teachers provide pupils with feedback in line with the school’s assessment policy. The strong and respectful relationships which exist between teachers and pupils, help pupils to develop positive attitudes to learning. Pupils quickly become immersed in discussions about their work and enjoy seeing their own improvement, for example by ‘moving up

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

the levels’ in their weekly mathematics challenges. As a result, they develop self- assurance and confidence in their abilities.  Leaders and teachers enable parents and carers to share in their children’s learning, for example in reading and in phonics. Information the school gathers shows that parents value this, and appreciate the information they receive from the school about their children’s progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Leaders and staff know pupils and their families well. The systems they have established enable them to build up a strong picture of pupils’ individual needs, and of the factors which might have an impact on pupils’ readiness to learn. Leaders have established strong links with a range of agencies. This helps them to provide support for pupils in school, and secure appropriate external advice where necessary.  Leaders make sure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils who are members of the school council learn about democracy first hand by experiencing the process of voting on particular issues. Other pupils are also involved through democratic decision-making in class. Older pupils have the opportunity to serve as ‘mini-police’. They undertake special training from police officers in order to promote pupils’ understanding of the role of police within their

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Personal development and welfare

community. These activities help pupils to develop positive attitudes of citizenship and responsibility.  The curriculum leaders have developed pupils’ understanding of difference and diversity within families and in the wider world. Pupils learn about a range of religions and cultures, and take part in worship in their own communities. Pupils express their views on the importance of treating everyone with respect, and learn to develop empathy through discussions about their own feelings.  Pupils take part in a wide range of activities which enrich their learning and help them to develop personally. For example, pupils develop the confidence to perform in front of other people when they take part in singing activities with other schools. They learn to persevere and to be resilient when they engage in challenging physical activities, such as their ‘Total Warrior’ training and orienteering. These attitudes help to prepare

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Personal development and welfare

them for the next stage in their education, and their future working lives.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ attendance at school is average, including for disadvantaged pupils. The actions leaders have taken have also led to improvements in pupils’ punctuality. Leaders have established effective systems for monitoring attendance, and take the appropriate action if there is a cause for concern. As a result, few pupils are persistently absent.  Pupils behave well in class and listen attentively to their teachers. Those who spoke with the inspector were keen to express their disapproval of talking in class! They said that this does not happen very often, but when it does, it distracts them from their learning.  Pupils are polite and respectful to visitors and conduct themselves well around school, for example when moving between the playground and their classrooms. Older pupils set a good example to younger ones.  Leaders ensure that pupils develop an awareness of the impact of their behaviour on

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Behaviour

others. On the few occasions when pupils misbehave, they know their teachers will expect them to take responsibility for their actions, and to consider how they will make amends for what they have done. Pupils who spoke with the inspector said that bullying is rare in school, but when it happens, their teachers deal with it quickly.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The very small numbers of pupils in each year group mean that the proportion represented by one pupil can vary considerably from year to year. Statistics regarding pupils’ outcomes can therefore show wide variation, and comparison with other schools nationally can be unreliable. This variability is evident in the outcomes of pupils at Shap.  Information published in recent years shows that pupils in key stage 2 have generally made better progress in writing and in reading than in mathematics by the time they leave Year 6. Pupils’ attainment at the expected standards in the key stage 1 national tests has been above the national averages in reading and mathematics in the last two years, and is improving towards the national average in writing. More pupils than average also reached greater depth in reading and mathematics during this period.  The school’s small proportion of disadvantaged pupils are making progress which is

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Outcomes for pupils Good

much the same as that of other pupils with similar starting points in their year groups in the school. This is because leaders make effective use of the pupil premium funding to improve their outcomes. Pupils across the school with SEND also make steady progress from their individual starting points because leaders ensure that teaching meets their learning needs well.  Pupils read widely and often. Those who read to the inspector did so with enjoyment, fluency and understanding. They talked about their favourite authors and had a clear understanding of the meaning of the texts they read. Leaders have worked hard to engage parents in their children’s reading. For example, pupils are motivated by the prospect of ‘earning’ tokens for new books when they demonstrate that they have read to an adult at home on a specific number of occasions. This is having a positive impact on the progress pupils are making in reading.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils currently in school, in almost all year groups, are making good progress in writing. Work in their writing books shows their increasing use of exciting vocabulary and accurate punctuation. Pupils write effectively for a range of purposes, such as diary entries, stories and character descriptions.  Work across year groups shows that pupils often write in other subjects. However, too infrequently do pupils produce longer pieces of work. This limits the extent to which pupils, especially the most able, use this work to sharpen their skills, for example by putting into practice the techniques they have learned in English lessons. When this happens, they do not make the progress of which they are capable.  The improvements leaders have made to the teaching of mathematics are evident in the work pupils produce. Most pupils across the school are now making strong progress in mathematics. They apply their skills well to solve a range of problems, and use their

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Outcomes for pupils Good

developing reasoning skills to explain the methods they used to arrive at their answers. Pupils sometimes practise their mathematical skills in other subjects, especially in science.  Younger pupils in school are developing their phonics skills well. They learn to break up and blend sounds and letters in order to read and to write readable sentences, with good attempts at spelling more complex words. Information from the school’s assessments shows that pupils are clearly making progress and most are on track to achieve at least the expected standard in the national phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.

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Early years provision Good

 Most children start in the Nursery or Reception class with skills that are broadly typical for their age. However, a minority join the early years with skills in communication and language and in physical development below those expected for their age. This group of children catches up quickly. By the time they leave the Reception class, almost all children have reached at least a good level of development in readiness for Year 1.  Leaders and managers have established strong partnerships with parents and other agencies. This enables them to share important information on children’s progress, and to secure support for children whose development is causing concern. Parents who spoke with inspectors said that they value the information they receive from the school.  Children in the early years benefit from a wide range of resources both indoors and outdoors. They learn to select these for themselves, as well as taking part in activities

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Early years provision Good

that adults lead. Adults are skilled in recognising children’s interests and preferences. They build upon these to plan learning which encourages children to be curious and to try things out for themselves. Children quickly become engrossed in learning.  Leaders and adults ensure that children develop their early literacy and mathematical skills. They make effective use of the opportunities that arise naturally during the day to enable children to practise their developing skills. For example, children are encouraged to think about the initial letter of their names when they line up for lunch, so they know when it is their turn to join the line. This helps them to remember the order of the alphabet, as well as to take turns and to listen carefully.  Leaders and managers have established effective systems for assessing children’s learning and development. These help them to plan well for children’s learning. Adults

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Early years provision Good

generally use questioning skilfully to encourage children to share their thoughts and ideas, so they can assess their understanding. This also helps children to develop their speaking and listening skills, as well as to think carefully.  Children with SEND are well supported in the early years. Leaders work closely together to identify children’s needs and to secure support from other agencies where necessary.  Children’s behaviour in the early years is good, because adults have established simple but clear rules and routines for them to follow. They learn to share resources and to cooperate with each other, and understand that they are expected to tidy things away when the time comes.

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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

Date of previous inspection 22 June 2018

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Information about this school

 This primary school is smaller than an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is well-below average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is slightly above average.  The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is above average.  Since the last inspection, the governing body has elected a new chair and has appointed a number of new governors.  The school has a Nursery class offering part-time places.  The most recent section 48 inspection for schools with a religious character took place on 6 February 2015.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in all classes.  The inspector looked at pupils’ work across year groups and across a range of subjects.  The inspector listened to some pupils reading, spoke informally with other pupils and observed behaviour in classes and around the school.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, governors, teachers and staff.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority. The inspector also spoke with a national leader of education from whom the school has been receiving support.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including the school’s plans for improvement, safeguarding and recruitment information, behaviour logs, assessment information and minutes of governing body meetings.  The inspector spoke with some parents and took into account the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspector also took into account three

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Information about this inspection

responses to the pupils’ survey and 12 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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