Offenham Church of England First School

Inspection of a good school: Offenham Church of England First School Myatt Road, Offenham, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 8SD

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Outcome

Offenham Church of England First School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This small school sits at the heart of the community and is like a family. Pupils and staff are highly valued and their contribution matters. It is a happy, ambitious place for pupils to learn. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated regularly in assemblies with parents and carers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. However, in some subjects, such as science, art and design technology, planning is disjointed. This means that pupils do not build successfully on what they know and can do over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As one pupil put it, ‘We take behaviour seriously at this school.’ We agree. Low-level disruption in lessons is uncommon. Pupils participate well in lessons and play happily together at breaktimes. They understand what bullying is and the different forms it can take. If it occurs, staff respond quickly to ensure that it is stopped and pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show respect for adults and each other. This is because the school’s values are strongly promoted. These are affectionately known as the ‘roots and fruits’ of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Music is a strength of this school. All key stage 2 pupils learn to play an instrument to a high standard.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and staff have thought carefully about the challenges of teaching the full range of subjects to mixed-aged classes. They have designed an exciting curriculum. It develops pupils’ skills and knowledge in a range of subjects. This works successfully where planning builds on what pupils already know, for example in mathematics, physical education (PE) and religious education (RE). As a result, pupils achieve well in these areas. 21 January 2020

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Planning in some subjects is still at an early stage of development. In science, teachers do not always check what pupils know when they plan new learning. Planning and practice between key stages are also inconsistent. For example, the use of ‘thinking scientifically’ sheets in key stage 2 is not replicated in key stage 1. This leads to variation in the skills and knowledge pupils acquire.

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Leaders have made reading a priority. Pupils read every day. Parents are shown how to support their children with early reading and almost all do. Staff encourage pupils to read different books. Regular storytime helps capture pupils’ imagination and promotes a love for reading. Pupils who fall behind are given extra time to read to an adult in school. Pupils read books that match the sounds they learn in lessons. They apply their phonic skills well to read new words. However, planning varies between early years and key stage 1 and different resources are used. This reduces the consistency of how phonics is taught and limits progression. Staff training, therefore, needs updating.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. They learn the full range of subjects. For example, extra adult help enables children in early years to participate in PE. Targets are set for individual pupils to help them overcome specific difficulties. However, these targets are not reviewed or updated regularly so have limited impact on pupils’ learning.

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Pupils behave well and work cooperatively together in lessons. These expectations are established from the outset. Children in early years quickly learn routines and follow adults’ instructions, for example in dance lessons. Reception class children are taught alongside Year 1 pupils. However, staff ensure that activities are well tuned to cover the different areas of learning required in early years.

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Pupils enjoy the range of extra-curricular opportunities offered. The ‘Eisteddfod’ festival allows pupils to demonstrate their creative skills, such as in poetry, music and baking. The annual visit to the Houses of Parliament for older pupils is particularly memorable and purposeful. Post-visit, pupils are voted into positions such as ‘Prime Minister’ and other ministerial roles. This provides a real purpose to their learning about democracy, and helps to develop pupils’ leadership skills and contributes to their personal development.

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Staff morale is high. Staff work well as a united team. They appreciate the support and approachability of the headteacher. They know that their well-being is important to leaders and say that they are trusted to do their jobs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ recruitment checks on staff prior to appointment are systematic and thorough. They ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff are highly vigilant in recognising concerns about pupils’ welfare. Although concerns are few, staff take safeguarding matters seriously and are well trained. Leaders seek advice and access support for pupils where concerns persist. 21 January 2020

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Pupils feel safe and are confident to talk to adults about any worries. They know how to stay safe online. They can describe how staff keep them safe. Parent surveys show that all parents agree that their children are safe at school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subjects, such as mathematics, music, PE and RE, are well planned. This is evident in pupils’ good achievement. Other subjects, including science, design technology and art, are not planned as sequentially and there is a lack of connectivity between key stages. The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year’s curriculum and to train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders should ensure that planning develops pupils’ skills and knowledge in all subjects progressively.  Although pupils achieve well in the Year 1 phonics check and reading is above the national average at the end of Year 2, attainment in reading has plateaued. Results are slightly lower than for writing and mathematics. This is because of inconsistencies in

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

planning and resources used between early years and key stage 1. Staff have not had any phonic training for several years. This affects their subject knowledge. Leaders should ensure that reading training is updated and that planning and practice are consistent so that reading outcomes match those of other subjects.  Targets are set for pupils with SEND to address individual areas of difficulty. However, leaders do not review these targets regularly enough. The same targets sometimes remain in place for up to four terms. Leaders should ensure that targets set for pupils are achievable and updated regularly, and also that any support provided is monitored and reviewed to determine its impact.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Offenham Church of England First School, to be good in November 2012. 21 January 2020

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 21 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122524 Type of school First

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Diocese of Worcester Multi Academy Trust in February 2017.  The headteacher was appointed in April 2016.  The school received a section 48 inspection of religious education in March 2019.

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Information about this inspection

 We looked closely at reading, mathematics and science during the inspection. We met with the headteacher and curriculum leaders, conducted lesson visits, considered pupils’ workbooks and spoke with teachers and pupils.  A meeting was held with six members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. We also met with three members of the academy trust and a representative from the diocesan board of education.  We met with the special educational needs coordinator and safeguarding leader. The school’s single central record was checked.  We observed the leader for English hearing pupils read.  We met with several parents at the end of the school day. We also considered responses to the online survey, Parent View, and the staff survey. There were no 21 January 2020

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responses to the pupil survey, but we gathered pupils’ views both formally and informally during the school day.  We considered documents provided by the school, including details about curriculum planning and the school’s action plan and self-evaluation. Attendance and behaviour information was also checked, alongside the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson Ofsted Inspector 21 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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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