Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School

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109175 Unique Reference Number South Gloucestershire LEA 278148 Inspection number 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 Inspection dates David Westall RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Church Lane School address Primary Type of school Old Sodbury Voluntary controlled School category Bristol BS37 6NB 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01454 313682 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01454 320850 Fax number 83 Number on roll Mr Kevin Parr Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Chris Williams Headteacher 11 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278148 22 November 2005 - 4 to 11 22 November 2005 Inspection Report: Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by a team of two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a small school with four classes which serves the village of Old Sodbury and the surrounding area. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average, but the percentage identified as having learning difficulties is broadly average. Two pupils currently have statements of special educational need. The school admits pupils from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, and their overall attainment is broadly average on entry to the Reception Year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is an effective school which provides good value for money. The school believes that it provides well for pupils’ learning, and the inspectors agree. The quality of teaching is good and, as a result, pupils make good progress in all year groups from the moment they start in the Reception Year to the end of Year 6. Pupils’ overall standards are above the national average by the end of Year 6, reflecting good achievement from their starting points on entry to the school. However, pupils’ mathematical problem-solving skills require further development. Pupils enjoy school, and their behaviour is exemplary. Relationships are very positive, and pupils’ personal development is fostered well. The school is a very caring community where everyone matters and pupils’ welfare is given a very high priority. The curriculum is generally well matched to pupils’ needs and is enriched by a broad range of additional

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Grade: 2

learning opportunities. The leadership and management of the school are good. The school’s performance is closely monitored and accurately evaluated, so that the right areas for improvement are targeted. The school has a clear sense of direction and the staff work together as an effective team. Weaknesses identified in the last inspection have been rectified and the school is well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

•improve pupils’ mathematical problem-solving skills by giving more emphasis to their development.

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Grade: 2

All pupils are achieving well, including those with learning difficulties and the most capable ones. Children make a good start in Reception and most meet the nationally expected standards at the end of the Reception Year, with a significant minority exceeding these standards. School records show that, until recently, pupils’ progress slowed in Year 2. Consequently, although the national test results in Year 2 have not been significantly different from the national average in the last few years, some pupils have been underachieving. However, staff changes from September 2005 are already having a beneficial effect. Consequently, all pupils in the mixed Year 2 and 3 class are now making good progress. Pupils’ standards in Year 6 are above average. These standards are broadly reflected in the overall results of national tests, which were significantly above average in 2002 and 2003, and above average in 2004. These results, in common

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Grade: 2

with the provisional results in 2005, confirm pupils’ good overall progress from their starting points on entry to the school. However, pupils do better in English and science than in mathematics, including in Year 6. Although pupils’ calculation skills are usually 2 Inspection Report: Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 good, their ability to solve mathematical problems requires further development and this restricts their overall standards in the subject.

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Grade: 2

The school is a happy and harmonious community where pupils' personal development and well-being are fostered effectively. As a result, pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Pupils’ cultural development has improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils like and respect their teachers and it is clear that these feelings are reciprocated. They feel valued and secure and know that the staff have their best interests at heart; they enjoy school and are keen to learn. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary. Attendance is broadly average. Pupils reflect thoughtfully on the quality of their lives and the wonder of the world and have a well-developed sense of fair play. They work together amicably, willingly undertake responsibilities, for example, caring for younger pupils during breaktimes and as members of the active school council, and participate well in events in the local

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Grade: 2

community. Through such responsibilities, pupils make a good contribution to the whole school community and develop the personal qualities they will need in their future lives. The school successfully ensures that pupils understand the importance of healthy eating and exercise, and the dangers of drugs misuse.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good. All pupils, including the most capable and those with learning difficulties, make good progress in their learning in the Reception Year and through to Year 6. Teachers plan lessons well, building effectively on pupils’ previous learning. They know exactly what they expect pupils to achieve, and their explanations are clear so that pupils are confident about tackling their work. Teachers’ positive relationships with their classes, and their good skills in capturing pupils’ interest, are reflected in pupils’ exemplary behaviour and sustained concentration. Teaching assistants are well briefed and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. In the most effective lessons, teachers know just when to provide guidance and when to stand back and let pupils work things out for themselves. In the minority of lessons which are satisfactory, rather than good, questions are not always used effectively to check pupils’ understanding

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Grade: 2

or to challenge their thinking. Assessment procedures are good for Reception children and are also effective for pupils in Years 1 to 6 in English, mathematics and science. In addition, the needs of pupils with learning difficulties are well judged. These good procedures enable teachers 3 Inspection Report: Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 to match tasks accurately to pupils’ key learning requirements. In other subjects, sound procedures are applied by all staff.

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Grade: 2

The quality and range of learning opportunities is good and all external requirements are met. A strong emphasis is given to the development of pupils' basic skills in literacy and numeracy, and the school has effectively addressed the challenges of planning for mixed age classes. However, in mathematics, insufficient attention is given to the development of pupils' problem-solving skills. Consequently, this is an aspect of mathematics in which pupils often do not achieve as well as they should. A broad range of experiences enriches daily lessons. For example, the school was awarded the bronze Artsmark in 2002, and this has recently been upgraded to silver in recognition of its innovative practice in the arts. Pupils talk enthusiastically about lessons in French and Italian, and about interesting visitors, performing arts activities and themed events. They also enjoy a good range of extra-curricular activities and

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Grade: 2

visits to places of interest, including a Year 6 residential trip to France.

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Grade: 1

The quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding. Nominated governors and the headteacher oversee the very thorough arrangements for safeguarding pupils, including child protection procedures, and these are regularly reviewed. All support staff are trained in First Aid, and Year 6 pupils reached the national final of the 'St. John Ambulance Young Lifesaver' competition in the recent past. Pupils say that they are very well looked after, and that the staff deal with any rare instances of bullying promptly and effectively. The staff know the pupils very well and provide first-class support and guidance to foster pupils’ personal development. In addition, the school's effective assessment and tracking arrangements ensure that pupils’ academic needs are accurately identified and addressed. Pupils are given very clear guidance about what they need to do to improve their work. The school works very well with parents

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Grade: 1

and external agencies for the benefit of pupils’ welfare and development.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good, and ensure that all pupils achieve well. The headteacher checks the school’s performance rigorously, including through regular lesson observations and analysis of pupils’ work and test results. These thorough monitoring and evaluation procedures, together with those used by the deputy headteacher and the coordinator for pupils with learning difficulties, mean that the school has an accurate view of its effectiveness. Consequently, the right areas for improvement are identified to benefit pupils’ learning. For example, the school has already made sensible plans to develop pupils’ mathematical problem-solving skills. 4 Inspection Report: Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 The weaknesses identified in the last inspection have been successfully addressed and the school is in a good position to improve further.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher promotes teamwork strongly, and the well-focused school development plan includes priorities which have been agreed by all teachers. Performance management is used effectively to foster teachers’ professional development, and has contributed to improvements in pupils’ writing skills. Morale is high because staff feel valued and part of a successful team with a clear sense of direction. The subject leaders for English and mathematics are effective and the management of provision for pupils with learning difficulties is good. The governors fulfil their roles well, and have a good awareness of the school’s strengths and priorities for development. 5 Inspection Report: Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School, 22 November 2005 to 22 November 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The School Council Old Sodbury C of E Primary School Church Lane Old Sodbury Nr Bristol BS37 6NB 24 November 2005 Dear Children, Thank you for welcoming us to your school, and being so friendly, polite and helpful. This is what we found out: •you think Old Sodbury School is a good school and we agree with you •you enjoy school, find lessons interesting, and your behaviour is excellent •the adults at the school take very good care of you, and you know who to go to if you want some help •the headteacher and staff check how well you are doing very carefully, and help you to improve •your teachers and their assistants are good at making sure that you make good progress in your lessons in all classes •children’s work in Year 6 is better than in most primary schools •the staff are hard working and make sure that you have lots of interesting things to do •some children are not as good as they could be at solving problems in mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

To make the school even better, we have asked the headteacher and governors to make sure that you have more opportunities to solve problems in mathematics. Thanks again for your help. Yours faithfully, David Westall Lead Inspector

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