Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School

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115654 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire LEA 279647 Inspection number 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 Inspection dates Jill Arnold HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Chance Street School address Primary Type of school Tewkesbury Voluntary controlled School category Gloucestershire GL20 5RQ 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01684 292309 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01682 292 681 Fax number 374 Number on roll Mr Julian Spiers Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Andrew Holt Headteacher 1 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279647 7 December 2005 - 4 to 11 8 December 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Tewkesbury Church of England School is a large, urban primary school with 375 pupils, mostly of White British origin. The attached early years centre caters for children from birth to age four with baby groups, Nursery education, drop-in sessions and family support. Each group of children starting school reflects a wide spread of ability. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is average and the proportion eligible for free school meals is above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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Grade: 1

Tewkesbury Primary is an outstanding school and this confirms the view shared by the school leadership, the staff and governing body. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive and have made many positive comments to the inspection team. Pupils enjoy going to school and say so. The key strengths of the school lie in the effectiveness of leadership at all levels and the commitment of the staff to pupils’ well-being and achievement. Liaison between the school, the early years centre and external agencies is very effective. This contributes significantly to the high standard of care provided to pupils and to their learning. At the end of Key Stage 2, standards and achievement are outstanding. Teaching is predominantly good and has some outstanding features; just occasionally the teaching in a few lessons is satisfactory. The school has already identified ways to secure further improvements. There is an excellent curriculum, which is carefully planned with pupils’ interests and

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Grade: 1

learning needs in mind. Many pupils take advantage of the outstanding range of extra-curricular activities provided. All pupils are encouraged to lead active and healthy lifestyles, to take responsibility and to look after each other. The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage provide children with a good start to their education. The school rigorously evaluates its performance and its improvement plan identifies the right priorities. The progress made since the last inspection indicates that the school’s capacity for further improvement is very good. The school provides excellent value for money. It is the combination of the high quality of care and commitment from all the staff, the excellent curriculum and good teaching, the very good behaviour and attitudes of the pupils that lead to outstanding achievement and standards.

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What the school should do to improve further

•ensure that all teaching is of the same consistently high standard.

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Grade: 1

When children start in the Nursery, their skills are wide-ranging, but generally they are below the levels expected for their age. They make very good progress in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2 they achieve standards that are better than national averages. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils reach standards that are significantly higher than national averages. Pupils’ achievements in relation to their starting points are outstanding. In the 2005 national tests, the standards attained by Year 2 pupils were above average. In Year 6, pupils’ results were exceptionally high. The progress these pupils had made since starting school was outstanding – in the top 2% of all schools. Most pupils 2 Inspection Report: Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 achieved exceptionally well in relation to their capabilities, including those with learning

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Grade: 1

difficulties and disabilities and those from minority ethnic groups. The school sets challenging targets for its pupils, and works hard to ensure that these are met. The current Year 6 pupils are on track to meet their own high targets in the 2006 national tests.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development is outstanding, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This starts in the early years centre and when children join the school they are already well equipped with positive attitudes and good behaviour. The school is a harmonious and happy community where the achievements of all pupils are recognised and celebrated. Pupils really enjoy school and are often bubbling with enthusiasm as they work. They like and respect their teachers and it is clear that these feelings are reciprocated. Pupils have a well developed sense of right and wrong and their behaviour is exemplary. The school works hard to promote attendance, which is in line with the national average. Pupils appreciate the wonder of the natural world and have a good understanding of different religions and cultures. The school creates a reflective environment and pupils demonstrate a maturity in the way they express their thoughts and feelings. They work

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Grade: 1

together amicably and care for one another, for example, helping at lunchtime as ‘peer mediators’ or monitors. Pupils willingly undertake responsibilities such as membership of the school council, participate well in events in the local community, and raise funds for charity. The confidence and independence they gain from these activities prepares them well for their future lives, and through the organisation and running of the school tuck shop older pupils develop enterprise skills and economic awareness. The school also successfully ensures that pupils understand the importance of healthy living and has received the Healthy Schools Award.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good, often with outstanding features. Teachers’ positive relationships with their classes and their good skills in maintaining pupils’ interest and enthusiasm are reflected in pupils’ exemplary behaviour and sustained concentration during lessons. The strengths in the teaching include very thorough planning which builds effectively on pupils’ previous learning, well-paced lessons and skilful questioning. Clear explanations also enable pupils to tackle their work with confidence. Teaching assistants are well briefed and provide sensitive support for pupils, including those with particular learning difficulties or disabilities. In the most effective practice teachers know just when to provide guidance, and when to let pupils work things out 3 Inspection Report: Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 for themselves. This was well illustrated in a Year 4 science lesson on electrical circuits,

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Grade: 2

when pupils worked and discussed enthusiastically in groups. During the inspection, a small amount of the teaching seen was satisfactory rather than good. This was because activities were over-directed by teachers and this limited the opportunities for pupils to make choices or work independently. In these lessons the pace of learning was more pedestrian, especially for the most talented pupils. Pupils’ progress is effectively tracked, and those who need extra help are identified and well supported at an early stage. Teachers’ marking is good and helps pupils to recognise their achievements and to know how to improve. The work set for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is carefully planned using information from assessments and regular reviews of pupils’ progress.

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Grade: 1

The quality and range of learning opportunities are outstanding. Children in the Foundation Stage benefit enormously from a wide range of carefully planned experiences that extend their knowledge, skills and understanding very well. In Key Stages 1 and 2, great emphasis is given to the development of pupils’ skills in literacy. Provision for mathematics is extended effectively by extra teaching in Year 2, the use of ability sets in Key Stage 2 and booster groups for Year 6 pupils. The curriculum provides pupils with experiences that are meaningful, creative and enjoyable. Resources for information and communication technology (ICT) are very good and they are used very effectively. Pupils talk very enthusiastically about interesting visitors, creative arts activities and themed events such as the annual ‘Arts Workshop’ and a Tudor day which took place during the inspection. They greatly appreciate the numerous sporting activities and visits to places of interest, including

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Grade: 1

a Year 6 residential trip to the Isle of Wight. The school provides an outstanding range of extra-curricular activities that add enormously to many pupils’ learning and enjoyment of school.

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Grade: 1

The level of care, guidance and support for pupils is excellent and this contributes significantly to pupils’ enjoyment of school, their eagerness to learn and their outstanding achievement. This very high level of care begins in the early years centre and is maintained successfully throughout the school, helped by close liaison with the early years centre and external agencies. There are robust systems for ensuring that the school is a safe and secure environment. Child protection procedures are very thorough and possible risks to health and safety are assessed comprehensively. The vast majority of parents appreciate the school’s very welcoming ethos and the attention that staff give to meeting pupils’ needs fully. Staff develop strong and caring relationships with their pupils and know them extremely 4 Inspection Report: Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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Grade: 1

well. As a result, they are able to respond quickly when pupils are troubled or need extra support with their work. In addition, they expect their pupils to achieve their very best academically. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those who are vulnerable are given very good additional support. Regular reviews of pupils’ progress provide staff with a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ achievements. The constructive guidance provided to pupils enables them to understand the purpose of their targets and be clear about what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are particular strengths of the school. The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. He is passionate about pupils’ learning and communicates his expectations very effectively to staff, governors, pupils and parents. His clear vision for the school inspires commitment and enthusiasm from all members of the community and as a result, they hold him in very high regard. He is well supported by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable leadership team which provides clear direction for school improvement. There is a very strong sense of shared responsibility right across the whole staff. The team works very effectively to secure high quality educational provision. Governors are highly committed and actively involved in the work of the school and know it well. Pupils’ achievement and high levels of care, the inclusion of all pupils and their evident enjoyment in coming to school are all

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Grade: 1

enhanced through excellent leadership and management. The school has well established systems for self-evaluation which it uses effectively to gain an accurate picture of strengths and areas for further development. For example, through their very good procedures for monitoring teaching, the senior staff have identified that there are a small number of lessons that are satisfactory but not yet of the same good standard of other lessons. The school’s comprehensive improvement plan shows that staff are taking action to improve teaching so that it is of a consistently high standard. The capacity to improve is very good. The views of parents and pupils are actively sought and taken into account. 5 Inspection Report: Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 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: Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 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 1 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 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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

Tewkesbury Primary School Chance Street Tewkesbury Gloucestershire GL20 5RQ 13 December 2005 Dear Pupils Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we came to inspect your school. We enjoyed talking to you and finding out about your learning. You told us that you really enjoy coming to school and your parents told us that they are happy about what you are doing. We thought you behaved extremely well in your lessons and around the school. We were impressed with how well you listened, what sensible ideas you had and how good you were at working together. We were particularly impressed with your achievements. There was one thing that we thought could be improved in your school. We have suggested to Mr Holt that you might benefit from even more opportunities to organise yourselves and make your own decisions in lessons. You are very lucky to be going to such a super school where all the teachers, teaching assistants

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and other adults who work there look after you so well. Your school is very well organised. The things that Mr Holt and the staff do to make things enjoyable and run smoothly really do make a difference to your achievements. Remember to say thank you, because we saw how hard they work to make your school a safe and happy place for you to learn and do your best. Keep up the good work! Yours sincerely The Inspection Team

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