Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School

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116830 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire LEA 279912 Inspection number 24 May 2006 to 24 May 2006 Inspection dates Andrew Watters HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Lower Wyche Road School address Primary Type of school Malvern Voluntary controlled School category Worcestershire WR14 4ET 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01684 573205 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01684 573205 Fax number 141 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Geoffrey Rutherford Headteacher 19 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279912 24 May 2006 - 3 to 11 24 May 2006 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. Discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, Foundation Stage teacher, pupils and other adults who work in the school. As well as observing lessons in every classroom, HMI met with the teaching staff at the beginning of the day and again at the end of the inspection in order to provide a brief summary of the outcomes of the inspection. A full feedback was first given to the headteacher, deputy headteacher, chair of governors and a representative from the local authority.

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Description of the school

This popular and oversubscribed school is situated on the slopes of the Malvern Hills, close to the town of Malvern in Worcestershire. Many of the pupils come from outside the immediate area, reflecting the school’s attractiveness to parents. Its social and economic context is generally very favourable. The proportion of pupils who are on the school’s register of special educational needs is below the national average and no pupils are eligible for free school meals. Nearly all the pupils are of White British origin. When children enter the school, their attainment is generally above the national and local authority average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 24 May 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school where pupils’ personal, social and emotional development goes hand in hand with the pursuit of high standards. The school successfully achieves both. It rightly enjoys the confidence and support of parents who are overwhelmingly positive and actively vocal in their approval of what the school offers their children. Over 80% of families responded to inspection questionnaires to find out what they think about the school, and here are just two of the many positive comments from the parents: ‘It is a joy to have a child that wakes up looking forward to her day ahead. We feel that the committed staff contribute 100% towards the after-school clubs that are additional duties to their regular teaching hours. This has created a great sense of friendliness and we know that our child will take fond memories of her years at Wyche School’. Another parent said, quite simply: ‘I’m very thankful that our daughter attends

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Grade: 1

this school’. This is not a complacent school that rests on its many achievements; far from it. Guided by the headteacher’s excellent leadership, the school carefully checks its performance, celebrates its strengths and identifies accurately what it needs to do next to improve further, for example introducing more systematic approaches to checking the quality of teaching and learning, extending the role of subject co-ordinators and making even more use of the wealth of assessment information about each pupil. There is a great team spirit and common sense of purpose. Relationships are excellent and the pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. The pupils are extremely welcoming, cheerful, courteous and engaging in conversation. They are a joy to spend time with. They know about healthy eating and the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. The inspection took place during a ‘walk to school’ week. On arriving at

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Grade: 1

school, staff and pupils’ efforts were rewarded by a healthy breakfast of orange juice, croissant and fruit. The pupils and adults really enjoyed this shared and positive experience. The quality of teaching and learning cannot be anything other than outstanding. This is because of the high standards and excellent achievements of the pupils and their exemplary personal, social and emotional development, from the Foundation Stage to the end of Key Stage 2. The pupils speak very highly of the school and the staff. They are rightly proud of the school and all that is being done for them. They talk sensitively and with great openness about their relationships with each other and their teachers. They clearly love being at school, have great fun, enjoy the challenge in their work and appreciate their responsibilities. They have a strong voice in many decisions that affect them, such as designing the school garden area and making changes to

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Grade: 1

the way playtimes are organised. The care and support shown by the pupils in Year 6 to the younger pupils is exemplary. The quality of strategic planning is very good. The school development plan provides a very good framework for improvement. The governing body keeps a watchful eye on the school, ensuring that it carries out its statutory duties extremely well. The 2 Inspection Report: Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 24 May 2006 school gives excellent value for money, has continued to improve well since the previous inspection and has an excellent capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 1

The pupils achieve well in Key Stage 1 and many reach standards above the levels expected for their age. They continue to do very well in Key Stage 2 and by Year 6, standards and achievement are outstanding. The pupils do really well in information and communication technology (ICT), where both provision and outcomes are excellent. The pupils are extremely articulate and knowledgeable. Rates of progress range from satisfactory to excellent and all pupils are gaining skills and understanding at a good, and sometimes excellent, rate across each key stage.

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Grade: 1

This is a real strength of the school. The pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are excellent and their attendance is very good. They really enjoy coming to school: ‘I don’t want to leave’ said one of the Year 6 pupils. Another said: ‘we have great fun in our lessons’ but then remarked quickly, ‘we also have to work really hard’. Education for health and safety is excellent and the pupils’ personal qualities such as their empathy, respect and support for adults and each other are outstanding. They are well rounded, mature and confident young people. Their good humour is borne out of feeling safe, secure and at ease with themselves. They are a credit to their families, and to themselves and are excellent ambassadors for the school.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding overall and consistently good. The relationships built up between adults and pupils are excellent. Teachers have good subject knowledge and know their pupils well. They strive to ensure that the pupils achieve highly and that their learning is enjoyable. Both aims are met exceptionally well. One parent said: ‘all of the staff, without exception, are friendly and approachable. I would have no hesitation in entrusting the education and care of my children to any one of them’.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is innovative, responsive to the needs of the pupils and well planned. The range of extra-curricular activities is excellent, including French, German, sports and dance clubs. These are greatly appreciated by the pupils and the parents: ‘the 3 Inspection Report: Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 24 May 2006 school offers wonderful enrichment activities…and my daughter has taken full advantage!’ said one parent. The ‘eco’ committee exemplifies the school’s commitment to developing the pupils’ community responsibilities and engaging them with global and local environmental issues, such as recycling and sustainable energy. By the end of Year 6, the pupils’ above average standards in literacy, numeracy and ICT, combined with their excellent social skills, provide a very secure platform for the next stage of education and the future world of work.

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Grade: 1

The school cares extremely well for the pupils. Its guidance and support for their personal, social and emotional development is outstanding. It is no surprise that the pupils feel very well cared for and say they have adults to turn to should they have any problems, knowing that their opinions and concerns will be listened to. Pupils have great confidence in the adults who work with them and really appreciate the strength of relationships they have with their teachers. By the end of Year 6, the great majority of pupils reach their challenging targets.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher’s passion, drive and vision for excellence are exemplified by the excellent learning environment, the high standards achieved by the pupils and their impressive personal qualities. The headteacher is an excellent role model for other teachers. When he sees an area for improvement, he does not just talk about what needs doing, he also demonstrates what he means through his own teaching. He is a strong advocate of coaching and training teachers by example. This approach clearly works well at Malvern Wyche School! He receives very good support from the deputy headteacher who is much respected and liked by the pupils, as are all the staff. Subject leaders also play an important role in school improvement and are well placed to extend their work further in monitoring and evaluation. 4 Inspection Report: Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 24 May 2006

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 5 Inspection Report: Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 24 May 2006

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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 1 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 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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

What a delight and privilege it was for me to visit your school and see how well you are doing. You are all extremely friendly, cheerful and keen to talk about your work. Many of you told me how much you appreciate all the things your teachers and other adults do for you, especially the after-school clubs and the fun you have in lessons. I am very pleased to tell you, but I think you know already, that you are really lucky and go to a very good school, among the best in the country. Your headteacher and all the teachers and adults who work in school with you take great care of you and make sure that you do really well in your lessons. I am very impressed by the way you look after each other and also how confident you are in talking about your feelings and sharing your opinions. You also listen really well during conversations. These are very important skills and should help you do really well in the future.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You also do very well in your work. The quality of some of your writing, your discussions and work in your numeracy lessons is excellent. Mr Rutherford and your teachers are determined to carry on improving your school and have got lots of good ideas as to how they will do this. Of course they will also continue to need your help, support and views as well as those of your parents! I shall take away lots of good memories about your school and have really enjoyed the time I have spent with you. Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly.

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