Rushwick CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Rushwick CofE Primary School

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116847 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire LEA 279919 Inspection number 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006 Inspection dates Alison Grainger AI Reporting inspector

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

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Upper Wick Lane School address Primary Type of school Worcester Voluntary aided School category Worcestershire WR2 5SU 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01905 422502 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01905 428895 Fax number 128 Number on roll Mrs Deborah Herron Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Geoff Jeffrey Headteacher 6 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279919 7 March 2006 - 4 to 11 7 March 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This small school draws its pupils from the village of Rushwick, the hamlet of Crown East, and the western outskirts of Worcester. Apart from the Reception class, each of the school’s five classes includes pupils from two year groups. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The socio-economic backgrounds of the pupils are generally favourable, and the percentage of pupils with special educational needs is below average. Most children enter the Reception Year with attainment at least at the level expected for their age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school providing satisfactory value for money. The school’s view and the inspectors’ view of its overall effectiveness are the same. From entry in the Reception Year to the end of Year 6 pupils’ progress is satisfactory. By the end of the Reception Year, most children meet the standards expected for their age as a result of the satisfactory quality of education they receive in the Reception class. Results in national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 are broadly average. Most pupils achieve satisfactory standards and a few exceed them. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. The quality of assessment varies. There are examples of assessment being used effectively in some classes, however, not all teachers use assessment information well enough to match work to all pupils’ needs. More capable pupils are therefore not always challenged and pushed on as well as they should be. In some classes, pupils are not given a clear understanding of what

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Grade: 3

they are doing well and what they need to do next to improve. The care, guidance and support given to pupils and their personal well-being are good. The school is successful in developing pupils as mature and responsible young citizens. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Although pupils are helped to be outward looking, they do not gain enough awareness of the diversity of cultures in modern Britain. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. A good feature is the clear educational direction provided by the headteacher. Given the school’s broadly sound progress since the last inspection and the accurate identification of current priorities for improvement, the school has the necessary capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the use of assessment to match work to all pupils’ needs and to ensure that the more capable pupils are consistently challenged to do as well as they should. • Develop the guidance to pupils so that they clearly understand what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve their work. • Increase pupils’ awareness of the diversity of modern multi-cultural Britain.

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Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress from their start in the Reception Year to the end of Year 6 and most meet the appropriately challenging targets set for them. Most children enter the Reception Year with attainment at least at the level expected for their age and these standards are maintained. By the end of the Reception Year, almost all children reach the nationally expected goals and a few exceed them. 2 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006 Pupils’ results in national tests at the end of Year 2 have been close to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics in recent years. The Year 6 results have also been broadly average. In 2005, the mathematics results were a little above average and pupils had made good progress from their starting points in Year 3 in this subject. Whilst progress is satisfactory overall, those in the combined Year 1 and 2 class and

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Grade: 3

in the combined Year 5 and 6 class are currently making the most significant gains. The reason for these relatively better gains is that the teachers have high expectations and challenge the more able. Pupils with learning difficulties do as well as others. More able pupils, however, do not do as well as they should in some classes. Pupils now in Year 3 who reached the higher level for their age at the end of Year 2, for example, are underperforming.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good overall. Almost all reach the expected standards in personal, social and emotional development in the Reception Year. By the time they reach Year 6, many are very mature and responsible for their age. Pupils of all ages behave well in lessons and around the school. They enjoy school a good deal as the above average attendance rate indicates. The most striking feature of pupils’ personal development is how well they develop as good citizens, who are sensitive to the needs of others. Through the Eco Club and Eco Committee, they develop a keen understanding of the need to care for the environment. Pupils make a strong contribution to the school community and take initiative well, for example, through the well-established school council. They also make a good contribution to the wider community, for instance, by raising funds for

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Grade: 2

charities. Pupils have the expected knowledge and understanding of world faiths, but their awareness of the diversity of modern multi-cultural Britain is less well developed. Pupils are sensible and follow safe practices, such as in practical lessons and when moving about the school. They understand the importance of regular exercise and a healthy diet, although too many eat unhealthy snacks. Pupils successfully develop the skills necessary for their later life, such as in working together to solve problems.

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Grade: 3

Satisfactory teaching ensures that pupils make adequate progress as they move up through the school. The strongest teaching is in the combined Year 1 and 2 class and also in the combined Year 5 and 6 class. Expectations of pupils are higher in these classes than in the other classes, with good attention paid to the needs of the more capable. In the Year 1 and 2 class, there is particularly good organisation of the classroom and activities. The careful way in which pupils’ work is organised into 3 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006 different books and folders encourages the pupils in this class to take real pride in what they do. Teachers’ use of assessment to meet the differing needs of pupils is too patchy. This is the aspect of teaching that most needs improvement to help pupils make better progress. In particular, the more capable pupils are not always challenged to reach

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Grade: 3

higher levels of attainment, including in the Reception Year. There are examples of ‘teaching to the middle’ that allows the potentially higher-attaining pupils to ‘coast’. As a result, these pupils do not always do as well as they should. Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to help groups of pupils, and particularly to support those with learning difficulties. However, they are not used fully in all whole-class sessions to move pupils’ learning on. In the Reception class, the teaching assistant has a good understanding of how young children learn, and contributes well to lessons.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum meets pupils’ needs and external requirements satisfactorily. The recent development of a class only for Reception children has brought improvements in the learning opportunities for these young children. However, activities do not always challenge the more capable children. The use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning across the subjects has improved since the last inspection. Satisfactory attention is also given to the development of key skills, such as in writing and mathematics, through other subjects. There are some examples of this being done well, such as in the nature watch diaries kept by pupils in the combined Year 1 and 2 class. A good range of clubs and visits extends the opportunities available to pupils. The programme of personal, social, health, and citizenship education contributes well to pupils’ personal development. Although pupils gain understanding of major world

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Grade: 3

faiths through religious education, work in other subjects does not sufficiently develop their awareness of the cultural diversity of modern Britain.

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Grade: 2

The good care for pupils makes a significant contribution to their personal development. Pastoral care is strong resulting in pupils feeling safe at school and knowing that they have an adult to whom they can turn should the need arise. Children starting in the Reception Year are given very effective support to settle into school. A variety of good opportunities, particularly the well-established and effective school council, support pupils in having a real voice in the school and in developing as mature and responsible young citizens. Pupils are encouraged to be independent, to show initiative and to make decisions, for example, about how the environment should be cared for. 4 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 2006 Child protection arrangements are fully in place. Good attention is given to health and safety. There is an increasing focus on developing pupils’ awareness of the importance

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Grade: 2

of healthy eating and taking regular exercise. For example, pupils who live close enough are encouraged to walk or cycle to school. Cycling proficiency classes are provided to ensure that pupils who cycle to school know how to keep safe. Although good practice is developing in some classes, there is too much variation in how well teachers guide pupils about what they need to do to improve their school work. Not all pupils understand what they have to do to make their work better or know clearly enough what they are already doing well.

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Grade: 3

Satisfactory leadership and management ensure that pupils make reasonable progress during their time in the school. There are good features in the headteacher’s leadership and management. In particular, the headteacher has an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in all areas of provision, including variations in how well teaching meets pupils’ needs in the different classes. The headteacher provides a clear educational direction for the school. Areas requiring improvement are already receiving attention, such as the use of assessment to support teaching and to guide pupils about how to improve their work. A strong lead is given in the areas in which the school is already doing well, particularly the promotion of pupils’ personal development. Under the guidance of the headteacher, staff with leadership and management responsibilities are developing their accountability for the provision in subjects. They

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Grade: 3

are committed to improving the school, but are not yet analysing and evaluating how the quality of teaching contributes to pupils’ progress in each year group. Governance is satisfactory. Governors know the main strengths and weaknesses of the school and are kept well informed by the headteacher. They have recently increased the extent to which they check up for themselves on how well the school is doing. The involvement of pupils and their parents in the process of school self-evaluation is satisfactory. Given the overall satisfactory rate of progress since the last inspection, and in particular the headteacher’s clarity about improvement areas, the school has the necessary capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 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. 6 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 7 March 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 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 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 2 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

Thank you for helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you. We saw that you like school, behave well, and get on well together. We found that many of you are very mature and responsible for your age, particularly by the time you are in Year 6. Your school does a lot to help you to take responsibility, to look after the environment and to help other people. The adults make sure that you are looked after and are safe. You have a good range of activities additional to lessons, such as clubs and visits out of school. Your headteacher is very clear about what the school needs to do to be even better. He is already working with the other adults in school to develop the things that we found could be better. We have asked your teachers to make sure that the work is always at the right level for you. We found that there are times when some of you should have harder work to help you to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

more progress. We have also asked the teachers to make sure that you all know how well you are doing and what you need to do next to improve. You learn about the different faiths of people in the world in your RE lessons. We have suggested that it would be interesting for you to learn more about the variety of backgrounds of people living in Britain today. Thank you once again for your help and for making us welcome.

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