Cotgrave CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Cotgrave CofE Primary School

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122797 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LEA LEA 281345 Inspection number 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr. John Francis LI Reporting inspector

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

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The Cross School address Primary Type of school NG12 3HS Voluntary aided School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0115 989 2204 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0115 989 2204 Fax number 96 Number on roll Mr.Peter Barclay Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Pauline Aveling Headteacher 27 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281345 16 March 2006 - 4 to 11 17 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average primary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. A few pupils come from minority ethnic families, and none are at the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is average. Attainment on entry is average. However, an above average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties or disabilities. The school achieved an 'Artsmark Gold' award in 2005 and the 'Physical Activity' element of the 'Healthy School's' award in 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Cotgrave CofE Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school, as recognised by the school's own evaluation and the judgement of the inspection. An excellent curriculum and good teaching means that pupils make good progress, and reach good standards. Children in the Reception make good progress and by the time they move into Year 1 standards are above average. This progress continues through Years 1 and 2, with boys in particular doing very well. Only in writing is achievement not as good as it could be. Standards are maintained through Key Stage 2, and, by Year 6, weaknesses in writing have been addressed as well as the difference between boys' and girls' performance. Standards are well above average in English and very high in science, particularly at Level 5. However, not enough pupils reach the higher levels in mathematics. In raising standards throughout the school and the good progress since the last inspection, the school demonstrates a good capacity for further

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Grade: 2

improvement. Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Behaviour is good and pupils feel safe and well supported. The arrangements for pupils' care and support are exemplary. There are good systems for guiding pupils, setting targets and tracking progress throughout the school. However, while pupils are aware of their targets, these are not always sufficiently well linked to day-to-day marking. As a result, not all pupils are sufficiently clear about how well they are doing or how the targets will help them to improve. Leadership and management are good. Good direction by the headteacher continues to improve the work of the school and give a strong lead to the staff. Monitoring of progress is good. The governors have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and where improvements are needed but the school improvement plan does

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Grade: 2

not have sharp enough targets to help it evaluate its success effectively. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Plan activities in mathematics that stretch the most able pupils and further develop use of these skills in other subjects. - Make marking and target setting more consistent so it tells pupils clearly what they need to do to improve their work and what they are aiming for. - Improve the targets in the school improvement plan to enable better monitoring and evaluation of the school's priorities.

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Grade: 2

Children's good progress in Reception is built on well and by the end of Year 2 standards are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Good provision for the more able pupils in reading and mathematics raised the proportion attaining Level 3 in the national tests to well above average, with boys making particularly good progress. However, the proportion attaining Level 3 in writing was well below the national average. The overall good standards for English and mathematics are maintained through Years 3 to 6. Test results at Year 6 were above average in English and 2 Inspection Report: Cotgrave CofE Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 mathematics. Very good progress in science raised standards to well above average, particularly at Level 5. With the school's push to develop pupils' writing skills, standards improved and many more than average attained Level 5, exceeding the school's already

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Grade: 2

challenging target. Progress in mathematics was not as rapid. While overall standards remained above average, the target for the number attaining Level 5 was more modest and not quite achieved. Changes to planning and teaching are starting to address this. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported and many achieve average standards in tests. While boys achieve more highly than girls at Year 2, they do as well as each other by Year 6.

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Grade: 1

With the school's strong Christian ethos, pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent as is their personal development. As a result, attendance is good. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, enjoy their lessons and are keen to do their best. All fitting well with the school's stated aims. Behaviour is good with pupils working and playing happily together. They say disagreements are rare and dealt with effectively. Pupils have a role in the life of the school through the school council, feel valued in the school and take their responsibilities seriously. Pupils take regular, vigorous physical exercise which is well supported by a good variety of well attended, after-school and lunchtime clubs. Pupils know about keeping safe, the importance of good health and the problems caused by the misuse of drugs and other substances. They understand about the importance of healthy eating and the school

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Grade: 1

is working to further improve the quality of school lunches to support this. Pupils' good skills in reading, writing and numeracy provide them with a firm foundation for the future.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. As a result, pupils are confident, have good learning skills and achieve well. Pupils are praised and encouraged and there are high expectations of behaviour and effort. The good relationships seen in school contribute well to this. A good range of approaches, such as practical activities and the use of the interactive whiteboards, keep pupils' interest. Teachers' planning is detailed and good provision is made for pupils with learning difficulties because teaching assistants provide good support and pupils' work is carefully matched to their needs. The provision for pupils who are more able is also good, although the higher attainers in mathematics do not achieve all of which they are capable and say they find some of the work easy. Good assessment procedures track pupils' progress and pupils have targets to work towards. However, whilst there are very good examples

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Grade: 2

of marking, this is not always consistent across the school in telling pupils what they 3 Inspection Report: Cotgrave CofE Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 are good at or need to do to improve. Targets are not being used sufficiently to help pupils map their own progress.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is exceptionally broad and balanced and enhanced by a wide range of visits, visitors and popular 'themed' weeks. Art and creativity is a significant strength of the school. Good links with other schools give additional opportunities for pupils who are gifted or talented. Planning for all subjects is detailed and provides a clear structure for the teaching of the full range of skills. The links between literacy and numeracy and other subjects is generally good but higher attainers do not have enough opportunities to extend their mathematical skills and knowledge. Information and communication technology is planned well to develop pupils' skills. Good use is made of the technology suite and the computer facilities in the classrooms. Outside of the school day, the wide range of popular and well attended extra-curricular activities enhance pupils' learning. These encourage pupils to be active and healthy, be part of

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Grade: 1

a team, and develop an interest in music and the arts.

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Grade: 1

The care and support for pupils and the school's concern for their welfare and safety are outstanding and clearly reflect the school's ethos. Careful attention is given to child protection arrangements. Pupils report that they feel safe and secure in school and know someone will listen to them if they have any worries. Pupils' performance is tracked and monitored well and the careful analysis of tests and assessments provide targets for improvement. These are reviewed regularly and discussed with pupils and parents who say they are pleased with the progress their children make. However, pupils are not always as clear about what they have achieved, what they are working towards and how this can help them improve. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities or those with particular talents are identified early and are well provided for.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher leads the school well and is clear about what needs to be done to improve and to provide the very best for the pupils. Good progress has been made since the last inspection. Staff with management roles carry out their responsibilities well and continue to improve their skills though further training, to the benefit of the whole school. Procedures for monitoring the work of the school are effective and robust. The views of all members of the community are welcomed and parents are very positive about the school. The school's development plan identifies the right priorities and shows the school's self-evaluation is accurate. However, the intended outcomes are not always stated clearly enough to allow the 4 Inspection Report: Cotgrave CofE Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 school to measure the success of its initiatives. Governors carry out their role in

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Grade: 2

supporting and guiding the school well. Their own monitoring systems are effective and give them a good understanding of the school, the quality of provision and pupils' achievement. Good financial management enables them to keep a close watch on spending. The current budget surplus has built up because of a number of factors, such as staff changes and additional income generated by the school. Much of this finance is targeted suitably at improvements to which the governing body has to contribute. 5 Inspection Report: Cotgrave CofE Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 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: Cotgrave CofE Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 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 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 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

Thank you for welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed talking with so many of you about your school and your work. What is good about your school is that: - Your good manners and friendly attitudes made it a delight to talk with so many of you. - You work hard and do very well in your English and science, particularly those of you in Year 5 and 6. - Your behaviour is good. You care for each other and the adults in school look after you very well. - You have an excellent range of activities to do in lessons and you involve yourselves with many things outside of the school day such as music and sports. What I have asked the school to do now is: - Provide harder and more interesting work for those of you who are good at mathematics. - For teachers to tell you clearly what it is that is good about your work, what you need to do to be even better and how your targets can help you do this. - Keep a close check on how well the school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

is doing so that it can plan for the future. I hope you continue to enjoy what you do and that my visit will help you do even better.

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