Shurdington Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Shurdington Church of England Primary School

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115649 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 290290 Inspection number 30 January 2007 Inspection date Jacqueline Ikin Reporting inspector

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

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Badgeworth Lane School address Primary Type of school Shurdington Voluntary controlled School category Cheltenham GL51 4UQ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01242 862420 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01242 862420 Fax number 98 Number on roll (school) R Mitchell Chair The governing body Appropriate authority R Woolston Headteacher 22 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290290 30 January 2007 4 °11 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 village school is much smaller than most primary schools. Most pupils on roll are from White British backgrounds. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is also below average. At the time of the inspection the headteacher had been in post for three weeks.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which prepares pupils well for their future lives because of the good attention it gives to both their personal and academic growth. One parent said that he particularly valued the wide range of opportunities that the school provided within and beyond the formal curriculum. These help pupils to develop into confident, well-rounded, young people. Excellent teaching in the Foundation Stage gives children a flying start to their schooling. Teaching and learning in the rest of the school are consistently good. As a result most pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, achieve well. Standards are above average in English and science and average in mathematics. Teachers know their pupils well, plan carefully for their different needs and mark work thoughtfully to help them improve. Assessment procedures are used conscientiously to check pupils' progress. However, the use of target setting to identify what pupils

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Grade: 2

should achieve each year is not rigorous enough. This is particularly the case in mathematics, where some lower-attaining pupils do not always achieve as much as they should. The curriculum that the school offers is good and enriched very well through a strong emphasis on sport, art and music. A wide range of after-school activities and visits to places of interest contributes well to pupils' enjoyment of school and the progress they make. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. The school's warm and friendly atmosphere together with the good care, support and guidance that is provided are significant factors in pupils' growth in confidence and eagerness to learn. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good; very good links with the church contribute to this. Behaviour is good and in the classroom it is often excellent.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make a good contribution to school life through their work on the school council and also contribute well to the local community, for example, through their contributions to the parish magazine. The leadership and management of the school are good and there have been good improvements since the last inspection. The headteacher has made a good start in getting to know the school and has already worked with staff to review its aims and direction. This has confirmed the views of subject leaders and governors that their roles in monitoring and evaluating standards, teaching and learning need to be more systematic. Governors and staff are highly committed to the school, have considerable strengths to offer and are relishing the opportunity for greater involvement in its leadership and management. The school's capacity for future improvement is good because of this.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards further, particularly in mathematics, by identifying where pupils need to be by the end of each year group in order to meet the challenging targets set for them by the end of Year 6. 2 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007 • Involve subject leaders and governors more fully in the leadership and management of the school by giving them a more formal role in monitoring and evaluation.

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Grade: 2

There is a very wide range of attainment on entry to the Reception class which varies considerably from year to year. However, overall it is below average, particularly in communication, language and literacy. The children make very good progress and by the end of their Reception year, most have caught up and are working securely within the goals expected for children of a similar age. By the end of Year 2, standards are broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. By Year 6, standards are average in mathematics, and above average in English and science. This represents good achievement for most pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities. Pupils from minority ethnic groups do as well as their classmates. The school recognises that some lower-attaining pupils do not always achieve as much as they should in mathematics because of weaknesses in their mathematical vocabulary. Insufficient use

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Grade: 2

of target setting in mathematics also contributes to underachievement in this group and to average rather than good standards in the subject overall.

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Grade: 2

Pupils get an excellent start in their personal and social development in the Reception class, where they quickly learn how to get on with their classmates. They make choices and decisions in the course of their learning, record what they have done and tidy up afterwards. A strong work ethic has been established throughout the school. Pupils respond well in lessons. They have good relationships with their teachers and concentrate well because of the interesting ways in which lessons are presented. However, they are sometimes over-dependent on teachers for things they should be able to do for themselves. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and benefits from the school's strong links with the church. Behaviour is good and often exemplary in the classroom. Pupils report that no bullying occurs and that occasional thoughtless behaviour is quickly sorted out. Pupils make a good contribution

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Grade: 2

to the school. For example, the school council has worked hard to improve facilities in the adventure playground. However, pupils report that their initiative to befriend those who feel lonely in the playground has lapsed over the last year. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy and enjoy taking turns leading 'wake and shake' exercises prior to assembly. The school's attendance rates are average and there is hardly any unauthorised absence. 3 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are excellent in the Reception class and good in the rest of the school. Highly skilled teaching in the Reception class encourages the children to learn through very well-organised practical activities, play and talk. All teachers have high expectations of their pupils and plan lessons carefully to match learning to the different ages and capabilities in their classes. However, it is not always closely linked to pupils' longer-term targets and there is not always enough attention to helping lower-attaining pupils develop their mathematical vocabulary. Lessons are presented in lively ways which successfully engages pupils' interest. Teachers make sure pupils understand that what they learn in the classroom is relevant to their everyday life. For example, in a Year 3 and 4 literacy lesson, pupils were helped to see how knowledge of adjectives helps when asking for goods in shops, as well as being important in making writing

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Grade: 2

more interesting. Good use of specialist teachers and instructors, for example, in science, sport and art, makes a significant contribution to the standards achieved in these subjects. Teaching assistants support pupils' progress well, in particular those with learning difficulties or disabilities.

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Grade: 2

A rich learning environment which encourages children's curiosity and independence in all the areas of learning has been created for pupils in the Reception class. Careful planning ensures that the curriculum is fully covered in the rest of the school. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities and for more-able pupils is good. However, the development of skills in subjects other than English and mathematics is not always as sharp as it should be. Pupils sometimes repeat work they have done in the past as a result. Information and communication technology (ICT) is well resourced and used well to support learning. Provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship is good. A strong emphasis on art and music and numerous visits and visitors contribute well to pupils' cultural development. There is a very good range of after-school activities, including participation in sport, which are well attended and

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Grade: 2

contribute well to pupils' enjoyment of school and the standards they achieve.

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Grade: 2

The school has put in place good health and safety procedures, including those for risk assessment and child protection. Pupils receive good quality pastoral care and guidance because of the very good knowledge that staff have of individual pupils and their families. Good procedures when children start school contribute to the good relationships that the school has with parents. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported by teaching assistants and the special needs coordinator. 4 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007 There are good links with outside agencies when additional support is needed for more vulnerable pupils. The use of marking to guide pupils' academic progress is very good and their achievement is tracked carefully. However, procedures for identifying the targets that pupils need to meet each year in order to meet the challenging targets

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Grade: 2

that are set for them in Year 6 are not precise enough. Parents are highly supportive of the school and appreciate the way the headteacher has ensured that they can speak to him by being present on the playground at the beginning and end of the school day.

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Grade: 2

Good leadership of the school has successfully promoted the pupils' personal and academic development. The new headteacher has made a good start, met with all staff individually and set a clear direction for moving the school forward. Rigorous self-evaluation procedures for the headteacher and senior teacher ensure that they have an accurate picture of the school. Procedures for the involvement of subject leaders and governors in this work are more informal. Subject leadership has been reviewed and suitably reallocated in line with the expertise and strengths of individual members of staff. Governors are very well led by the chair of governors and are highly committed to the school and the community. Together with the senior teacher, they have played a major role in ensuring the stability of the school through a period of change. They give generously of their time and expertise for the benefit of the school.

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Grade: 2

Although governors are keen to increase their involvement in the leadership and management of they are not yet as involved as much as they should be in acting as critical friends of the school. 5 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making us so welcome and helping us when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking to you and watching you learn and play. We can see why you like your school and we think that it gives you a good education. What we liked about your school • Your new headteacher has made a good start in getting to know you and the school. • You get a really good start to school in the Reception class. • Your teachers know you all very well indeed, plan your lessons carefully and find interesting ways to help you to enjoy learning. • You work hard and are making good progress and reach good standards in English and science. • You behave well and do a lot to look after the school and help make the school a happy place. • The school provides a lot of interesting things for you to take part in after school and good opportunities for sport, art and music. What we think needs to be improved • More use needs to be made of targets to help you make even better progress, especially

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in mathematics. • The teachers and governors want your new headteacher to continue to involve them more in improving the education your school offers you. You can help in all this by continuing to help make the school an even better place through your work on the school council, getting to know what your targets are and working hard to reach them. 9 Inspection Report: Shurdington Church of England Primary School, 30 January 2007

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