Mattersey Primary School

Mattersey Primary School Inspection report

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122655 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LA Local Authority 292468 Inspection number 12 °13 July 2007 Inspection dates Martin Newell 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 54 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Dr Karen Wagstaff Chair Mrs Julie Beech Headteacher 10 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection Thorpe Road School address Mattersey Doncaster South Yorkshire DN10 5ED

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01777 817265 Telephone number 01777816447 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 12 °13 July 2007 Inspection dates 292468 Inspection number .

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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 popular small primary school. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is a little above the national average whilst the percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need is below that found nationally. All pupils are from White British backgrounds.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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Grade: 2

Mattersey is a good school with some outstanding features. It provides all pupils with a good quality of education that enables them to achieve well, both academically and personally. Inspection findings endorse the school's view of its own effectiveness. The school enjoys very strong support and appreciation from parents, one of whom said, 'The social and academic expectations are commendable and the curriculum on offer excellent.' This evaluation is true. The school is not one for resting on its laurels and, under the very good leadership of the headteacher, there is a determination to move the school on to the next level. This, together with a good track record of tackling change and weaknesses, indicates that the school is well placed for further success. Attainment when pupils start at the school varies from year to year, but is broadly in line with national expectations. Good provision in the Foundation Stage means pupils get off to a good

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Grade: 2

start and this is built on as pupils move through Years 1 to 6. Good teaching and learning are the norm and lessons keep pupils motivated, enthused and on their toes. In addition, pupils benefit from an outstanding curriculum which is packed full of a vibrant and exciting array of activities both within the school day and after school. Many visits and visitors help learning to spring into life. These factors play a pivotal role in the good progress and achievement of pupils and in the fact that standards are well above average by the end of Year 6. Good systems are in place for checking the progress pupils make, but the information is not always used as well as it could be by teachers to ensure that work is pitched at the right level for pupils' abilities. Pupils' personal development is good and their love of school is tangible. They take part in all that the school offers with tremendous verve and enthusiasm. Pupils are great ambassadors

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Grade: 2

for the school and champion its work at every opportunity. They behave well and their keenness to come to school is reflected in the good attendance rates. Pupils thrive on the responsibility that is invested in them through the school council and through the many tasks they carry out around the school and the wider community. Pupils have a good grasp of what they need to do to be safe and healthy, and acquire a good toolkit of skills and qualities to help them in their future lives. Care and guidance for pupils is good, and pastoral care is outstanding because staff go the extra mile in meeting the social and emotional needs of all pupils in a highly effective manner. The school's success is largely due to good leadership and management, and in particular the role of the headteacher, who, in her push to drive the school forward, has brought pupils, staff, parents and governors with her. She rigorously monitors the quality of teaching and its impact

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Grade: 2

on pupils' achievement. Governors, too, play an effective role in both evaluating and influencing the work of the school, which provides good value for money. The mission to continue the move forward is a shared one. The newly re-structured senior management team has made a good start in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning but this is work in progress in enabling them to get a secure grasp of standards and achievement across different subjects.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure the best use is made of assessment information to plan work that is tailored to pupils' individual academic abilities. ■ Ensure that key staff play a rigorous role in monitoring and evaluating teaching, learning, standards and achievement. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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Grade: 2

Attainment on entry broadly matches what is normally found nationally. Good learning experiences in the Foundation Stage help all pupils to make good progress and by the end of the Reception Year standards are a little above national expectations. Good teaching in Years 1 to 6 continues and it is no coincidence that this helps pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities, to achieve well. As a result, standards are securely above average by the end of Year 2 and well above average by the time that pupils leave school at the end of Year 6. Spelling standards, although satisfactory, are not as strong as other subjects, but the school's well planned initiatives are already leading to clear signs of improvement. Many changes in staffing in 2005/06 coincided with a dip in the progress pupils made between Year 2 and Year 6 but this has been tackled and across the school pupils are making better

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Grade: 2

progress than is found in most schools nationally. Pupils are set challenging targets that they strive successfully to meet and at times exceed.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good, with pupils' enjoyment of school being outstanding. Pupils love every minute of their time at school and are highly appreciative of 'the fun and exciting times we have'. Attendance rates have improved and are above the national average. Pupils' behaviour is never less than good and often better. They are reflective, caring individuals who look out for one another and have a well grounded awareness of the impact of their actions on others. Pupils are only too ready to make a telling contribution to the school and wider community through, for example, the 'buddy system' and accept responsibility with high levels of maturity. Although improving, pupils' awareness of different faiths and cultures is a little patchy. Pupils have a good understanding of what being healthy means and they manage risks in their lives

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Grade: 2

well. Pupils' acquisition of skills and qualities that will hold them in good stead in their future lives is good, but there are not enough opportunities to put them to the test in exciting enterprise initiatives.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Much of the teaching enthuses the pupils and makes learning an enjoyable journey. Lessons are often laced with good humour and the manner in which pupils' literacy, numeracy and computer skills are tested out in other subjects gives learning a real sense of meaning. Work is usually matched to the individual needs of pupils but at times not enough use is made of the good quality assessment information to ensure that work consistently asks enough of some pupils, particularly the highest attainers. Relationships are excellent across the school. This, together with the good management of pupils, helps to create the conditions where pupils' self-esteem and confidence are consistently built up. Learning assistants, too, play their part to the full in strongly influencing how well pupils learn and achieve. The marking of pupils' work is good because it is informative in offering pointers for

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Grade: 2

improvement that the pupils are only too willing to take on board. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. It is rich and varied. Excellent work is carried out in developing pupils' key skills across the whole curriculum. Good examples of pupils' writing in subjects such as history, art, geography and design and technology are in abundance. Equally good is the development of pupils' numeracy skills in subjects such as science, geography and physical education (PE). Computers are in constant and relevant use. The school goes the extra mile to provide pupils with vibrant music and drama provision that they adore, and which brings another dimension to the quality of their learning and to their self-confidence. Over half of pupils play a musical instrument. Pupils also have the chance to learn a foreign language. Good support is on hand for pupils with learning difficulties and for those that have particular talents or skills. Opportunities to reinforce the importance of keeping healthy and safe are seldom missed.

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Grade: 1

Given the size of the school, the enrichment activities on offer are outstanding. After-school clubs range from gardening to computers, from food tasting to craft. Visits to museums, art galleries and theatres, as well as a wide array of visitors and residential visits for all pupils in Years 3 to 6, all add to the rich variety of curriculum provision.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The school provides outstanding pastoral care that helps pupils flourish. The staff know pupils' social and personal needs exceptionally well. The individuality of pupils is both recognised and celebrated and the excellent links with outside support agencies, as well as the school's own support mechanisms, mean that help is immediately on hand when needed. Pupils feel safe, valued and respected and they have a genuine voice through the school council. Pupils were eager to point out, 'Teachers listen to our views and give us a chance to make the school even better.' Statutory procedures for safeguarding pupils, child protection, health and safety and assessing risk are all in place, known and followed by all staff. Good procedures are in place for assessing and tracking academic progress and pupils are beginning to get a more secure grasp of their targets and the levels they are working at.

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Grade: 2

However, pupils do not yet consistently play an active enough role in setting and reviewing their own targets.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher leads and manages the school very well. She has played a pivotal role in moving the school forward and in securing the school's many successes. She has a very accurate grasp of the school's strengths and weaknesses and changes she has made have led to improvements in areas such as teaching, assessment and the curriculum. A strong sense of team spirit envelops the school and all staff share the headteacher's vision in setting the bar higher and making the school even better. The headteacher monitors teaching and learning and analyses test and assessment data well. Staff changes have led to a restructuring of the senior management team, which is developing its role well, but as yet subject leaders are not as proactive and rigorous in evaluating teaching and pupils' achievement as they could be. Governance of the school is good because governors are adept in being very

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Grade: 2

supportive while monitoring and challenging the performance of the school. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 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? 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 2 The attendance of learners 1 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 July 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Mattersey Primary School, Mattersey, DN10 5ED I am writing to let you know what I found out when I visited your school. Before I do, I would first of all like to say a big thank you for making me feel so welcome and making my visit one that I will remember for a long time. I have told Mrs Beech and the staff how you were all so helpful and polite and how you said so many good things about your school. I managed to talk to lots of you and it was great to hear how much you enjoy school, the after-school clubs and the many visits that you go on. I found many good things about the school and, like you, I think it is a good school with some aspects that are outstanding! Teachers and other staff help to make learning fun, so that you achieve well. The school puts a lot of effort into helping you keep fit, safe and healthy and gives you lots of opportunities to take on jobs around the school. Everybody at the school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

works hard at making sure you are well cared for, and the curriculum on offer, both during and after school, is excellent. Links with different organisations and with your parents are particularly good. Another strength is the way in which your headteacher runs the school and, with all the staff, makes it an exciting place to learn. But do you know what is another great strength of the school? You!! Your behaviour, enthusiasm, attendance and the pride you show for your school are just some examples. I have told Mrs Beech that you are great ambassadors of the school. I have talked to your teachers about how they can make the school even better. They are going to make sure that work is always at the right level - not too easy or too hard - and key staff are going to keep a closer check on how you are doing in different subjects. The headteacher and all the staff and governors want the school to carry on getting better and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better. Having met you I know you will play your part by continuing to work hard and behaving well. I wish you every success in the future. It was a pleasure and privilege to meet you. Yours sincerely Martin Newell Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Mattersey Primary School, 12 °13 July 2007

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