Woore Primary and Nursery School

123405 Unique Reference Number Shropshire Local Authority 292650 Inspection number 7 November 2006 Inspection date Barbara Crane Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

London Road School address Primary Type of school Woore Community School category Crewe CW3 9SQ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01630 647373 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01630 647373 Fax number 37 Number on roll (school) Steve Hope Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Susan Jones Headteacher 2 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection date Age group 292650 7 November 2006 4 °11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

This is a very small school. Numbers fell when the school was without a permanent headteacher for three years. The present headteacher, who teaches a class for four days each week, was appointed in April 2005 and numbers are beginning to rise again. Children's attainment on entry varies considerably from year to year and is just below the levels expected this year. An above-average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties. More families are eligible for free school meals than in most schools.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006

p.3

Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. Sound teaching and learning, underpinned by a satisfactory curriculum, mean that pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Standards are broadly average by the time pupils leave the school. Children of Reception age have a sound start to their education and happily settle into school routines. Pupils now make steady progress and previous widespread underachievement has mainly been eradicated. There are still times, however, when the work is either too easy or too difficult for pupils' capabilities. This is because teaching does not always take account of the ways in which pupils learn best. Pupils are not always clear about what they are aiming for in lessons and teachers' marking does not consistently help them to understand what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils frequently lack independence in tackling their work and ask for help before having a go for themselves. These all prevent pupils

p.4

Grade: 3

from making better progress. In art and design and science, where activities are more varied and practical, pupils' achievement is good. The school has improved well in the last year and has good capacity to improve further. This is because it knows where changes are needed and has already met with success in areas such as tackling underachievement, improving pupils' behaviour and improving the relationships between boys and girls. Pupils' good enjoyment of school reflects the school's successful efforts to build a more harmonious community. Pupils say that school is now a better place for them to learn and they appreciate the improvements to the building and the playground. Pupils' personal development and well-being are satisfactory and pupils put into practice what they have learned about leading healthy lives. Within an overall satisfactory picture of care, guidance and support, there are strengths in the good level of day-to-day care of pupils. This is reflected in the pupils'

p.4

Grade: 3

view that the staff are 'kind and will listen to us if we have problems.' Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher's very clear sense of direction is rightly recognised by the parents, who say that she has 'turned the school around'. This reflects the school's good partnership with parents, who have justifiable confidence in the school. Governors, several of whom are new to the role, satisfactorily fulfil their responsibilities and are well aware of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are very supportive but do not always ask enough challenging questions.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils' achievement by ensuring that teaching matches work more closely to pupils' different abilities, takes better account of how different pupils learn and promotes their independence. • Give individual pupils a clearer understanding of what they need to do to make the next step in learning and how to improve their work. 2 Inspection Report: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006

p.4

Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory and the school's work to fill the gaps in pupils' learning and resolve areas of underachievement has largely been successful. The very small numbers of pupils taking tests in Year 2 and Year 6 mean that standards fluctuate from year to year, but have been broadly average for many years. The current pupils are making satisfactory progress from their starting points. The work in art and design and science is challenging and so pupils' achievement here is good. Pupils' achievement is not any better in other subjects because teaching does not always pitch the work at the right level for pupils' different capabilities. This restricts the rate of progress made by pupils of all ages, including the more able and those with learning difficulties. Pupils are developing satisfactory skills to equip them for later life.

p.5

Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory. Pupils enjoy school a lot and are positive about the ways in which their views are taken into account to help it improve. Older pupils work keenly to promote recycling initiatives in their community, for example. Most pupils behave well in classrooms but a few are easily distracted and find it hard to regulate their behaviour when teachers are not directly supervising them. Nevertheless, pupils say that they are pleased that behaviour has improved, although, as one pupil put it, there still 'ups and downs'. They also say that they feel the benefits of boys and girls working happily together, which has not been the case previously. Pupils' self-reliance and independence are not as good as they should be and this restricts their pace of learning. The first reaction for many pupils, when presented with tasks, is to ask for help from

p.5

Grade: 3

adults before attempting the work independently. Pupils know how to keep safe and show a good determination to lead healthy lifestyles. They are enthusiastic about using the new trim trail in the school grounds and eating healthy snacks at break time.

p.5

Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory for all age groups. Classrooms are well organised and bright with displays of pupils' work. Teachers give clear explanations to the whole class and ask good questions to check their understanding of new ideas. Information and communication technology (ICT) is well used to capture pupils' interest. Good relationships between staff and pupils make for a calm working atmosphere in lessons. Teaching assistants work hard to support pupils with learning difficulties but their effectiveness is sometimes limited because the work planned does not always focus precisely on what needs to be improved. Assessments of how well pupils are doing are 3 Inspection Report: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006 used to group pupils together but the tasks set are not always at the right level for individual pupils' ability. Teachers' marking does not consistently help pupils to understand how to

p.5

Grade: 3

improve their work and so they repeat mistakes. The initiative to improve the teaching of handwriting has been very successful. Good, consistent teaching of letter formation for Reception children has meant that younger children's skills are developing well and so problems apparent in letter formation amongst some older pupils are not evident amongst younger children. While there are some opportunities for pupils to work together, these are not planned sufficiently frequently to allow pupils to learn from each other, as well as from their teachers.

p.6

Grade: 3

The satisfactory curriculum is supported by a reasonable range of activities outside lessons, including a French club and a residential visit. Pupils' enthusiastic take-up of the sporting activities increases their enjoyment of school. Visitors who lead sessions on dance or help pupils learn about Chinese art lend a variety to pupils' experience that they welcome. Pupils say that the art and design and science lessons are particularly interesting because of the practical activities. Reception children lack some opportunities for more varied and hands-on work to stimulate their ideas and learning in literacy and numeracy. A well-planned programme of work in personal, health and social education has boosted pupils' ability to resolve difficulties with friendships and improved relationships between boys and girls.

p.6

Grade: 3

There is a good level of day-to-day care for the pupils and so they feel safe and well looked after. Procedures for child protection are good and due attention is paid to routine matters of health and safety. The school has used advice and support from outside agencies well to resolve the challenging behaviour of a minority of pupils. Academic guidance is satisfactory but the system for setting individual targets for pupils is not yet as robust as it needs to be. Consequently pupils are not always clear about what they have to do to improve.

p.6

Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The relatively new headteacher gives a very clear lead for improvement. As a result, more rapid progress has been made in the last year and pupils are now making steady progress. Given the school's instability in its leadership in recent years, reasonable steps had previously been taken to bring about improvement. The headteacher has tackled the right things first. Self-evaluation procedures are rigorous and staff and governors keep a close eye on new initiatives 4 Inspection Report: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006 to see if they are working. The school has made good use of outside agencies to support pupils' healthy lifestyles and their enjoyment of school, as well as to root out underachievement amongst pupils. More rigorous systems for tracking pupils' progress are in place. The school has gained the confidence of parents in providing clear expectations of good behaviour for the pupils. Parents' views are sought about where

p.6

Grade: 3

improvements can be made and have been used, for example, in providing a drop-in facility for parents if they have any concerns. The work with a cluster of other local small schools has supported improved planning for subjects such as history. Governors are keen to become more involved in the school's daily life and have identified the training they need to better perform their roles in supporting the school and asking the right questions about its performance. The school provides satisfactory value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006 .

p.7

Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

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? 3 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

p.9

Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006

p.9

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: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming me when I visited your school. I enjoyed talking to you and seeing your work. I can understand why you and your parents feel that the school has got better. It provides a satisfactory education for you. This is what I found out about your school. • You achieve satisfactorily and do particularly well in your work in art and design and science because the work is interesting and practical. • You enjoy school and know how to lead healthy lives. • Boys and girls are now getting on together and you enjoy working as groups to share your ideas. • Most of you behave well but there are still some 'ups and downs' when teachers are not watching you. • Teachers mainly give you what you need to succeed but there are times when the work is too easy or too hard for some of you. • The adults take good care of you and listen to you if you have problems, but you need more help to understand what you are aiming for in your work.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• The people in charge know what they need to do and are working hard to make your school even better for you. I have asked your teachers to make sure that they give you work that is always at the right level for you so that you can do your best. You can help by concentrating hard and having a go for yourselves before asking for help. I have also asked teachers to make sure that you know what your targets are and help you understand what to do to improve when they mark your work. 9 Inspection Report: Woore Primary School, 7 November 2006

p.11