Cubbington CofE Primary School

Cubbington CofE Primary School Inspection report

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125660 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 293323 Inspection number 8 May 2007 Inspection date Martin Cole 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 192 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Geoff Quantrill Chair Denise Marie Thompson Headteacher 29 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection Church Hill School address Cubbington Leamington Spa CV32 7JY

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01926 422967 Telephone number 01926 831596 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 8 May 2007 Inspection date 293323 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school educates pupils from a wide range of social and economic circumstances. The attainment of pupils as they start in the Reception class is also very wide-ranging and varies from year to year. Overall, pupils begin with broadly average attainment. The school attracts, often from outside the immediate area, a number of pupils with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities; although few in number, they represent a much larger proportion of pupils than is typical for a primary school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Amongst its many strengths, the pupils' personal development and well-being is an outstanding feature which reflects the very high quality of support the school gives to pupils' personal and social welfare. Pupils find much enjoyment in school and grow greatly in confidence and independence and take a responsible attitude toward their life at school. They feel very safe and happy at school and they develop a very good understanding of how to be healthy, both physically and emotionally. Pupils have a thorough understanding of how to eat wisely and take very good advantage of the wide range of opportunities to take exercise. The school has a very strong ethos of caring and supportive relationships. These are backed up by very thorough procedures, some of them innovative and exemplary, for ensuring pupils' personal welfare. Although guidance and support on personal matters is excellent, guidance on academic matters is not as thorough.

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Grade: 2

Teachers do not always give pupils a clear enough understanding of how to make further progress. The overall quality of care, guidance and support is good. Pupils' outstanding personal development helps them to learn and achieve well. They respond keenly to the good teaching they receive, behave extremely well and try hard. Consequently, they make good progress. Good arrangements at the Foundation Stage get children off to a good start. By the end of their year in Reception, children's standards are comfortably in line with those expected nationally. Further good progress means that pupils generally leave the school in Year 6 with above average standards. The well-planned and engaging teaching is both challenging and very supportive. There are carefully planned individual programmes of work for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, who are very well supported by teachers and by the many effective support staff. These pupils make excellent progress toward

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Grade: 2

their individual targets. A good, lively curriculum, generally well matched to pupils' needs, also promotes progress and enjoyment effectively. A wide range of optional activities beyond lessons and many educational visits and visitors valuably extend pupils' opportunities and interest. Gifted and talented pupils are successfully challenged and supported to maximise their achievement in writing, but in other subjects, arrangements for them are underdeveloped. The breadth of school strengths reflects the good leadership and management of the school. The headteacher, well supported by senior colleagues, leads a committed team of staff with vision and determination. Strong and effective partnerships have been made with other educational and welfare organisations. There is also a good partnership with parents, and parents have a high regard for the school. Governors and senior staff keep a close check on

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Grade: 2

the school's performance and plan very well for improvement. Since the previous inspection, a good school has become still better, with some significant improvements and raised standards.

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What the school should do to improve further

• ensure teachers' marking and target-setting give pupils a clear understanding of the next steps they need to take to make progress • extend provision for gifted and talented pupils to more areas of the curriculum. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupil achieve well, making good progress at each stage of their time at the school. The teaching and curriculum for pupils in the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes have been significantly revised in recent years, thus improving progress. Pupils currently approaching the end of Year 2 are attaining above average standards. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 also make good progress. Overall, Year 6 standards in national test results were above average in both 2005 and 2006. The pupils taking the 2006 tests had made good progress since their earlier Year 2 tests. They made better progress than pupils in five out of every six schools nationally. The national test data does not acknowledge the excellent progress towards individual targets made by a significant number of pupils with learning difficulties. Following developments over the last year in the teaching of writing, the pupils of highest ability are making better progress here than in other subjects.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' outstanding personal development shows many strong features. Pupils get off to a very good start in the Reception class in developing excellent attitudes and behaviour, much confidence and a relish for the fun they have as they learn. Throughout the school, very good provision of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is helping pupils acquire a firm sense of right and wrong and to understand others' points of view. Pupils' excellent behaviour reflects their self-discipline based on a strong moral sense. They are adamant that there is no bullying of any significance in their school and have complete trust in the staff to respond to any upsets and resolve worries. Pupils form very cooperative relationships with adults in school, based on mutual respect. Pupils stress how much they enjoy school and this is evident in their excellent attendance and keen participation in school life. Pupils contribute constructively to the school and wider

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Grade: 1

community. They take on many jobs for helping around the school, including support for younger peers. The lively school council takes seriously its powers to spend its own small budget for playtime equipment. Pupils' very good progress in confidence, independence and responsibility is combining with good progress in skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology to prepare them well for further education and the demands of adult and working life.

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Grade: 2

There is good teaching throughout the school. Teachers plan lessons very thoroughly, taking good account of pupils' previous learning to devise tasks, resources and support for them that match their needs. Teachers successfully engage pupils' interest and encourage a desire to learn. Consequently, pupils are attentive and behave well. Lessons are calm and businesslike events, conducted at a brisk pace. Most pupils keenly and confidently offer answers and their own ideas in lively whole-class discussions. When asked to work independently, they do so with concentration and care. Teaching assistants give much effective intensive, patient and encouraging help to pupils finding difficulty in learning. Teachers' marking of pupils' work 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 2007 provides praise and encouragement but sometimes omits to show pupils exactly what next steps they need to take to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum includes a range of strengths that promote good progress, stimulate interest and enjoyment and support pupils' personal development and well-being. In addition to the required subjects, Spanish is offered and many special events and optional activities greatly enrich pupils' experiences. A strong provision for physical education benefits from the school's possession of good outdoor space for adventurous play and sport as well as an indoor swimming pool . Wide-ranging programmes of work for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are a major strength. These pupils are fully included in all the school has to offer but also enjoy additional activities well focused on their individual needs. One parent commented, 'we have seen inclusion in its fullest and truest sense'. Some very good additional activities for pupils with a gift for writing have been provided as part of a whole-school drive

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Grade: 2

to raise writing standards. Pupils whose gifts or talents lie in other areas have rather fewer opportunities to show just how much they can achieve. 1 The pool is currently closed for refurbishment.

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Grade: 2

The very caring attitudes of staff, very good relationships with pupils and rigorous procedures combine to provide outstanding support for pupils' safety, contentment and welfare. A very close watch is kept on pupils and some distinctive arrangements are made to ensure pupils are happy at school. At the weekly 'nurture group', two specially trained teaching assistants meet in a relaxed, intimate setting with a small group of pupils with emotional difficulties to provide support and counselling. The 'silver box' scheme allows any pupil with a worry to notify a wish for confidential counselling from their teacher or headteacher. A good many pupils avail themselves of these opportunities and are able to resolve anxieties that might otherwise have remained unrecognised. Guidance for pupils in their learning is less thorough. Long-term targets set for pupils in writing are beneficial but in other subjects, pupils are less clear about what is

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Grade: 2

expected. Targets do not always help pupils understand on a day-to-day basis what they must do next to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher leads with vision and commitment a staff team with a strong sense of shared aims and values. A determination to provide for pupils' needs within a very caring ethos is well illustrated by the school's very strong provisions for pupils with difficulties. Senior staff have led a successful long-term strategy for substantial school improvement in recent years. Action for improvement has been very well planned and energetically implemented. This has improved progress by younger pupils and raised standards achieved by the oldest. Many recent developments, such as in teaching of writing, have yet to make their full impact on the oldest pupils' achievements but are evident in rising standards in younger year-groups. Governors and senior staff keep a thorough watch over the school's performance, including the teaching 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 2007 and pupil progress. There is a good understanding of the school's strengths and of how it can

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Grade: 2

improve. Together with the good recent record of school improvement, this shows the school has a good capacity for further improvement. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 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 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 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

9 May 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Cubbington CE Primary School, Leamington Spa CV32 7JY I would like to thank all of you for your friendly welcome when I visited your school recently. I really enjoyed meeting you and talking to you. It was good to find that your personal development is outstanding. You really enjoy school and you get on extremely well with each other and with the adults. You have a very sensible attitude to school, and to your work, and your behaviour is excellent. All of this is helping you to make good progress. Some of you and some of your parents told me how much help the teachers and the others adults give you. I could see this for myself. All the adults care for you very well. They listen to your worries and help you deal with them. They give you lots of help and encouragement. The teachers give you good lessons and provide good work that helps you learn a lot. They also organise lots of interesting visits and events and put on many after-school activities which you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

enjoy. • I have said that yours is a good school and that in some ways it is outstanding. The adults in charge of the school are doing a good job and taking very good care of you. However, I have suggested two ways that the school could give you still more help. I noticed that you are not always sure exactly how you can improve your work. Also, I think a few of you could be given harder work in some of your subjects, just as happens for some of you in writing. So, I have asked the teachers to • explain more clearly to you how you can improve your work, and • provide harder work in more lessons for those of you who can manage it. I wish you all the best for the future, M H Cole Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Cubbington CofE Primary School, 8 May 2007

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