St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne

St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne Inspection report

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109225 Unique Reference Number South Gloucestershire Local Authority 309935 Inspection number 10 June 2008 Inspection date Alison Grainger 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 Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 162 School The governing body Appropriate authority Jackie Sherlock Chair Adrian Vye Headteacher 1 December 2003 Date of previous school inspection Linden Close School address Winterbourne Bristol BS36 1LG 01454 867105 Telephone number 01454 867106 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 10 June 2008 Inspection date 309935 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. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues. The quality of the start given to children in the Reception Year. The contribution of teaching and academic guidance to progress in Years 1 to 6. Pupils' personal development and well-being. The effectiveness of leadership and management, particularly subject leaders. Evidence was gathered from: the school's data on pupils' progress; visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils' work; discussions with staff, governors, parents and pupils; and analysis of responses to the parents' questionnaire. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments of these areas, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Most pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The proportion eligible for free school meals is also below average. The amount of movement of pupils in or out of the school, other than at the usual times of joining or leaving, is more than in most schools. There is a wide spread of individual attainment on entry. Most children begin the Reception Year with skills broadly at the levels expected for their age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne, 10 June 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Its most significant strength, greatly valued by parents, is the excellent pastoral care. The school is very successful in achieving its aim of encouraging respect and care for others and, as one parent observed, 'each child is treated as an individual'. Parents emphasise how well the school cares for their children, for example noting that staff 'don't ignore problems but work with parents and children to find positive solutions'. Quite a number of pupils enter the school other than at the usual time. They and their parents appreciate the help they are given to settle well and to make friends quickly. As a result of the high level of attention to pupils' personal welfare, pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Behaviour is outstanding from the Reception Year upwards. Almost all pupils enjoy school a good deal, as the above average attendance rate shows. They feel safe

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Grade: 2

at school and are sure that they have an adult to whom they can turn should the need arise. Pupils know a lot about the importance of adopting safe practices. They point out, for example, that before the school holidays they are always reminded of how to stay safe. Older pupils are well informed about the importance of making sensible lifestyle choices. Pupils' understanding of how to stay fit and healthy through diet and exercise is good. Pupils make a good contribution to the community. They sensibly undertake responsibilities in school and contribute their views with confidence. Older pupils care for younger ones. Pupils say that they like the way in which the different ages get on well with each other. They are keen to help others and, for example, do much to raise funds for charities. Their understanding of how to care for the environment is good. Pupils are well prepared for their future lives not

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Grade: 2

only as a result of the personal qualities they develop but because they also achieve well academically. Standards are significantly above average at the end of Year 6 and pupils' achievement is good overall. As a result of recent successful action to rectify a dip in performance in writing, pupils are currently making better progress in English than in mathematics. The school is very clear about the action needed now to accelerate pupils' progress in mathematics. It has made a start on this but recognises that there is still more to be done. There is also some variation in how well pupils do in different year groups, for instance in reading, so that progress is not consistently good in all years across all subjects. The school is aware of this issue and is focused on making sure that pupils do well in all years. There are a variety of reasons for pupils' overall progress being good. In particular, pupils are

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Grade: 2

able to learn without fear because they are happy at school and know that adults will support them. All the teaching is at least satisfactory and much is good so that cumulatively, teaching has a good influence on pupils' progress. Academic guidance is good. Pupils have clear targets to help them to improve their performance and say that they regularly refer to them and find them helpful. The curriculum is good, with the increased emphasis on developing pupils' writing skills through work in different subjects paying dividends in current writing standards. The very good range of activities in addition to daily lessons, such as clubs, visits and visitors, broadens pupils' experiences as well as contributing to their enjoyment of school. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher provides very good leadership, is a real driving force for improvement and highly respected by parents. As one parent said, 'He has

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Grade: 2

huge energy and a "can do" attitude.' He is very clear that to make sure that there are no dips 4 of 9 Inspection Report: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne, 10 June 2008 at all in pupils' progress in any subject, all the teaching must be at least good. He rightly recognises that some teaching is satisfactory because it is not closely enough matched to all pupils' needs to ensure that all are consistently given the right level of challenge. The involvement of subject leaders in supporting the headteacher's action for improvement is developing steadily, with responsibilities having been newly allocated this school year. There are some examples of good subject leadership, for instance in English. The teamwork and commitment of staff are strong. The governing body is well organised and provides leaders with challenge as well as support. Currently, the way in which data on pupils' attainment and progress are recorded is not an

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Grade: 2

effective management tool. It is not organised to allow easy and regular checks on how well each individual pupil is doing in both the short and long term. This prevents the use of data for school self-evaluation from being more effective. Nevertheless, the headteacher is sharp and incisive in evaluating the influence of the school's provision on the outcomes in pupils' progress. The school has moved on well since its last inspection and has a good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

The exceptionally good level of care begins the moment children start in the Reception Year. 'My daughter settled into school within a few days and is now delighted to come each day', is typical of parents' comments on the process of starting school. Teaching and the curriculum are good overall. Not only do almost all children reach the goals expected for their age but several also exceed them. The strides children make in their personal and social development are particularly significant. Language skills also develop very well, including those of children who begin school with weaknesses in speech and communication. Although satisfactory, the gains made in mathematical development are not as strong as in other areas. The provision for reception children is well led and managed. However, sometimes opportunities are missed to give a clear learning focus to activities that children select for themselves from a range provided.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Accelerate pupils' progress in mathematics and ensure that progress in all subjects is consistently good in all years. ■ Ensure that all teaching is closely matched to all pupils' needs and challenges them fully.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Record data on pupils' attainment and progress in a way that allows easy tracking and reviews how well individuals are doing in both the short and long term. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne, 10 June 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne, 10 June 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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 of 9 Inspection Report: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne, 10 June 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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 of 9 Inspection Report: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne, 10 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Bristol, BS36 1LG Thank you for helping me when I visited your school. I enjoyed talking with you and finding out about your school. You and your parents told me that you enjoy school a lot. I am not surprised because yours is a good school. You help it to be good through your excellent behaviour and your positive attitudes. You are very well looked after. The adults make sure that you settle in well when you start in the Reception Year. They also help those of you who join the school later to feel at home and to make friends quickly. You told me that you feel safe at school and that you are sure that you have an adult to turn to if you are worried about anything. You are helped to know how to stay fit and healthy. You make a good contribution to your school and to the wider community and are well prepared for your future lives.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The range of activities in addition to lessons, such as clubs and visits, is very good. You are lucky to have so many exciting opportunities. I heard about the circus coming to school and that some of you have been to America as a result of doing very well in a robotics competition. Well done! You make good progress during your time in the school. I know that the teachers have been working on making sure that you all do well in writing. I saw some lovely writing on display in classrooms and corridors that was a pleasure to read. You told me about how your targets help you with your writing in particular. I have asked the school to work on three things now to help you to do even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Speed up your progress in mathematics and make sure that you all do as well as possible in all subjects all of the time. ■ Make sure that teaching is always at the right level for each of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Record information on your progress in a way that helps the adults to check up easily on how well you are doing. You can help by continuing to be such pleasant young people and by always doing your best. Yours sincerely Alison Grainger Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Winterbourne, 10 June 2008

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