Goostrey Community Primary School

Goostrey Community Primary School Inspection report

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111171 Unique Reference Number Cheshire Local Authority 310524 Inspection number 27 November 2007 Inspection date Paul Bamber 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 206 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr D Smith Chair Miss Lyndsey Atkins Headteacher 23 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection Main Road School address Goostrey Near Crewe Cheshire CW4 8PE 01477 533291 Telephone number 01477 533791 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 27 November 2007 Inspection date 310524 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: achievement and standards, personal development and well-being, teaching and learning, curriculum, care, guidance and support, and leadership and management. Evidence was gathered from lesson observations, the analysis of pupils' work and of assessment data and other documents. In addition, discussions were held with pupils, parents, the vice chair of governors and key staff. 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, 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

Many pupils who attend this oversubscribed, average sized school come from relatively advantaged backgrounds. The infant and junior departments are in different buildings separated by a main road. There are few pupils from minority ethnic families. The proportions of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who are entitled to a free school meal are below average. The percentage of pupils who have a statement of special educational need is slightly above average. The school has a number of awards. They include the Inclusion Quality Mark, National Healthy School, Artsmark Gold and Dyslexia Friendly Status.

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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: Goostrey Community Primary School, 27 November 2007

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. Excellent leadership ensures that pupils achieve extremely well, attain exceptionally high standards and develop into very positive and concerned young citizens. A comment that aptly sums up parents' views is, 'Goostrey School is a superb place for children to learn in an extremely happy atmosphere.' The inspiring headteacher and her very able deputy headteacher have very high expectations of staff and pupils. These are met very well, resulting in high quality teaching and pupils' exemplary attitudes and behaviour. Rigorous and well established management and pastoral systems are used very effectively to ensure that pupils of all abilities thrive academically and flourish personally. Senior leaders make sure that staff continually update and refine their skills to enable them to help pupils achieve even more. Pupils' personal development is excellent. They say that they enjoy school immensely and talk

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Grade: 1

enthusiastically about the wide range of activities on offer to them. They are eager to succeed with their work in lessons, know and respond well to their targets for improvement and eagerly seize many opportunities to take responsibility. The excellent quality of relationships evident throughout the school results from mutual respect, pupils' sensitivity to the needs of others and adults' insistence on good manners and a sense of community. Pupils celebrate each other's successes, both in classrooms and in special assemblies. Older ones act as buddies to Reception children, which is mutually appreciated and cements relationships. The calm and positive atmosphere that exists in classrooms and around the school plays no small part in pupils' high academic achievement and excellent personal development. Teaching of outstanding quality promotes excellent standards. In national tests and assessments, pupils' standards significantly exceed national averages in English, mathematics and science.

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Grade: 1

Lessons proceed at a fast pace and teachers use resources creatively to enthuse pupils and to clarify learning. The support and interventions provided by able teaching assistants contribute very well to pupils' high achievement. Because pupils have access to a very rich curriculum, it is not just their basic skills that are very well promoted, but their standards in art and design are also very high. The Artsmark Gold Award is testament to the quality of pupils' artwork and to the vibrant displays evident around the school. Pupils talk excitedly about the exhibitions they mount annually. The recent 'China' exhibition was a great success with parents and the local community and added greatly to pupils' excellent cultural development. There is a wide range of after-school clubs, French lessons, instrumental music tuition for over a third of pupils, a thriving choir and a varied diet of visits and visitors. These all contribute significantly to

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Grade: 1

pupils' personal and social development and to the quality of their excellent curriculum. Because their provision is so well managed, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve extremely well. Most reach standards in line with the national average in assessments and tests in both Year 2 and in Year 6. The same excellence applies to the management of the learning of those pupils who have special gifts or talents. The strong partnership the school has forged with outside agencies and providers, with the local community and with other schools has ensured that these pupils are very well catered for. Examples of such partnerships are workshops at the local high school, specialist coaching and tuition in a variety of sports, in music and in drama, all of which enhance provision for these pupils. Parents, the vast majority of whom are most supportive of the school, understandably highlight

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Grade: 1

the outstanding quality of care provided for their children as a key factor influencing their 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Goostrey Community Primary School, 27 November 2007 view. Pupils' safety is paramount for the school, particularly as a busy road separates the two sites. Pupils know they are safe and secure. Because the school encourages them, for instance, to train as Road Safety Officers, they are very safety conscious. Pupils are also keenly involved in making decisions about the school's provision. For example, the school council has chosen new play equipment and younger members have persuaded the school to upgrade the toilets. The very effective programmes to promote healthy lifestyles result in pupils eating sensibly and exercising regularly. The high quality of academic guidance means that the school knows exactly how well pupils are doing and what needs to be done to help them make the best

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Grade: 1

possible progress. This information is shared with pupils. This empowers them to be partners with adults in setting targets for improvement and in assessing their own learning. Highly supportive governors also do excellent work. They contribute expertise to the academic, health and safety and financial aspects of the school's work. They ensure that the school maintains high standards in all it does by challenging senior and middle managers in discussions and by contributing to decision making. The school knows itself very well, plans systematically and pragmatically for improvement and has successfully dealt with the issues identified in the last inspection. All this indicates an excellent capacity to maintain high standards and provision.

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Grade: 1

Children make an excellent start to their schooling in the Reception class. There are plenty of opportunities, well in advance of their entry in the autumn term, for children and their parents to visit the school, to meet with older pupils and teachers and to accustom themselves to routines. Many enter with skills above those expected for their age. The exception is in their acquisition of early writing skills, which is below typical expectations. Children come on in leaps and bounds because their needs are assessed very carefully and they are given a wide range of stimulating activities that meet these needs extremely well. Teaching and support are of high quality. Adults use the outdoor classroom creatively to promote children's excellent progress in all areas of their learning. As part of a lesson focused on phonics, children excitedly sought out strategically placed cut-outs of animals in the trees and grassland

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Grade: 1

outside their classroom and then recorded their names. Because they are constantly busy, encouraged to share, take turns and learn independently, children make very good progress in all areas of their learning. Most enter Year 1 having exceeded the targets set nationally for them. Their reading, mathematical, physical, personal and creative skills are particularly strong, providing an excellent foundation for the high standards they attain in the rest of the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

There are no significant areas for development. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Goostrey Community Primary School, 27 November 2007 .

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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: Goostrey Community Primary School, 27 November 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? 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? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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?

1 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: Goostrey Community Primary School, 27 November 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 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: Goostrey Community Primary School, 27 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Many thanks for the very warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school recently. I felt very much at home straight away because of your kindness and eagerness to tell me about your excellent school. I was most impressed with how well you do with your work and how well mannered and polite you are. You are taught extremely well and have an exciting curriculum. The school looks so bright and attractive. This has a lot to do with your splendid art and design work that is so brilliantly displayed in your classrooms and around the school. You certainly seem to have enjoyed creating the China exhibition very much. You obviously get on very well with each other and it was lovely to hear from both Year 6 and Reception children how much you appreciate the buddy system. You are very well cared for and again I was impressed with the sensible way that you crossed the main road, ate your lunch so peacefully and played happily together. The adults who work

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

with you help you all to do your best and to get as much out of school as you can. This means a lot of work for them, but you clearly make it all worthwhile because you take up all the opportunities provided for you. The teachers who run the school are extremely good at their jobs. Your headteacher and her team know exactly how you are getting on and what needs to be done to help you achieve high standards and for you to grow into such responsible and caring young people. Keep working and playing hard. 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Goostrey Community Primary School, 27 November 2007

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