Corvedale CofE Primary School

Corvedale CofE Primary School Inspection report

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123559 Unique Reference Number Shropshire Local Authority 314639 Inspection number 3 October 2007 Inspection date Brian Holmes 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 aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 74 School The governing body Appropriate authority Ian Gibbs Chair Chris Ball Headteacher 24 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Diddlebury School address Craven Arms SY7 9DH 01584 841630 Telephone number 01584 841598 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 3 October 2007 Inspection date 314639 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Corvedale is a smaller-than-average primary school where the number of pupils joining or leaving other than at the normal time is above average. A large proportion of pupils travel long distances each day to come to school. The proportion of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. There has been a significant turnover of staff in the last three years, as well as the appointment of the present headteacher in September 2006.

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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: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 2007

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Grade: 3

This improving school currently provides a satisfactory quality of education and satisfactory value for money. This view is different to that of the school because the school is over-generous in its judgement of pupils' current achievement. Following a period of instability, the school now has a good capacity to improve under the dynamic leadership of the headteacher. She leads well by example and has assembled an effective team of staff who share her clear vision for improvement. Together they have already started to move the school forward by identifying appropriate priorities to raise achievement, beginning with a focus on pupils' spelling. Most pupils start school in the Foundation Stage with attainment in line with that normally expected. They make satisfactory progress, through satisfactory teaching, and achieve standards that are broadly average by the time they leave in Year 6. One factor that is beginning to raise

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Grade: 3

pupils' achievement is the recently established system for tracking pupils' progress. The school recognises that there is more to do to improve pupils' achievement in mathematics and science in Key Stage 2. There has, however, been some improvement in standards in writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1. Pupils' personal development and well-being are a strength of the school. There are good systems of support and care which encourage pupils to behave and attend well and to develop positive attitudes to learning. A parent commented on 'the happy family atmosphere that results in caring, polite and well-behaved children'. This ethos of care helps pupils to feel safe and secure at school. They enjoy school and follow healthy lifestyles, particularly through the opportunities they are given for sport. They feel valued by the school and make a positive contribution to its life in different ways. For example, older pupils act as playground buddies

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Grade: 3

for younger pupils. Adults and pupils have good relationships and pupils are managed well. Strengths of the curriculum are the enrichment opportunities provided for pupils and the good range of extra activities, which pupils enjoy and support well. The academic guidance pupils receive is satisfactory. Their work is marked regularly, but pupils are not yet clear enough about their targets or what they need to do to achieve them. Although strategies to check pupils' progress are in place, the school does not have any sufficiently developed strategies in place to assess the effectiveness of the steps it is taking to try to improve achievement.

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Grade: 3

As a result of satisfactory teaching and learning, children make the expected progress from average attainment on entry into the Foundation Stage, to reach average standards on entry to Year 1. Their achievement in their personal, social and emotional development is good. Recently introduced planning and systems to measure how well children are doing are beginning to have a positive effect on their achievement. Since the previous inspection, the school has made better provision for children's learning using the outdoor environment, but it is aware that the outdoor play space needs further development. Children are adequately prepared for their entry into Year 1. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve pupils' achievement in mathematics and science by the end of Year 6, and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention strategies used in these subjects. ■ Ensure that pupils know their targets and understand what they need to do next to improve their work. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before the next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory and improving. Across the school, satisfactory teaching and curricular provision result in pupils making the expected progress to reach broadly average standards at the end of Year 6. In Key Stage 1, there are indications from the work in pupils' books and from the school's assessment information that strategies to improve standards in writing and mathematics have been successful. Girls now achieve as well as boys and an increased proportion of more able pupils are reaching the highest level in writing. In Key Stage 2, the most recently published results in 2006 indicated that pupils do better in English than in mathematics and science. Evidence from the inspection shows that this is still the case, and the school recognises that it has more to do to bring pupils' achievement in mathematics and science in line with achievement in English. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

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Grade: 3

make satisfactory progress because of the support they receive from teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Pupils thoroughly enjoy school. Their good attendance and behaviour show that they have positive attitudes to school and to learning. Pupils' enjoyment of learning was clearly demonstrated in a Year 5/6 lesson when pupils talked with enthusiasm and interest about reading other pupils' stories displayed in the classroom. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They are confident in discussing issues arising in school and feel safe in approaching members of staff when they are worried about anything. Pupils have a good understanding of the need to keep healthy and they enjoy the healthy food available at school. They took an active role in local community activities through the 'Do it in Diddlebury' exhibition and a number of pupils represented the school in a G8 summit with other local schools. They contribute effectively to school life through the school and class councils

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Grade: 2

and they show good skills in working collaboratively and independently. Pupils' skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) are less well developed, with the result that, overall, pupils' preparation for the next stage of their education is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

There are good relationships in classrooms at all levels and teachers manage pupils well. Planning builds on pupils' prior learning and, as a result, teaching satisfactorily meets the needs of pupils of different abilities. Where pupils are fully engaged, as they were in a literacy lesson on 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 2007 re-drafting stories, they respond with interest and enthusiasm. Where the pace of pupils' learning is too slow in lessons, this limits the amount of progress they make. Marking gives feedback to pupils on how successfully they have completed a piece of work, but does not always tell them what they need to do to improve their work. Where assessment is good, as seen in the Year 5/6 class, pupils are beginning to learn to make judgements for themselves about how well they are doing.

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Grade: 3

The current focus on spelling is having a very positive effect on pupils' achievement in writing. It is a little too early in the implementation of similar initiatives in mathematics and science to assess whether they are having the same success. Pupils are given opportunities to practise their skills in writing and ICT in other subjects, such as in their historical studies of Ancient Greece and their geographical work about the local area of the school. Opportunities to apply their numeracy skills are more limited. A strength of the curricular provision is the wide range of enrichment activities, after-school clubs and visits, which have a positive effect on pupils' enjoyment of their learning. All pupils learn French and they particularly enjoy sport and music. A good curriculum to support pupils' personal development and well-being is illustrated by their recent involvement in helping the school gain the Eco schools award.

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Grade: 3

Arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet all current requirements and are followed appropriately. The good quality of care and support is central to the ethos of the school and underpins the calm and positive learning environment. It creates a strong sense of safety and well-being in the pupils because their teachers know them well and help them when they have problems. The personal, social and health education programme is making a good contribution to developing pupils' skills in these areas as well as helping them to know how to stay safe. There are good links with outside agencies to ensure that all pupils' needs are supported. Academic guidance is satisfactory and pupils receive constructive feedback through marking. They are not sure about their personal targets in English and mathematics, nor do they know what they must do to improve their work in order to achieve them.

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Grade: 3

Staff have responded positively to the new roles and responsibilities they have been given by the headteacher. Systems for checking the quality of teaching and tracking pupils' performance have been put in place but it is too early to judge the effect of these systems on pupils' achievement. These systems are being used to identify intervention strategies to support individual pupils and groups. However, the school has not yet fully identified how it will evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies on improving pupils' achievement. All pupils are equally valued and have full access to the opportunities that the school offers. The governing body fulfils its duties satisfactorily and is involved in checking the work of the school through its structure of committees and visits into school by individual governors. Parents 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 2007 are supportive and have very positive views of the school and the efforts of the headteacher

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Grade: 3

in particular. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 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? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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

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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 2 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?

3 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: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

4 October 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Corvedale C of E Primary School, Diddlebury, Shropshire SY7 9DH Thank you for being so welcoming and helpful when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and listening to what you had to say. We know that you are proud of your school and enjoy going there. We think that Corvedale is a satisfactory and improving school with some strengths. These are the main things that we found out about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make satisfactory progress in your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well, like coming to school and have positive attitudes to your learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have a good understanding of how to keep healthy and safe and make a good contribution to activities in the local community, as well as to helping to run the school. ■ You are provided with a lot of interesting activities and clubs.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are looked after well and the adults support your learning. However, most of you aren't really sure about your targets, so that you do not always know how you can improve your work. ■ The headteacher leads the school well and all the adults are working hard to make it better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The leaders of your school have not yet fully developed a way to tell how well their strategies to improve the school are helping you to reach higher standards, especially in mathematics and science. In order to make your school even better, we have asked the headteacher, staff and governors to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help you to improve how well you do in mathematics and science by the time you leave in Year 6. ■ Make sure you know what your targets are and what you need to do to improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help your teachers by continuing to work hard, doing your best and by making sure you know what your targets are. Best Wishes Brian Holmes Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Corvedale CofE Primary School, 3 October 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of Corvedale C of E Primary School, Diddlebury, Shropshire SY7 9DH

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Annex B

Thank you for being so welcoming and helpful when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and listening to what you had to say. We know that you are proud of your school and enjoy going there. We think that Corvedale is a satisfactory and improving school with some strengths. These are the main things that we found out about your school.

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Annex B

• You make satisfactory progress in your work. • You behave well, like coming to school and have positive attitudes to your learning. • You have a good understanding of how to keep healthy and safe and make a good contribution to activities in the local community, as well as to helping to run the school. • You are provided with a lot of interesting activities and clubs. • You are looked after well and the adults support your learning. However, most of you aren’t really sure about your targets, so that you do not always know how you can improve your work. • The headteacher leads the school well and all the adults are working hard to make it better. • The leaders of your school have not yet fully developed a way to tell how well their strategies to improve the school are helping you to reach higher standards, especially in mathematics and science.

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Annex B

In order to make your school even better, we have asked the headteacher, staff and governors to:

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Annex B

• Help you to improve how well you do in mathematics and science by the time you leave in Year 6. • Make sure you know what your targets are and what you need to do to improve your work.

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Annex B

You can help your teachers by continuing to work hard, doing your best and by making sure you know what your targets are.

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