Bridgemere CofE Primary School

Bridgemere CofE Primary School Inspection report

p.1

111343 Unique Reference Number Cheshire East Local Authority 325357 Inspection number 22–23 April 2009 Inspection dates Diane Auton Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

p.1

Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 91 School (total) 1 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Alan Branthwaite Chair Mrs J Dickinson Headteacher 30 January 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Bridgemere Lane School address Bridgemere Nantwich East Cheshire CW5 7PX 01270 520271 Telephone number 01270 520271 Fax number

p.1

3–11 Age group 22–23 April 2009 Inspection dates 325357 Inspection number .

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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one additional inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

This small school serves a rural area. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds, with a small proportion from other heritages. No pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. Although the number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average, the school includes an above average proportion of pupils who have statements of special educational need. The school has experienced changes in staffing during the past two years. Reception and Nursery education is provided in the Early Years Foundation Stage class. Nursery age children join the class each morning on a part-time basis and this is provided through the school's partnership with the local authority's Rural Nursery Consortium. The school is currently in consultation with the local authority about reorganisation of these arrangements. Construction

p.3

Description of the school

work has begun to extend the school building and to improve the accommodation for the Early Years Foundation Stage class. The school provides 'BOOST', which operates every day in term time, and provides before and after-school care for pupils from across the age range in the school. The school holds the Healthy Schools Award, the Bronze Eco Award and the Activemark.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009

p.3

Grade: 3

Bridgemere Church of England Primary School currently provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. The school has been through an unsettled period, with changes in the teaching staff and significant variations in the size and ability profile of year groups. These factors have contributed to fluctuating standards at the end of the key stages. Recent improvements in provision have not yet had time to impact fully on the standards reached by pupils. Pupils have continued to flourish in their personal development and well-being, however, and good standards of pastoral care have been sustained. Children leave the Reception class with skills that are at the expected levels for their age. They progress at variable rates through Key Stages 1 and 2, to reach standards that for the last five years have been broadly or slightly above average by the end of Year 6. Progress was not satisfactory in Year 2 in 2008 and, consequently, standards fell below the national average.

p.4

Grade: 3

The school has started to tackle the issues around this problem and it is clear that a recovery has begun, albeit with more still to be achieved. Progress in Key Stage 1 in the current year is satisfactory, with Year 2 pupils on track to reach broadly average standards by the end of the year. Progress in Key Stage 2 in the current year is also satisfactory. Pupils in Year 6 are on track to reach broadly average standards by the end of the year. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well in relation to their starting points and abilities, because of the good provision the school makes for them. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The school is currently working to improve on this picture, although more remains to be done to ensure consistently high quality of provision. The curriculum has been revised to ensure that it is interesting and relevant for the pupils and, because it is now of good quality, this is helping them to enjoy learning. Good pastoral care

p.4

Grade: 3

enables pupils to feel secure and ready to learn. Assessment and procedures to track progress have been improved this year and the school has started to carry out a formal review of all pupils' progress each term. This important new development has not yet had time to impact fully on the standards that pupils reach. Work has begun to involve pupils in reviewing their own progress against individual learning targets, to give them a clear understanding of how well they are doing. This initiative is at a very early stage. However, it is not sufficiently systematic and has not yet been introduced into all the classes. Written marking is sometimes supportive and helpful, but this is not consistent across the school and, therefore, pupils are not always supplied with the advice they need on how to improve their work. The school's strong community ethos is reflected in the positive endorsements of parents, who

p.4

Grade: 3

feel that their children are cared for well. Attendance is good, reflecting good relationships between home and school. Pupils' good behaviour and positive attitudes mean that lessons run smoothly and playtimes are happy. Pupils develop good social skills and moral values. Their spiritual development is nurtured well through opportunities for reflection in assemblies and in lessons. Good opportunities are provided to develop their cultural awareness and to prepare them for life in a multicultural society. Pupils are active fund-raisers for a range of charitable causes and they show concern for the needs of others. The school's strong focus on healthy living, ecological awareness and community involvement contributes well to pupils' good personal development. Satisfactory leadership and management ensure that the school runs effectively. The headteacher and the supportive governors are united in their resolve to bring about school improvement.

p.4

Grade: 3

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009 They have been proactive in securing funding to improve the accommodation and in sustaining good provision and standards in the Early Years Foundation Stage, despite changes in personnel. Systems are in place to ensure that the quality of provision is monitored rigorously, although there has not yet been time for this to impact fully on standards and achievement in Key Stages 1 and 2. The school has satisfactory capacity for continued improvement.

p.4

Grade: 2

Good provision enables children to make a good start to their education and to become happy and receptive learners. From average starting points on entry to Nursery, they achieve well, particularly in their personal and social development. By the end of the Reception Year, children's attainment matches expectations for the age group. The quality of teaching is good and stimulates learning well. The curriculum provides activities, indoors and in the outdoor area, which are well matched to the children's needs, which they find absorbing, interesting and fun. Regular sessions focusing on letters and sounds are having a positive impact on their achievement in literacy. Provision to ensure children's welfare is good. Children interact well with each other and enjoy warm relationships with the caring staff. Parents appreciate the good communications between home and school and the good care provided for their children. The

p.5

Grade: 2

Early Years Foundation Stage teacher and the effective support team work together well to promote the children's progress and well-being. The headteacher has ensured that this phase in the school is led and managed well. Children with additional learning needs are supported effectively. Children's progress is observed carefully and assessment is systematic, so that additional support is given promptly to those who need it. Good links with external agencies promote children's health, welfare and progress. The before and after-school club provides a caring and enjoyable experience for the children from Early Years Foundation Stage who attend it.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality and consistency of written feedback in marking, so that pupils are always given clear advice on how to improve their work. ■ Develop the consistent and systematic use of individual learning targets so that all pupils are given an accurate understanding of how well they are doing and what the next steps in their learning will need to be. ■ Raise the quality of teaching across the school so that it is consistently good or better.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

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 their next section 5 inspection.

p.5

Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory. Pupils enter Year 1 with skills that are at expected levels for their age. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 dropped to below average in 2008 and no pupils achieved the higher Level 3 in that year. This picture has improved significantly in the current year. Pupils are currently making satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and standards are now broadly average. A special focus on improving pupils' writing skills has improved standards in writing in Key Stage 1 and they are now close to average. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 were broadly average in 2007 and slightly above average in 2008, with an increased proportion 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009 reaching the higher Level 5 in all subjects. The school's assessment information for the current Year 6 shows that pupils are on track to attain broadly average standards in English, mathematics

p.5

Grade: 3

and science by the end of the school year. Inspection evidence shows that pupils across Key Stage 2 have made satisfactory progress in the current school year in all subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and pupils with English as their additional language all achieve well in Key Stages 1 and 2, as a result of the good provision the school makes for them.

p.6

Grade: 2

Pupils' good personal development contributes well to their overall achievement and self-esteem. It is shown in their good behaviour, good attendance, courtesy and positive attitudes to school. The school's nurturing ethos ensures that pupils grow in confidence and form good quality relationships with staff and with each other. Their spiritual, moral and social development is good. The curriculum fosters a developing awareness of global issues and is starting to give pupils an insight into what life is like for children around the world. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility, for example, as road safety officers or as proactive school councillors. They collaborate well in groups or with a partner in lessons. They discuss and consider important issues in philosophy lessons and during reflection in assemblies and Religious Education lessons. These life skills are developed well and, this, together with their satisfactory basic skills in

p.6

Grade: 2

literacy and numeracy, helps to prepare pupils for the future. They have a good awareness of personal safety and healthy lifestyle issues, reflected in the external awards the school has achieved. Pupils' smooth transition to the next stage in their education is supported well by the school's links with the high school.

p.6

Grade: 3

The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory with some good practice. Where teaching is most effective, pupils are given a clear understanding of the purposes of their learning tasks and the pace of learning is brisk. Where it is less effective, the pace of learning is slower and pupils are not always fully involved in contributing their own ideas in lessons. Despite these shortcomings, across the school, activities in lessons usually engage their interest and pupils apply themselves well. Happy relationships in class enable them to feel secure and ready to learn. Assessment procedures have been improved in the current year, to ensure a clear overview of pupils' progress, but this has not yet had time to impact fully on raising achievement and standards. Teachers mark pupils' work conscientiously and often give useful verbal feedback in lessons. The quality of written marking is inconsistent, however, as it does

p.6

Grade: 3

not always provide clear advice for pupils on how to improve their work. Teaching assistants work in partnership with class teachers, making a very effective contribution to supporting pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and this is a significant contributory factor to the good progress those children make.

p.6

Grade: 2

The good quality curriculum contributes well to pupils' personal, social, health and academic development. It has been revised and improved in recent times and now provides pupils with 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009 opportunities to practise and develop key skills through topics and themes which link subjects together. It is enriched well through visitors to school, educational visits, including residential trips and a good range of extra- curricular activities in sport, ecological activities and music. The input of specialist teaching in music, art and sports, often provided by the school's effective teaching assistants, contributes well to the good quality of the curriculum. Pupils find the content of the units of study interesting and this has started to motivate them well to use and develop research and enquiry skills. Some good examples can be seen of how the revised

p.6

Grade: 2

curriculum is helping pupils to improve their skills in writing, particularly in Key Stage 1. An improved focus on teaching phonic skills is also helping to raise standards in literacy in Key Stage 1.

p.7

Grade: 3

The school provides good pastoral care for its pupils. It supports pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities very well, helping to tackle the barriers to learning they may be facing. Pupils are confident that adults are readily on hand to help with any problems that arise and this makes them feel secure. The school liaises effectively with external agencies to promote pupils' progress, health and well-being and complies with statutory requirements for health and safety, including safeguarding and child protection. Care is managed well in the before and after-school club and pupils enjoy the good range of activities on offer. The quality of the academic guidance for pupils is satisfactory overall. The school has introduced improved systems to track pupils' progress through the year, but there has not yet been time for this to impact fully on standards and achievement. The use of individual targets to enhance pupils' learning has not yet been

p.7

Grade: 3

developed effectively; as a result, pupils do not have a clear picture of how well they are doing or of what the next steps in their learning and achievement should be.

p.7

Grade: 3

The headteacher has a clear vision for taking the school forward. Her drive to raise standards and improve the rate and consistency of pupils' progress is beginning to impact on some areas of the school's work, with successes evident in improvements in the curriculum and in assessment procedures. More remains to be done to achieve consistently high quality outcomes for pupils. Systems for evaluating how well the school is doing are in place and the headteacher and the governors have a realistic understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that are still in need of improvement. The school addresses community cohesion well through a range of partnerships that promote pupils' well-being, through its activities in the community and the parish, and through its links with the high school and with a primary school in Uganda. Good attention is given to ensuring that all have equality of opportunity and that pupils with additional

p.7

Grade: 3

needs are well provided for. Good quality extended provision before and after school meets the needs of children and families well. The governing body is supportive and is developing its ability to hold the school to account. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009 .

p.7

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: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009

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

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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.9

EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

p.9

Achievement and standards

1 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: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009

p.9

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 The extent to which 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

p.10

learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.10

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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school. As you know, I came to see how well the school is doing and how you are all getting on with your learning. I found that the school is giving you a satisfactory standard of education. These are some of the best things I discovered about the school.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is improving and you are starting to make more rapid progress in your learning. Keep up the good work! ■ The Early Years Foundation Stage gets your education off to a good start.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers make lessons interesting and this is helping you to improve your skills across all the subjects. ■ Your behaviour is good and you are caring and thoughtful young people; this helps to make the school a good place to learn and grow. ■ The grown-ups in school look after you well.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There is still work to be done to make Bridgemere the best school it can possibly be. I have asked the headteacher and the staff to continue the drive to raise standards and achievement by:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ ensuring that when your work is marked you are always given clear advice on what you need to do to improve ■ working with you on your individual learning targets, to enable you to understand how well you are doing and what the next steps in your learning will need to be ■ making sure that the quality of teaching is always good or better in all of your lessons.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help by continuing to be happy learners. With my very best wishes for the future 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Bridgemere CofE Primary School, 22–23 April 2009

p.11