Temple Guiting Church of England School

Temple Guiting Church of England School Inspection report

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115653 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 326242 Inspection number 2 December 2008 Inspection date Christine Pollitt Reporting inspector

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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.

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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 59 School (total) 0 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 Duncan Andrews Chair David Ogden Headteacher 29 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Temple Guiting School address Cheltenham GL54 5RW 01451 850304 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 2 December 2008 Inspection date 326242 Inspection number 01451 850304 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 2 December 2008 Inspection date 326242 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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a very small village primary school serving the village and surrounding area. The number of pupils has fallen over the last few years. Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at the start of Reception, and are taught in a class with Year 1 pupils. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, mostly speech and language difficulties, is below average. There have been changes to staff over the last three years, including a new headteacher who joined the school in January 2008.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It has shown good improvement over the last two years. During that time, the school has successfully built on its long-established strengths of promoting positive attitudes, caring relationships and excellent behaviour among its pupils. One parent commented: 'My children are confident, happy and self-reliant. This is due to the high level of care, guidance and teaching at Temple Guiting, and the importance the school places on recognising achievement in a safe but challenging environment.' Pupils really enjoy school and attendance is good. The school has successfully tackled the underachievement of higher attaining pupils, particularly in science, that was evident in 2007. Pupils now make good progress to reach standards which are above the national average. This improvement in pupils' academic achievement is linked closely to improvements in the effectiveness of the leadership and

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Grade: 2

management throughout the school, which are now good. The new headteacher is well supported by a strong team of staff and an excellent governing body. Throughout the school there is very good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, and the school has developed coherent plans to continue to move the school forward. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers do much to promote pupils' positive attitudes by managing their classes well and celebrating everyone's efforts through stimulating displays of children's work. They mark pupils' work regularly, although the quality of marking varies. Marking does not always make it clear to pupils how they can improve, particularly in relation to the targets they have been set. Teachers are increasingly making better use of information from regular assessments of pupils' progress to set individual pupil targets and to give additional support to pupils who are in danger of underachieving. Parents have a high regard for the

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Grade: 2

school and are supportive of the contribution of the headteacher. As one parent commented, 'Many visible improvements have been made to the curriculum and the fabric of the school over the past twelve months.' Although some of these improvements have been in relation to the EYFS, overall provision here remains satisfactory. Assessment is not always used effectively to plan the curriculum, so there are too few opportunities for young children to explore and learn through independent play activities and hence their progress is satisfactory. It is not surprising that pupils across all years feel safe and secure, in a school that promotes inclusion, tolerance, understanding and mutual respect. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good, and they know right from wrong. They look after each other by taking on roles as play leaders to play with the younger pupils, or as school councillors to contribute their views and

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Grade: 2

those of their classmates to school developments. The school's good curriculum is developing breadth and relevance. Increasingly the learning of basic skills is linked to topics which motivate the pupils and contribute to their good progress. The school's good partnership with others contributes well to community cohesion. An example of this is the way the school works with the local authority to enrich the curriculum with experiences such as the Internet Café, where pupils really enjoy working with local older people. The significant improvement in pupils' progress, the strong team, and the good leadership of the school underline the school's good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 3

Children's skills on entry to the EYFS are above age-related expectations. They go on to make satisfactory progress in all areas of learning so that their skills are above average when they 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008 enter Year 1. Children have good relationships with adults, enjoy their learning, and are confident to work with other children or independently. The quality of teaching and learning is sound. The balance between play activities and more structured adult-led activities does not always promote the learning of the youngest children in the mixed Reception/Year1 class. This results in some important features of personal and social development being underdeveloped. Children have insufficient opportunities to learn through play, make choices, and be spontaneous. Nevertheless, children get on well with each other and their behaviour is calm and purposeful.

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care is good. Arrangements for when children start school are robust, and effective links with parents enable children to settle easily into school routines and to feel safe in the secure environment. Satisfactory leadership is reflected in the way that all the staff know the children well and regularly assess their progress. This information is not always used effectively to ensure that teaching and the curriculum fully meet their needs. Provision in the EYFS has improved since the last inspection with the development of a well-designed outside area that is well resourced, bright and welcoming. However, this currently does not offer a sufficiently high level of challenge or stimulation because children have insufficient opportunities to use it well.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve teacher knowledge of the use of assessment to plan the curriculum in the EYFS and ensure that stimulating opportunities to explore and learn through independent play activities meet the needs of every child. ■ Link marking more effectively to individual pupil targets to show pupils the level at which they are working and to identify the next steps in their learning.

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Grade: 2

Following a sound start in Reception, pupils enter Year 1 with skills above the average expected for their age. They make good progress in Years 1 and 2 because of good teaching, and reach standards that are above average for this age group in reading, writing and mathematics. Good progress by pupils of all abilities continues in Years 3 to 6. In writing, and investigative work in science and mathematics, improvements are the direct response to the school's own evaluation and intensive efforts to make work enjoyable and raise standards. The dip in standards in 2007 in English and mathematics, and in particular in science, has been thoroughly addressed, with pupils this year on course to attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science. This continues the marked improvement in standards attained by Year 6 pupils in the summer of 2008, which were above average in English, mathematics and science, especially for higher

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Grade: 2

Pupils' enjoyment of school shows in their good attendance and outstanding behaviour, and makes a good contribution to their learning. Classrooms are characterised by good teamwork and cooperative learning. Pupils are welcoming and friendly and show much respect for each other and for staff. They have a good awareness of multicultural issues and are very considerate of people from different faiths and backgrounds. Community involvement is strong with pupils keen to raise money for charity, especially when they take responsibility in organising events for charities of their choice. Pupils readily take on responsibilities around the school, for example 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008 as lunchtime helpers. However, pupils do not have enough opportunity to develop their ability to make choices and show independence and this restricts some areas of their personal

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Grade: 2

development. Pupil feel safe in school, say there is no bullying, and are keen to talk about internet safety. They have a good understanding of how to stay fit and healthy, and enjoy the many after-school sports activities. Good basic literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology (ICT) skills, as well as a willingness to work with other people, mean pupils are well prepared for their future study and life in general.

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Grade: 2

Whilst teaching and learning in the EYFS is satisfactory, in Years 1 to 6 it is good. Teachers establish strong relationships with their pupils, and know them all well. Consequently, pupils are keen to learn and their behaviour is exemplary. Teaching in ICT and science is particularly strong. Since the last inspection, teachers have raised expectations, particularly of more able pupils. This has had a positive effect on the progress that pupils make, as seen in the 2008 Year 6 national assessment results. In addition, assessment systems have improved. This has resulted in teachers tracking pupils' progress more accurately across the school and usually matching lessons to the particular needs of individuals or groups of pupils. Where teaching is most effective, teachers use skilful questioning to promote pupils' thinking and extend their knowledge and understanding, and the pace of learning is good. Teaching assistants make a

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Grade: 2

valuable contribution to pupils' progress. The best teachers' marking is in literacy when marking is linked to the learning focus of the lesson. In other subjects, pupils are less clear about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 provides good opportunities in literacy, numeracy and ICT for all pupils to make good progress. A recent emphasis on investigative work has made a significant impact on pupils' attainment in science and mathematics. Provision for ICT has improved since the last inspection. The computer suite, a set of laptops, and interactive whiteboards are used to enhance learning in every classroom. However, these resources are not always used effectively to motivate pupils and to provide opportunities for them to explore and discover for themselves. Links between subjects make learning more interesting. Parents run some of the good range of after-school activities, which are well supported by pupils. Visits, including residential events for the older pupils, and a good range of visitors add to the variety of pupils' experiences. These are all enjoyed by pupils. Year 6 pupils, for example, report that when acting as evacuees during

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Grade: 2

a Severn Valley Railway visit they learned a great deal about the Second World War but also 'had lots of fun'. Pupils have benefited from specialist sports coaching provided through the local Sports Partnership, while local networking with other schools also extends and improves curriculum provision. The link to schools in Finland and France to create shared writing is both innovative and exciting. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008

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Grade: 2

The school provides a safe and secure environment that effectively nurtures pupils' learning, and personal development and well-being. This is very much appreciated by parents and pupils. Requirements for safeguarding pupils' welfare are secure. The school works well with partner agencies, especially to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Good arrangements support children when they start school, and help to prepare Year 6 pupils for the next stage of their education. The school has significantly improved academic guidance, and it is satisfactory. New initiatives are making sure that assessment of pupils' work is more accurate, and lesson planning has improved to better match the range of pupils' needs within mixed-age classes. Teachers regularly mark pupils' work, but there are some inconsistencies across the school. The best practice is in literacy where pupils receive helpful feedback. This is

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Grade: 2

less evident in mathematics. Individual pupil targets are not effectively shared with pupils, and they are not involved in evaluating their own performance. Consequently, they do not always know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The new headteacher has worked closely and effectively with the governing body to develop and strengthen the leadership and management of the school. Consequently, governors now have excellent procedures for finding out about the strengths and weaknesses of the school so that they can hold the school to account for its performance. They were instrumental in creating a common sense of purpose among staff, and other stakeholders, and have strong support amongst parents. Governors are involved in the school's self-evaluation that is now accurate and succinct, with a clear focus on improving pupils' achievement and standards across the school. However, middle managers and teachers are not yet involved in the school's formal process of self-evaluation. The inclusion of all learners is central to the leadership's vision. Challenging targets are set and mostly achieved. The impact of the use of these targets is reflected in the recent significant

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Grade: 2

rise in the achievement of higher attainers, and the good progress of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The headteacher has supported teachers in more carefully scrutinising the performance of their pupils. However, middle managers are not always included as well as they could be in the monitoring and evaluation of school improvements. The school uses extended services well, and there are plans to make even better use of partnerships. Temple Guiting Church of England School enjoys a very good reputation in the community for security, well-being and achievement, and parents travel long distances to bring their children here. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/or disabilities make progress

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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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008

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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 The extent to which 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

3 December 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Temple Guiting Church of England School, Cheltenham, GL54 5RW Thank you very much for making us feel so welcome when we came to your school. We enjoyed talking to you very much. We thought you were very friendly and polite, and played really well together in the snow! The school provides you with a good education and these are some things we thought were good:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress and reach standards that are above average by the end of Year 6.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are taught well. Teachers make good use of ICT to make your lessons interesting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy school and behave extremely well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have a good understanding of how important it is to eat healthy food and keep fit by regular exercise. ■ You like the clubs that you attend, visits outside school and learning about children in other countries. ■ Teachers and adults look after you well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher, staff and governors are working hard to make your school better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

These are the things we have suggested that the school does now:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Plan exciting activities in the Reception class so that you can explore and learn more whilst you are playing. ■ Improve the marking of your work and talk to you about your targets for learning, so that you understand how well you are doing and what you need to do to improve. Best wishes for the future. Christine Pollitt Lead inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Temple Guiting Church of England School, 2 December 2008

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