Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School

Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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115701 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 326254 Inspection number 1 July 2009 Inspection date Colin Lee 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 aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 76 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 Ian Goby Chair David Crunkhurn Headteacher 27 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 The Village School address Westbury-on-Severn GL14 1PA 01452 760303 Telephone number 01452 760303 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 1 July 2009 Inspection date 326254 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is considerably smaller than an average primary school. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. A pre-school is based at the school for part of the week. The headteacher was appointed in January 2009.

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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: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Some aspects, such as pupils' personal development and the care, guidance and support given to pupils and their families, are outstanding. The new headteacher has had considerable impact on the school. He provides inspirational and motivational leadership and has introduced a range of initiatives to speed up school improvement while retaining the strengths of the school developed by his predecessor. Pupils generally achieve well in relation to their starting points. Standards are variable across the key stages but those in mathematics are not high enough. The current Year 6 are above average in reading but below average in writing and mathematics. Numbers in each year group are very small and the presence of just a few pupils with learning difficulties affects the overall picture year-on-year. Subjects where there is greater consistency include science and information and communication technology (ICT), where standards are above average. Mathematics is

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Grade: 2

where there is the most inconsistent attainment, due to some underachievement by the more able pupils and occasionally too little challenge in the teaching. The high quality of pupils' personal development and well-being reflects the strong emphasis placed on pupils' personal, social, health and citizenship education and the excellent care, guidance and support given to all pupils and their families. Pupils' enjoyment of school is obvious. Behaviour and relationships are excellent. Pupils thrive on responsibility and the opportunities they have to make a difference to their community. Their contribution to both the school and the local community is outstanding. Pupils' good achievement and personal development are due to effective teaching and learning across a curriculum that recent developments have made similarly good. Pupils' very positive attitudes are a key element in the good quality of learning. Teachers and teaching assistants

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Grade: 2

work very closely together, providing an excellent model of cooperation for pupils to copy. Teaching assistants have good impact on pupils' progress, particularly that of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Much lesson planning includes extension tasks to challenge the more able pupils but in mathematics these pupils often don't get to that task because they spend too long on unnecessary basic skill work that they find easy. The school has experimented with involving the whole school in the same curriculum theme. This is proving highly successful and providing a wealth of stimulating learning activities giving pupils of all ages the opportunity to learn with and from one another. Many activities help pupils to apply and develop basic literacy and, to a lesser extent, numeracy skills, in a meaningful way. This, alongside pupils' social maturity and experience of enterprise-related activities, means that

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Grade: 2

pupils are prepared well for the next stage in their education and for their future lives. Good leadership and management at all levels stem from the strong sense of teamwork. The school has a good capacity for further improvement because it has shown, albeit fairly recently, how successfully it has addressed areas for development identified by the previous inspection.

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Grade: 2

A rigorous induction process enables children to settle quickly into early routines. Staff work very closely together and parents and carers say how much they appreciate the strong home/school partnership that fully involves them. The children's welfare is paramount and they are nurtured in a safe environment. This age group is superbly well led and managed. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with knowledge and skills generally at a level expected of four year olds. They make good progress as a result of the good teaching and the well planned curriculum in all six areas of learning. They leave this key stage having exceeded the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development. Most reach the goals in the other areas of learning, with a few at an even higher standard. Behaviour is excellent and children's very positive attitudes to work are seen in their obvious

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Grade: 2

enjoyment of everything they do. They talk excitedly about their experiences. Very detailed planning of the curriculum provides a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Systematic observations and assessments of children's learning are used very effectively to plan the next steps for each child. Staff try to extend children's learning where possible by creating a flow between activities based in the very stimulating classroom and the small outdoor area. However, the latter does not have all-weather protection, which is necessary in order to maximise its use.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in mathematics by giving more opportunities for knowledge to be applied to problem solving. ■ Improve the achievement of more able pupils, particularly in mathematics, by ensuring they work on tasks with suitable challenge.

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Grade: 2

Rates of progress and standards attained vary between year groups. This is not only due to small numbers and the effect where there are pupils with learning difficulties, but also to adverse circumstances that have affected individuals and classes. Some classes have experienced sudden changes of teacher, both in the past and recently, that have interrupted progress. The whole school has worked through a period of significant disruption caused by major building work. Nevertheless, despite these constraints, pupils' achievement is good overall. Improved tracking of pupils' progress and learning enables a sharp response to any drop in standards or situations where individuals are falling behind. Various measures have been effective. A science-based curriculum theme, 'Wild Westbury', has raised science standards across the school. This is particularly evident in Year 6, where above average standards are a

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Grade: 2

significant improvement on past national test results. This theme also provides opportunities to apply mathematical skills; improvement is particularly evident in the Year2/3 class. This is an exception because standards and achievement in mathematics are not high enough and the more able pupils, especially, are not achieving as well as they could. Widespread use of writing skills in theme work is also improving standards, not least because pupils say they are enjoying writing more.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' enjoyment of school is shown by so many saying that learning is exciting and fun. They are encouraged to think for themselves about their relationships with each other and they have established their own behaviour code that they want everyone to keep to. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is outstanding. There is a harmony throughout the school that reflects the attention to the spiritual well-being of pupils and adults alike. Pupils' cultural 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009 development is similarly impressive because they have many opportunities to learn about their own and other cultures. Work reflecting this is prominently displayed around the school, such as the use of aboriginal art forms to create a magnificent plan of the school. Pupils say they are looking forward to forthcoming projects such as a healthy tuck shop because they think

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Grade: 1

this will give them an even better understanding of healthy lifestyles than they already have, even though this, like their understanding of safe practices, is outstanding. The school council rightly feels it is making a difference to the school. Many pupils say how much they appreciate their views being listened to. They also welcome their frequent involvement in local community events, such as taking part in local festivities and putting on concerts.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good and has a positive impact on the quality of learning. The stimulating, exciting learning environment created in the Early Years Foundation Stage class is matched in other years. This is a major achievement by staff in view of the building work only just completed. Pupils' work is generally matched well to the needs of pupils of different abilities, although some more able pupils are not being moved quickly enough on to work that is sufficiently challenging. This occurs most in mathematics and the subject as a whole is a key area for development because most pupils are not having enough experience of using mathematics in real life examples or problem solving activities and this prevents standards rising. Teachers ensure that the purpose of lessons and key learning objectives are explained and understood by pupils. The targets for individual pupils are well set and pupils are motivated by

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Grade: 2

them. From an early age, pupils are encouraged to reflect on the quality of their own and others' work. They do this constructively, recognising good features and suggesting where improvement is possible. Such self- and peer assessment is often perceptive and contributes well to the pupils' overall progress.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a rich and varied curriculum for its pupils. This has resulted from recent work that combines progression in the skills that should be acquired in each subject, with a linking of subjects into themes. This strengthens pupils' basic skills, particularly in literacy and ICT, through activities that are based on first hand, practical experience. An extensive range of activities is provided outside the school day. Several of these are run by governors, including modern foreign language teaching and recorder tuition. All these activities are greatly enjoyed and take-up levels are high. The curriculum is also enhanced by an exciting programme of events during the year such as theme days, educational visits and input from visiting specialists. Pupils' work in the creative arts is particularly enriched by these experiences and many prominent displays around the school celebrate the impressively high standard of artwork of pupils of all

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Grade: 2

ages. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009

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Grade: 1

The school provides exemplary pastoral care for its pupils. Safeguarding procedures comply with all requirements. Risk assessments and child protection procedures are rigorous. Pupils say they feel safe in school and all members of the school community show the highest levels of concern for pupils' welfare. This support contributes significantly to pupils' learning and personal development. The school also works tirelessly to provide pastoral care where it can support a family. A family support worker is shared with another local school and there is now designated accommodation for her school-based work. Academic guidance is generally of a similarly high quality. It is based on the thorough assessment and tracking of pupils' progress. For all pupils, the guidance provided by marking of their work is detailed and informative. The setting of short term targets for the next stages in pupils' learning often features in this marking so pupils have very clear indicators of how their work

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's vision of where and how the school can improve is shared across the members of the school community. Many of the questionnaires returned by parents commented on the headteacher's immediate impact and their delight with the changes that are being implemented. There is a sharp focus on raising pupils' standards and improving their achievement. There are early signs of success and strategic planning is in place to embed this and includes further initiatives to make the school still more effective. These include greater involvement of all staff and governors in school self-evaluation. Although the self-evaluation judgements are accurate, suggesting the school knows itself well, there is recognition of the need for more personnel to be contributing to the process. The governing body uses individual governors' expertise and experience very effectively to gather evidence to support its decision making and planning. Each member of staff has a

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Grade: 2

number of responsibilities for subjects and areas of work. They provide good leadership and management through detailed action planning, assisting colleagues and checking pupils' standards. When monitoring by observation of colleagues, the purpose is not always clear and there is insufficient focus on specific aspects of pupils' learning that need evaluating or are known to need attention. This limits the possibility of feedback informing teachers about how to move pupils' learning forward. The school benefits from many productive partnerships with educational and community organisations. There is impressive commitment to community cohesion that impacts well on the pupils' understanding of the contribution they can make to the school, local, national and international communities. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009

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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?

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? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 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

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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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009

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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 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 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 1 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: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

2 July 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Westbury-on-Severn CofE Primary School, Westbury-on-Severn, GL14 1PA Thank you for making us so very welcome in your school and for talking to us so willingly. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing you at work. You told us how much you enjoy going to school. This is not surprising because you have a good school that is successful in helping you to learn and some aspects are outstanding. These are some of the things it does particularly well:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ From the moment you start in Reception, you are making good progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave excellently and we saw how you are always willing to help one another at work and play and this makes your school a friendly, pleasant place where everyone feels safe and happy. ■ You have an excellent understanding of the importance of eating healthily and taking regular physical exercise. ■ You are a very important part of the Westbury-upon-Severn community because you take part in many village activities. ■ Teaching is good and your teachers work hard to plan many interesting things for you to do in your lessons. This is helping you to learn well. We particularly liked much of the 'Wild Westbury' work. ■ All the adults look after you very carefully and make sure that you are safe and get help whenever you need it. ■ The headteacher leads the school well and all the adults, including the governors, work very well together to improve it. We have made two main recommendations to help your school get even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that you use what you are learning in numeracy lessons to do more solving problems activities. This will help you make better progress. ■ We want those of you who find work easy to be given even harder work, particularly in numeracy. We hope you will carry on enjoying learning and helping your teachers to make Westbury-on-Severn an even better school. Yours faithfully Colin Lee Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Westbury-on-Severn Church of England Primary School, 1 July 2009

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