Rushwick CofE Primary School

Rushwick CofE Primary School Inspection report

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116847 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire Local Authority 326463 Inspection number 3 March 2009 Inspection date Michael Merchant 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 129 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 Claire Haslam Chair Geoffrey Jeffrey Headteacher 7 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Upper Wick Lane School address Rushwick Worcester WR2 5SU 01905 422502 Telephone number 01905 428895 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 3 March 2009 Inspection date 326463 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: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 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 much smaller than most other primary schools and the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is low. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage; all pupils have English as their first language. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities, (mainly moderate learning difficulties), including those who have a statement of educational need is similar to that typically found. The school has one Reception class in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The school has received Healthy School, Forest School and Eco-School awards, as well as Activemark. There is a privately managed childcare provision, which occupies premises on the school site. The provision is for private day care, and for 'wraparound' care.

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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: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school and pupils are right to be proud of it. Most parents have great confidence in the school and its headteacher. One parent said, 'Rushwick CofE primary is a welcoming and happy place to be. Our child is thriving there.' The headteacher, with strong support from his deputy, leads the school with clarity and consistency. He has energised and empowered the teaching staff, who know what is expected of them and feel confident that they will be part of a successful future for the school. Subject leaders contribute well to raising achievement across the curriculum through the monitoring of progress towards targets and in lesson planning. In the Reception class, children settle quickly, make satisfactory progress and are working just below the levels expected of them when they join Year 1. Thereafter, their progress accelerates quickly and standards attained by Year 6 are above average overall. Pupils make good progress

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Grade: 2

through the school and achieve well because procedures are securely in place to enable leaders to rigorously monitor all areas of the school's work. Pupils with learning difficulties are supported well and they also make good progress. Standards attained in mathematics, however, have not been as high as those in English or science. The school did not meet its challenging targets in mathematics in 2008 and this led to a decline in the schools' average points score in national tests, interrupting the steady improvement made over recent years. The school, however, has worked tirelessly to redress these differences and currently, pupils are making the same progress in mathematics that they make in English and science. In addition to the clear and purposeful leadership, several factors contribute to the pupils' high standards and achievement. Good teaching leads to many examples of effective learning. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, give clear explanations and plan their lessons well.

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Grade: 2

Teachers and support staff work effectively together to meet pupils' specific needs. All pupils, at whatever level of ability or need, are well cared for and guided watchfully through the school. Pupils are encouraged to see their potential and are given the self-confidence to work hard and aim high. Consequently, pupils' personal development is good, especially their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils come to school ready to learn and are eager to contribute to lessons. The above average attendance rate and good behaviour reflect pupils' strong enjoyment of school. Staff have created a school in which all pupils get on well together. Pupils take part in a good range of sports and they adopt healthy lifestyles. A carefully planned and varied curriculum inspires pupils to work hard and gain a wide range of skills. Very good relationships and good care, guidance and support result in confident learners. As a result of

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Grade: 2

the clear advice teachers give to pupils as to how to improve their work, pupils are very clear about the next steps in their learning. Governors involve themselves well in the life of the school and are supportive as well as challenging when they need to be. The school has good capacity to improve further, as improvement since the previous inspection has been good and the school accurately assesses and evaluates its work.

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Grade: 3

Across the Early Years Foundation Stage, the children's welfare is of paramount importance to the staff. Consequently, children settle quickly into school routines and are happy learners. Children's attainment on entry to Reception is below that expected nationally, especially in 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 2009 language and literacy, and in personal and social development. Their progress is satisfactory because teaching, learning, leadership and management are satisfactory. The well-resourced indoor environment ensures that all areas of learning are covered adequately and there is a suitable balance between direct teaching and opportunities for children to learn through purposeful play. The care provided by adults is good and helps children to feel secure and confident. However, children's progress is sometimes restricted because some work set for them and some activities around the classroom are not matched closely enough to their needs.

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Grade: 3

Consequently, opportunities are missed to extend children's language and mathematical skills and these remain below average when children start Year 1. Children's knowledge of sounds and letters and their writing skills develop satisfactorily, although by the age of five years, most children are achieving just below the expected levels for their age. The Early Years Foundation Stage is led satisfactorily. The co-ordinator has a clear view about what needs to be achieved. However, the skills that children have when they enter the Early Years Foundation Stage have only recently been systematically collated. Teachers have only recently begun to use this information so that the progress of individual children can be checked more accurately.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Build on current planning to raise standards and achievement in mathematics by providing more demanding tasks and investigation work. ■ Ensure that teachers in the Early Years Foundation Stage make better use of assessment information to track children's progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and reach above average standards by the time they leave. Standards have steadily improved for the past five years and are rising faster than the national trend, although they dipped in 2007, largely due to the school not meeting its challenging targets in mathematics. The unvalidated 2008 results show a big improvement and a likely continuation of this rising trend. Pupils' work and classroom observations confirm this improvement, especially in mathematics and, currently, standards are above average overall. Given pupils' starting points when they join Year 1, they make good progress. Progress is fastest in the Years 2 and 3 and Years 5 and 6 classes, where there is a higher proportion of good and outstanding teaching and a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy. There is no difference in the progress made by the various groups of pupils in the school. This is because the school

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Grade: 2

works effectively to support groups such as pupils with learning difficulties and those who enter the school with particularly low levels of attainment.

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Grade: 2

Pupils relate well to one another and are excited by all that the school has to offer. This is reflected in their enjoyment of learning, good attendance and keen involvement in a wide range of activities. Pupils show good spiritual awareness through their appreciation of, and care for, the environment. They speak with excitement about the garden they have developed and the recycling that they are involved in. Pupils relate well to one another and to adults, and work cooperatively. Pupils make good contributions to the school and the local community through their activities to raise money both for their school and national charities. Their contribution to, and involvement in, the life of the wider community, however, is more limited. The school 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 2009 council is effective and has made useful suggestions to bring about changes in the school, such

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Grade: 2

as the themes for assemblies. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education because of the high standards in basic skills allied to their positive attitudes to learning. A small minority of parents speak of concerns regarding a few incidents of inappropriate behaviour. However, inspectors' observations and school records show pupils' behaviour to be good in lessons and around the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils respond well to the good teaching, and they make good progress in lessons. Skilful questioning is used by the most effective teachers to draw out ideas from pupils. In most lessons, teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and their planning ensures that a good range of activities keeps pupils' interest. Teachers make clear exactly what they want pupils to learn and why it is important. These are reinforced effectively throughout lessons. Good partnerships in classrooms between teachers and teaching assistants lead to effective support for pupils who find learning hard. Pupils are very clear about subject targets and teachers support pupils well to reach their goals and this is an important reason why standards are rising. As one pupil said, 'We all know exactly where we are and how we are doing.' There is, however, variability in the way some teachers plan to meet the needs of high attaining pupils in lessons,

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Grade: 2

which results in a few pupils not being challenged well enough.

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Grade: 2

The carefully planned curriculum contributes strongly to pupils' learning. There is a strong focus on English, and much discussion work is linked to helping pupils with their writing. Provision for information and communication technology across subjects is good and makes a big contribution to pupils' good achievement. A wide range of visitors and visits, including a residential trip, as well as an extensive variety of after-school activities, enrich the curriculum and promote and enhance pupils' personal and social development. The school provides pupils with a wide variety of sporting activities as part of the school day. These, together with well supported creative and educational activities outside normal lessons, make a valuable contribution to pupils' learning, their levels of enjoyment and their personal development. The school recognises that while there is some good practice developing whereby meaningful links

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Grade: 2

are made between different subjects, this is not yet embedded in all classes.

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Grade: 2

The value placed on each pupil, and the attention paid to meeting each one's individual needs, underpins the school's success in supporting and developing pupils' personal and academic achievements. This success ranges from the security, cleanliness and attractiveness of the whole learning environment, to the valuable help and guidance given to pupils to ensure they improve their work. Child protection procedures are secure and sensitively managed. Behaviour management systems are seen by pupils as fair and applied consistently. Academic guidance is good. As a result, pupils are very clear about what they need to do to improve their work. Staff know the pupils very well and make effective use of assessment information to track and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 2009 check pupils' progress, so that extra support can be provided if pupils need it. Pupils are set clear learning targets, which they confirm are helping them to improve. There is, however, some

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Grade: 2

variability in the way school systems are followed by some staff.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's calm and thoughtful leadership has given the school a clear direction and staff are eager to take real responsibility for their respective areas. They have responded with enthusiasm and initiative. There is a very real sense of teamwork and collaboration in the school. Leaders have created a school which is a harmonious environment in which all pupils work and play well together. However, although the school has good links to help promote pupils' welfare, other links to promote community cohesion are less well developed. The governing body scrutinises all aspects of the school's work, such as pupils' performance and the curriculum. It asks challenging questions of school leaders. Subject leaders manage their areas well and their rigorous monitoring is leading to improving standards. Because the headteacher leads by example, this contributes to the developing confidence of subject and phase leaders. The school

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Grade: 2

monitors and evaluates lessons rigorously and is beginning to link this to training so that good practice is increasingly being shared and celebrated. This results in improvements to teaching, learning and the standards achieved by learners. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 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: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 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?

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 2009

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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 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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 3 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: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

4 March 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Rushwick CofE Primary School, Worcester WR2 5SU I should like to thank all of you very much for the kindness and consideration you showed to my colleague and me when we came to visit your school recently. We really enjoyed ourselves. Rushwick CofE Primary is a good school. You told us many interesting things about your school, which was very helpful. I would like to say a special thank you to the school council who gave up part of their lunchtime in order to meet us. Here are some of the good things about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well and you get on well with your fellow pupils. Rushwick is a well-ordered school and you look after each other. ■ Teaching is good, and sometimes excellent, and your teachers are very concerned to make sure that you do as well as you can. ■ By the time you are in Year 6, you reach standards that are higher than those of pupils in other schools and you make good progress in your lessons. ■ You learn lots about keeping yourselves safe and leading a healthy lifestyle.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and other senior staff are good leaders and know exactly how to make Rushwick CofE Primary School even better. What we have asked your school to do now.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that the progress children make in the Reception class is more carefully checked.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Work with you to make sure you reach higher standards in mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I hope that you all continue to work hard and do well at Rushwick CofE Primary School. Yours faithfully Michael Merchant 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Rushwick CofE Primary School, 3 March 2009

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