St Giles CofE Primary School

St Giles CofE Primary School Inspection report - amended

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123503 Unique Reference Number Shropshire Local Authority 327926 Inspection number 23 October 2008 Inspection date Lois Furness 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 299 School (total) 17 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 P Williams Chair Jane Ann Crouch Headteacher 12 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Portland Crescent School address Shrewsbury SY2 5NJ 01743 356579 Telephone number 01743 356579 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 23 October 2008 Inspection date 327926 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to factual inaccuracy

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: the effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum how the school is raising standards in writing and involving pupils in knowing how to improve their work the evidence to support outstanding care, guidance and support, including welfare arrangements in the EYFS. The inspectors gathered evidence from performance data, observations of teaching, the work produced by pupils in lessons and on display throughout the school, and observations of the pupils at play and at lunch. Parents' questionnaires and discussions with pupils, representatives of the governing body, and some members of staff also contributed to the judgements. The inspectors did not investigate other aspects of the school's work in detail. Where the inspectors

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Introduction

found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

In this above average size school, the vast majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The school's provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) comprises Reception-age children who start school in either the September or January of the year they are five.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 2008

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. It has a deservedly good reputation and parents and pupils are proud of everything it offers. Every child in school is important, and valued as an individual. As one parent typically commented, 'All children feel special here, and their safety and well-being are of primary concern.' Pupils' behaviour is excellent. They are very polite and welcoming to visitors. Their positive attitudes towards school are demonstrated by their well above average attendance. Pupils' personal development and well-being, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are outstanding. They understand the importance of healthy lifestyles, the part that certain foods play in their growth and development, and the importance of regular exercise. They know how to keep safe and visits to 'Crucial Crew' help them to understand the dangers of drugs, smoking and alcohol. They readily take on responsibilities and play an active

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Grade: 1

part in community activities. They are proud to be school councillors, and are eager to point out their school has 'green flag' status as it is an Eco-School. Pupils have a good understanding of school, local and world communities but they are less well informed about the cultural diversity of Britain today. In this very secure and happy environment, all necessary safeguarding procedures are in place, and pupils greatly enjoy all aspects of school life. One parent was correct when commenting, 'Children learn well but enjoy themselves.' Pupils also say, 'Lessons are fun, we do lots of exciting things here. Our residential visit to Dovedale was really good and helped us all to get on well together.' Corridors and classrooms offer bright, stimulating displays of pupils' work and other school activities. Artwork is of a high quality. However, not only does this school successfully develop the pupils' personal qualities, but also ensures they achieve very well

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Grade: 1

academically. A good start is made in the EYFS, where children make good progress and achieve well. In this key stage, good relationships are evident and teaching is good. However, there are too few opportunities for children to make independent choices about their work and the outdoor environment is not used sufficiently well to promote learning. Children enter the school in the EYFS with skills that mainly match those expected for their age and, by the end of Year 6, they leave with significantly well above average standards in English, mathematics and science. Although English standards are well above average, reading standards are higher than those of writing. As yet, pupils throughout the school do not know sufficiently well the key features of different types of writing. This is starting to improve as older pupils use 'marking ladders' to help them identify for themselves the good features of

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Grade: 1

their work and how to make it even better. As yet, this is not consistent in all classes. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and achieve extremely well. The skills and confidence that pupils develop ensure they are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education and for the future. Teaching staff work hard to enliven the topics they teach through environmental visits and a variety of visitors. Teaching and the curriculum are outstanding overall. Activities are interesting and teachers try hard to link learning to real-life experiences. For example, an arts week inspired younger pupils to write invitations to the older ones to come and look at their 'beautiful houses'. Information and communication technology is well threaded through the subjects, to ensure that there are many occasions for pupils to use these skills. This shows a marked improvement

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Grade: 1

from the previous inspection. Teachers plan carefully to ensure activities meet pupils' needs and teaching assistants play an active role, within the classroom and beyond, supporting pupils' learning well. Care, guidance and support are outstanding. This means pupils feel safe and 4 of 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 2008 confident that adults will help them if they are worried or upset. Pupils' progress is tracked closely and pupils are clear about how to achieve the targets set for them. Marking is regular and thorough. The driving force behind the school's success is the excellent leadership of the headteacher. She has a clear focus and vision for school improvement, and receives excellent support from the committed and highly professional staff and governors. Together, they ensure that this is not a school that rests on its laurels, and constantly look for ways to improve even more. One

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Grade: 1

governor commented, 'It is non-stop here!' The way in which the school continually attains high academic standards while providing pupils with an extremely broad, well rounded education is a clear indication of its outstanding capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children make a good start to their school life because good teaching leads to good achievement. Children join the EYFS with skills that match those expected for their age. They make good progress and, by the time they enter Year 1, children attain standards that are above average in all six areas of learning. This good progress is a result of staff who provide outstanding care and support creating a safe environment in which the children want to come to school and learn. Children are happy, behave well and enjoy their learning. Carefully structured activities widen children's interests and skills. On occasions, however, these activities are directed too much by adults, limiting the children's choice and opportunities to work and play independently. Also, children have insufficient opportunities to move between the indoor and outdoor environment. Personal qualities such as confidence, kindness and respect are nurtured very

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Grade: 2

effectively. Leadership and management are good and all staff work well together. Good relationships are evident between the school and parents and carers, and this helps children to settle in quickly and develop a positive attitude to school. The 'Reading Diary' in particular provides excellent two-way comments, which enhance parental support and children's learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in writing by consistently involving pupils in knowing the good features of different types of writing, enabling them to check for themselves how well they are learning. ■ Provide more opportunities for children in the EYFS to initiate their own learning and to learn in the outdoor environment. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 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? 1 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? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 2008

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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 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Giles C of E Primary School, Shrewsbury, SW2 5NJ Thank you for helping us when we came to visit your school to find out how well you are getting on. We particularly enjoyed visiting your lessons and talking to some of you. We agree with your parents and yourselves when you say you go to an excellent school. There is so much we liked about your school and here is a list of the things we think are really special.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make excellent progress in your work, and when you leave school at the end of Year 6, your standards of work are always well above average. ■ Your behaviour is excellent, and you get on exceptionally well with each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are so very polite and your parents should be proud of the way you make visitors feel so welcome. ■ You told us how much you enjoy your work and like your teachers. You told us lessons were good fun!! We agree. ■ You know about keeping healthy by eating sensibly and taking regular exercise. You also know about how to keep safe. ■ Your school organises lots of interesting things for you to do, for example the residential trip to Dovedale. Your Eco green flag shows just how good you are at helping to improve your environment. ■ All of the adults in your school make sure that you are very well looked after and it is good to know you feel safe in school. ■ Your headteacher and all of the other people who help run your school do an excellent job and make sure that you get the very best education. All of the adults in your school want it to be even better. To help them to do this, we have suggested that the most important things to do next are to make sure that those of you who

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

are in the EYFS should have more opportunities to choose your own activities and to learn in the outdoor environment. We noticed that your writing is not quite as good as your reading. So we have asked your teachers to give you more information about how to improve your writing. This means when you are working you can check for yourselves that you included all the good features of each type of writing. I am sure that you will continue to have great success in the future and thank you again for welcoming us into your school. Yours faithfully Lois Furness Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: St Giles CofE Primary School, 23 October 2008

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