Barlow CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase the proportion of pupils on track to achieve a greater depth of understanding or the higher standards in reading and writing by:
  • ensuring that all teachers show the most able pupils how to infer meaning from complex texts and explain their thinking clearly and precisely in a written format
  • teaching the most able pupils to apply the higher-order technical skills they know in their writing so that it demonstrates these features consistently well.
• Ensure that the governing body is given ongoing information on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in order that:
  • they can check that the pupil premium spending is having the impact intended over time
  • they are able to hold leaders to account where any disadvantaged pupil does not make sufficient progress and see that provision is adjusted effectively.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, who is the school’s only senior leader, has high expectations for pupils and for staff. She leads a united team of staff who work together closely to ensure that pupils are cared for and achieve well.
• She has worked swiftly and effectively with staff and the governing body to attend to all the areas for improvement from the previous inspection in January 2018.
• The headteacher has used her extensive knowledge of the school to provide clear evidence for her judgement that the school is good. She has worked closely with the local authority to improve the effectiveness of development planning.
• The development plan gives good timescales for clear action and is regularly updated. Actions are well monitored and pupils’ outcomes are explained clearly. The governing body checks whether the targets set for these are being met.
• The headteacher and subject leaders are monitoring and improving the quality of teaching. They scrutinise pupils’ work and visit lessons to see how well pupils learn. Leaders are also providing staff with good training that develops their skills further. For example, the mathematics subject leader has helped staff to teach well the new scheme of this subject. Staff quickly understood the scheme and are now able to deliver their mathematics lessons confidently, meeting the needs of pupils of differing abilities well.
• The curriculum is designed to give pupils a wide experience. As well as ensuring sufficient emphasis on English and mathematics, leaders want pupils to develop, for example, their sporting and musical abilities. Each pupil has an opportunity to learn at least one musical instrument, and there are a wide range of sports activities and competitions, including extra-curricular activities, that are much enjoyed by many pupils. The good use of the primary physical education and sports premium supports the high levels of participation.
• The curriculum allows for pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are asked to reflect each day on one of the school’s values, chosen as the focus for each half term, and to consider moral issues such as generosity. They understand clearly the difference between right and wrong, that they are responsible for what they do, and that their behaviour has consequences for others. Leaders give pupils good information about other religions, including first-hand visits to an Islamic mosque and a Sikh gurdwara.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are respectful to others, regardless of whether they share the same beliefs, religion, culture or appearance as themselves. They understand the need to follow rules, and why these exist. They are given good opportunities to practise democracy through the work of, for example, the Bronze Ambassadors and the school council.
• The coordinator for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities works effectively with colleagues, parents and external agencies to ensure that the provision for these pupils is good and that additional funding is well spent.
• Leaders’ spending of the pupil premium is effective in helping increasing proportions of disadvantaged pupils to make good overall progress from their starting points.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and say that the headteacher treats them fairly and with respect. Staff understand the school’s aims and appreciate that the headteacher takes their workload into account so as to avoid placing unnecessary burdens upon them.
• Parents’ views of the school are positive. A very large majority of those who responded to Parent View, along with those the inspector listened to during the inspection, said that they felt the school was well led and managed. They felt that teaching was good overall and that their children were making good progress. An overwhelming majority said that their children were safe and happy.

Governance of the school

• The governing body fulfils its strategic role well. School documentation shows that the governing body holds leaders to account overall for the progress that pupils make. Governors have played an active role in improving the school’s development plan and are making sure that actions are not missed or delayed. They can talk confidently about the impact of these actions and of the school’s next priorities.
• Governors check that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. They also maintain the school’s budget well, ensuring that no unforeseen deficit or inappropriate surplus occurs.
• The headteacher has provided the governing body with better levels of information about the spending of the pupil premium. As a result, governors now have a clear oversight of how this money is being used. However, as this information has only been provided relatively recently, they have not been able to check that it is having the results intended on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils over time.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that pupils are kept safe in school. Staff are well trained in safeguarding, and so understand their responsibilities to report any concern to leaders, however slight. They are able to recognise a wide range of warning signs that could indicate harm to a pupil.
• Safeguarding records are well maintained and show that staff take brisk and appropriate action to support pupils, including involvement with external agencies. The headteacher does not hesitate to escalate a concern if she feels an agency’s response is unsatisfactory.
• The school works well with parents to help them understand the importance of safeguarding, including posting on the website a range of information about how to keep their child safe online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers ensure that the school is a purposeful learning environment. They plan their lessons well so that they teach things in a way that pupils remember. For example, pupils in key stage 2 were able to recall their work on relative clauses. Pupils’ recent work shows repeated examples of how they had used these correctly in different types of writing.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. They use correct vocabulary to pupils and explain new words to them well, such as ‘tropical’ and ‘climate’, so that pupils understand.
• Work is appropriately challenging to pupils of typical ability and those who need to catch up. As a result, most pupils receive work that makes them think. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Year 1 and 2 were finding out about adjectives, and were then asked to include them in a piece of descriptive writing. Pupils wrote imaginative statements such as, ‘The monster is evil. He has sharp clors and pricles on his back.’
• Teachers ask pupils good questions and promptly correct any misconceptions. For instance, where a pupil was uncertain whether a piece of writing was in the first or third person, the teacher explained and checked that they had understood.
• Relationships are positive. Pupils listen carefully to what staff have to say and teachers insist that they follow instructions quickly.
• Pupils say that teachers and teaching assistants make learning fun. They model the enjoyment of knowledge and this makes pupils enthusiastic to understand more and to demonstrate what they can do.
• Teachers’ planning shows that it builds sequentially and logically on what pupils previously know. Final lessons in topics ask them to, for example, write a brochure to demonstrate their skill in applying that knowledge.
• Teachers ensure that pupils receive ample practice in using and applying their knowledge of mathematics. Pupils are able to explain their mathematical thinking well both when speaking aloud and in writing.
• Teachers assess pupils’ attainment accurately, and explain things to them again if they do not understand. They give useful feedback to pupils. Pupils say that they understand this advice and that it helps them to remember what they need to know and learn.
• Over time, pupils’ work shows that teachers do not help the most able pupils well enough to develop their reading and writing. These pupils say that some of the work they receive in these subjects is too easy. Teachers do not show the most able pupils well enough how to explain the meaning they can infer from complex texts so that they can do this confidently. They do not ensure that these pupils are able, when they write, to demonstrate the high-level technical skills they have, such as varying ways to begin a sentence, or how to use many different clauses or conjunctions.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils understand that it is important to work hard. Staff teach them about the importance of the school’s value of ‘perseverance’ so that they do not give up easily.
• Pupils enjoy staying physically healthy. They greatly enjoy taking part in the many sporting and games activities the school provides, and are proud to show visitors their impressive collection of trophies.
• Pupils the inspector met told him that they approach members of staff if ever they feel concerned or worried. They explained that this helps them because staff are kind and give them good information or advice.
• Pupils understand how to stay safe, including from all forms of bullying. Pupils say that there is very little unkind behaviour in school and, when it does happen, staff deal with it quickly and fairly.
• Pupils are taught how to use the internet safely, as well as how to use equipment and tools without harming themselves. Pupils are given clear supervision and instruction so that they can, for example, use bow saws in the forest area, and cook food on campfires they have made.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are well behaved in class. They try their hardest and complete their work neatly. They welcome visitors in a friendly way and like to explain the work they are doing. They do not disrupt the learning of others.
• Pupils move about classrooms and corridors sensibly. Breaktimes are happy and friendly occasions where they play games energetically and develop many friends.
• Pupils value being members of the school community. They wear their uniform proudly, keep the school tidy and look after their own and others’ belongings.
• Pupils like coming to school to learn. Pupils’ attendance has been above the national average for at least the past five years. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is very low.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Over time, pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been broadly in line with the national average. In the previous academic year, the proportion who attained the expected standard, and that of a greater depth of understanding, rose to above the national averages in mathematics. However, for the past two years, a smaller proportion of these pupils have attained a greater depth in reading, and no pupils have attained this in writing.
• The proportion of pupils passing the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2016 and 2017 was above the national average. Last year it was broadly in line with the national average. Pupils who the inspector heard read showed that they could read words confidently, including those they did not know, using good strategies. Pupils of all ages enjoy books.
• The progress that pupils in key stage 2 have made over successive years has been at least broadly average in reading and writing. Progress in mathematics fell to well below average in 2017. Much-improved teaching in mathematics during the last academic year has resulted in pupils once again making average progress in 2018.
• School information shows that most pupils are making at least the progress they should, and good proportions are making more than this. During the inspection, the inspector undertook a scrutiny of pupils’ work over the last academic year. This confirmed that current pupils overall are making good progress across different subjects.
• Pupils’ attainment across the school is broadly average. School data, confirmed in pupils’ exercise books, shows that pupils have skills that are broadly in line with pupils of similar ages.
• The number of disadvantaged pupils currently in the school is low, and in most year groups is too small to report on without the risk of their identification. However, increasing proportions of these pupils are making good progress from their starting points.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making good overall progress. These pupils are provided with effective levels of support so that they make the gains they should.
• High proportions of the most able pupils are now achieving well in mathematics. However, not enough of these pupils make sufficiently rapid progress in reading and writing. As a result, too few are currently on track to attain a greater depth of understanding, or the higher standard, in these subjects by the end of their key stage.
• Pupils overall make good progress and develop secure knowledge in other subjects such as, for example, science. Pupils often revisit work throughout the term, to help them become more confident and proficient. For example, in their work on seasonal changes, pupils in Year 1 begin each term by writing a weather report. Their work shows that those written in the summer term are considerably more detailed than those completed at the start of the year.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader is effective in her role. She and her colleagues have a visibly caring attitude that children notice immediately. As a result, they settle in quickly and feel safe. The team has a common approach so that children know well the daily routines, systems and expectations.
• Both the classroom and outside areas are attractive places, with a good range of activities to interest children. Children are keen to learn and proud to show what they have done, such as collecting acorns of different sizes, or pressing shapes from modelling clay.
• Teachers waste no time in assessing what children can do once they arrive. They note, for example, how well children can write letters in chalk on the ground and how they are able to express themselves through speaking.
• Staff ask children good questions that make them think, such as asking them to predict what will happen to the floating leaves if they place more water in the container. Staff also use well-chosen vocabulary, such as ‘overflowing’, so that children will learn new words.
• Staff in the early years teach phonics well. The inspector saw how children were able to sound out the word ‘pin’ correctly, and later how to pronounce the word ‘mat’.
• Any additional funding for disadvantaged children, or those who have SEN and/or disabilities, is used well to ensure that they make good progress from their starting points.
• There is good communication between parents and staff. Parents the inspector met told him that they were very pleased with the dialogue that was taking place since their child began in the Reception Year. They explained how they were looking forward to the forthcoming information evening on phonics.
• Children are cooperative and friendly with each other. They learn to take turns and share, for instance, the wet play equipment or tricycles in the outdoor area. Their attention span is good. They do not flit about between activities or waste time.
• Pupils enter the early years with levels of skills that are broadly typical. They make good progress and achieve well. The proportion of pupils who attain a good level of development is broadly in line with the national average. The proportion of children who exceed each of the early learning goals is rising. Children leave the early years well prepared for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112798 Derbyshire 10052960 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 79 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address David Barnes Penny Watkin 01142 890 413 www.barlow.derbyshire.sch.uk info@barlow.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 31 January 2018

Information about this school

• This is a much smaller-than-average primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is slightly lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is well below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school is designated as having a religious character and received a Section 48 inspection on 19 June 2014.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in all classrooms. All lesson observations took place with the headteacher. In total, learning was observed in nine lessons. The inspector also scrutinised examples of children’s workbooks from the early years, along with a variety of pupils’ exercise books for different subjects across key stages 1 and 2, including from a range of groups of pupils.
• The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, members of the governing body, the subject leaders for English and mathematics, the early years leader, and the coordinator for the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• The inspector analysed the 61 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, looked at the free-text comments submitted by parents and spoke with parents at the end of the school day. He held a meeting with one parent separately. The inspector also considered the views of the parents who had responded to the school’s recent questionnaire.
• The inspector looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s development plan and self-evaluation, policies and records related to safeguarding and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, the school’s information about pupils’ achievement and attendance, and records of meetings of the governing body.

Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector

Her Majesty’s Inspector