St Oswald's CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve further the quality of teaching by ensuring that:
  • teachers consistently set work which is precisely matched to pupils who are disadvantaged
  • middle leaders are supported to play a more effective role in further strengthening the quality of teaching.
• Ensure that the governing body checks rigorously the impact of the extra funding that the school receives.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and deputy headteacher are passionate and highly ambitious for the school. They are determined that only the best is good enough for pupils. The school motto of ‘learning and growing together’ continues to permeate the school as it continues its transition from an infant school to a primary school. The expansion has been carefully planned and smoothly implemented.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher ensure that teaching continues to improve. They have created a dedicated, hardworking staff team that shares leaders’ high aspirations for the school. Staff care greatly about the pupils they teach and share a sense of pride in their achievements.
• Leaders are addressing the minor inconsistencies in teaching. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve. They routinely check on how pupils are getting on by analysing a wide range of evidence. This is then used swiftly to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.
• Training has been put in place to help staff know what is expected of pupils in key stage 2. This has led to higher expectations of the quality and quantity of work pupils should produce.
• Teaching is well led and managed. Leaders regularly check on the quality of teaching and make any steps for improvement clear. Teachers and teaching assistants know what they need to improve and do this quickly. They are eager to continually improve the quality of their work.
• Leaders have designed a curriculum which meets the needs of the pupils at St Oswald’s. The curriculum is well considered and carefully structured. Leaders have ensured that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development sits at the heart of the curriculum. This prepares them well for both the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils achieve well by the end of key stage 1. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is typically above the national average. The attainment of current learners in key stage 2 is good and improving as the school continues to adapt to a new key stage.
• Leaders have ensured that no groups are disadvantaged by lower-than-average school attendance. The levels of absence and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from the school are lower than those found nationally.
• The additional funds for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are used effectively. This has resulted in pupils with SEND making good gains in their learning.
• Although the governing body has not held leaders to account for their spending of the primary PE and sports funding, this is used well. Teachers have benefited from training to help to improve the way they teach PE. An increased number of pupils take part in a wider range of extra-curricular sporting activities. The local leisure centre is used to make sure that PE continues to be taught while the school buildings and grounds are developed.
• The governing body has not checked rigorously that leaders are spending the pupil premium in ways that are helping to accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils. This risks these pupils not making strong gains over time across different subjects.
• The monitoring middle leaders undertake of the subjects for which they are responsible is limited in scope. As a result, they are not able to give senior leaders and governors as much information about the quality of teaching as they could.

Governance of the school

• Governors are ambitious and determined to continue to improve the school as it increases in size.
• The governing body has a wide skill set. This is because governors routinely evaluate their expertise and recruit new members based on the skills from which the governing body would most benefit.
• Governors have made sure that the school’s financial position is stable, and the budgetary impact of expansion has been fully considered. They have planned for the future both ambitiously and strategically.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Records are detailed and fit for purpose.
• The school works effectively with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils have the help they need and are kept safe.
• Parents and carers, pupils and staff are unanimous in their view that pupils are kept safe at school. Pupils know who to talk to if they have a problem and value the ‘worry boxes’ in the reflection area in each class. The school council has recently surveyed the views of pupils. This confirmed that pupils feel safe and well looked after at school.
• The governing body understands its responsibilities for keeping pupils safe and regularly checks that leaders are carrying out their duties.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They listen attentively and follow the instructions teachers give them. They enjoy learning new things and describe their learning as fun and memorable.
• In mathematics, pupils apply their learning in a wide range of contexts. They eagerly solve problems and enjoy the challenge of finding new ways to explain their understanding. Teachers make sure that practical resources are used well to support learning and lessons are fun and engaging.
• In English, pupils study challenging texts so they understand how they are structured and written. They use this knowledge to create their own written work, which is imaginative and descriptive.
• Pupils’ vocabulary is extended because adults make sure that they understand unfamiliar words. Pupils think about what new words might mean and make sensible suggestions based on the context of what they are learning. In one class, pupils were learning about the Great Fire of London and discussing the definition of the word ‘disease’. The explanation that it meant ‘something that makes you very poorly’ helped many other pupils.
• In most cases, teachers have good subject knowledge and are enthused and energetic. This results in pupils being eager to learn and highly engaged. Pupils have a good understanding of what they are learning because teachers make consistent use of ‘We Are Learning To’. Pupils also understand what elements they need to include in their work to make it successful because ‘learning toolkits’ are used well. Pupils refer to these regularly and check that they are including everything in their work that they should.
• Teaching assistants provide good, unobtrusive support that is pitched at the right level. They rephrase instructions and tasks to ensure that pupils understand what they are doing and make progress in their work.
• Reading is taught consistently across the school and there are regular opportunities for reading and studying texts. Teachers ask probing questions to check on pupils’ understanding of what they have read and to extend the range of vocabulary they know and use.
• The majority of pupils respond well to teachers’ expectations and take pride in the written presentation of their work. Where this is not the case, swift action is taken to ensure that this is addressed quickly.
• Pupils learn quickly what sounds letters and their different combinations make. This is because teaching is well matched to pupils’ abilities and content is delivered in an engaging manner. This is a strength of the school’s work.
• Pupils discuss their work and support each other. The positive learning climate leaders have created means that the majority of pupils are confident to contribute to class discussions. One inspector observed pupils explaining their mathematical reasoning to each other and eloquently comparing the different ways they had arrived at their answers.
• Leaders ensure that teaching is inclusive and that pupils with SEND work alongside their peers whenever possible. Pupils who need help are given bespoke support to enable them to participate fully in lessons.
• There is good teamwork among teachers, teaching assistants and other staff. Staff work well with each other and model the high expectations that they have of children.
• Most teaching is pitched skilfully to match pupils’ abilities. However, on occasion, teachers do not ensure that the work they give to disadvantaged pupils is precisely tailored to their needs.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders focus on building pupils’ personal development and social skills from the early years. Well-tailored care for individual pupils’ needs results in pupils swiftly developing learning skills. Pupils of all abilities learn to be resilient and determined in their work.
• Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy their time there. They are excited about the change from an infant to a primary school and look forward to the opening of the new classrooms which are currently being built.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are exemplary. This is because staff model the characteristics and behaviour they want to see pupils use. Pupils are kind and considerate to each other, and work well in groups and in pairs. They routinely share their ideas and check on each other’s understanding. Pupils are polite and courteous and extend a warm welcome to visitors.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They have a very good understanding of internet safety and know to never give their details to strangers online. They told inspectors that bullying does not happen at the school and this matches the records leaders have.
• Pupils with SEND are very well cared for and have the same opportunities as everyone else. They are fully integrated in the work of the school.
• Pupils value the work of the school council and know they can put forward suggestions for school leaders to consider. They say the school council understands the school well because of the survey that it recently undertook. Pupils understand why this survey was carried out anonymously but have differing views about whether this was right or not. They share these views in a very considered way.
• They enjoy attending the wide range of extra-curricular activities available to them. Pupils are proud of their school ‘rock band’ and their weekly running club.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ conduct around the school is impeccable. They enjoy earning rewards for their positive behaviour and look forward to exchanging these for gifts in the school’s ‘reward shop’.
• Pupils value the roles they take on around school. They are proud of the school council and enjoy the activities that the sports crew provides for them.
• Leaders regularly check on patterns of behaviour and put extra support in place where it is needed. Records show that this is highly effective in securing improvements for individual pupils.
• Pupils enjoy their social time in the playgrounds and during lunchtime. They enjoy spending time with each other and interact with a level of maturity beyond their age.
• Attendance is above average. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school is much lower than that found nationally. Leaders check on attendance regularly and take action wherever there are concerns. Records show that these actions are effective in securing improvement.
• There is no history of any pupil being excluded from the school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The proportion of pupils achieving the age-related standard expected of them at the end of key stage 1 has been consistently higher than that found nationally for the last three years in reading, writing and mathematics. A greater proportion also achieved the higher level in these subjects.
• Pupils’ knowledge and skills are increasing in mathematics because they are given work to develop their investigative and reasoning skills. Work in pupils’ mathematics books and assessment information held by the school show that most pupils are making good progress in this subject.
• Pupils read fluently and with expression. Reading logs show that they read widely and often. A greater-than-average proportion of pupils attain the standard expected of them at the end of key stage 1.
• Phonics is an area of strength in the school and standards are high. In the Year 1 national phonics screening check, a greater proportion of pupils attain the standards expected of them than that found nationally.
• The quality of pupils’ writing is good across the school. Books show that pupils take care and pride in the presentation of their work. This is because teachers’ expectations of what and how pupils write are high.
• The provision for pupils with SEND is well organised. Close tracking of pupils’ progress and bespoke support mean that these pupils receive swift attention and make good progress.
• The school’s curriculum is broad. This contributes to pupils’ good outcomes across different subjects. A range of visits and visitors make learning lively and exciting for pupils. Pupils recall with ease their learning from topics such as plastic pollution, the Great Barrier Reef and the Second World War.
• The progress disadvantaged pupils are making is increasing. The progress they are currently making in writing at least matches that of other pupils nationally. However, their progress in reading and mathematics is not as consistently strong as this.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years leader is highly committed and determined that children will achieve the best possible outcomes. Children are carefully assessed prior to starting full-time school, which means they begin to make progress straight away. There are strong transition arrangements with the wide number of settings which feed into the early years.
• Teaching in the early years is a strength. Well-established routines and high expectations result in children developing excellent attitudes to learning. Adults have a good understanding of children’s abilities and they organise learning that is well matched to their needs. Children develop speaking and listening skills quickly. Children communicate very effectively with adults and their peers. They are highly motivated and develop the characteristics of effective learning. They show curiosity, resilience, creativity, independence and self-control.
• Children make strong progress in all areas of the early years curriculum. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development has been consistently higher than the national average for the last three years.
• The early years setting is bright, stimulating and engaging. Children take care in their work and take pride in their learning. The setting is well resourced and encourages children to be creative in selecting their activities. Children pay attention for long periods of time and interact very positively with each other.
• There is strong emphasis on language and vocabulary development. Children talk and play imaginatively together. An inspector was invited in to the puppet theatre, asked to sign in and pay to see the children’s performance of the gingerbread man. This was both accurate and entertaining. Adults model language and question skilfully to probe and extend children’s learning.
• Relationships with parents of children in the early years are a strength. Parents make a valuable contribution to leaders’ and staff’s understanding of what children know and can do before they start school. There are regular ‘stay and play’ sessions which allow effective communication between the staff and parents. Parents talk very positively about the communications that they receive. A typical comment was ‘I really appreciate being able to talk to staff whenever I need to.’
• Assessments of what children can achieve are accurate, based on evidence and regularly made alongside colleagues from other early years settings in order to achieve common ground in assessment practice. All staff in the early years make a valuable contribution to these assessments and record evidence.
• At the time of the inspection, the outdoor learning area was significantly reduced in size due to building work. Leaders compensated for this by rearranging the outdoor area and making sure that children continued to have access to, and enjoy, high-quality outdoor experiences.
• Safeguarding in the early years is effective and procedures meet early years welfare requirements.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112796 Derbyshire 10057637 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 Maintained 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 159 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair of Governors Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Vee Monro Rebecca Wood 01335 342 660 www.stoswaldsschool.co.uk info@st-oswalds.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• St Oswald’s CofE Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school changed from an infant school to a primary school in September 2017. The number of pupils in key stage 2 is increasing as groups move through the school. The number of pupils in Years 5 and 6 is lower than all other year groups.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A smaller proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language than the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND who receive additional support is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is above the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed teaching and learning across all classes. Some classes were observed more than once.
• The lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher, governors, middle leaders and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, information regarding their attainment and progress, teachers’ curriculum planning and the school’s records of behaviour and safety.
• Inspectors also looked at the minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding documents, including the mandatory checks made on the recruitment of new staff. The school’s website was also examined.
• Discussions were held with pupils. Inspectors also listened to them read and talked with them about the books they enjoy.
• Inspectors took account of the outcomes of pupil and staff surveys. They considered the 33 responses to Ofsted’s online parental questionnaire, Parent View, and the 30 free-text responses. In addition, the inspection team spoke informally with parents at the beginning of the school day.

Inspection team

Vic Wilkinson, lead inspector Jane Moore

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector