Partney Church of England Aided Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management, by making sure that:
  • an appropriate leadership structure is in place and that leaders, including within the early years provision, understand their roles and responsibilities and are effectively held to account
  • performance management arrangements are sharpened so that leaders and teachers can be more closely held to account
  • improvement planning is coherent, is focused on the correct actions and has appropriate milestones for when actions should be completed and then checked
  • governors rigorously check that the key priorities for the school are being addressed effectively and at the appropriate pace
  • the marking and feedback policy is effective and is followed consistently by teachers.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, so that outcomes improve, by ensuring that:
  • all staff demonstrate the highest expectations of what all pupils can achieve, by providing them with tasks that are challenging and build appropriately on their starting points
  • all staff demonstrate the highest expectations of pupils’ presentation in their workbooks, particularly within mathematics
  • more opportunities are planned across the school for all children to develop and extend their writing, both with supervision and independently.
• Improve the quality of personal development, behaviour and welfare, by ensuring that the proportion of pupils that attend school improves and is at, or above, national levels.
• Improve the quality of the early years provision by ensuring that:
  • roles and responsibilities are clear and leaders are effectively held to account
  • children’s progress continues to accelerate so that the number of children reaching a good level of development is at least in line with the national average.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leadership and management requires improvement. The headteacher has held leaders effectively to account for their roles and responsibilities. She has not made sure that the leaders have the impact needed in order that the school remains a good school.
• The headteacher has ensured that performance management arrangements are in place. The targets set for some teachers are not exact enough to effectively hold them to account for their performance in their key areas of responsibility.
• Teachers apply the whole school assessment policy inconsistently. Some pupils receive helpful guidance as to how to improve their work. However, the guidance that some pupils receive is too general and fails to help them make progress in their learning or help them to rectify their errors.
• Leaders’ school improvement planning requires improvement. Planning lacks sufficient focus on the actions required to improve the quality of leadership and management, teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ outcomes. The milestones for when actions are to be checked or completed are not set regularly or often enough to ensure that the improvement required happens quickly.
• Leaders have ensured that the curriculum provides pupils with a full range of learning experiences. Pupils learn English, mathematics and science through a range of topics. These topics also help pupils to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills within history, geography and the arts. Many opportunities are planned to take place so that pupils learn in the outdoors and in the community. However, the curriculum does not provide sufficient opportunity for the most able pupils to deepen and then extend their learning.
• Disadvantaged pupils receive good support if they need help to catch up. They are well supported in lessons. Leaders are aware of the barriers to learning that some disadvantaged pupils face and a comprehensive pupil premium strategy is in place to help address these. Pupil premium funding is spent well, and disadvantaged pupils often make good progress.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium is exceedingly beneficial to the pupils within this school. Almost all pupils are regularly involved in activities that improve their fitness and their experiences of different sports and activities. Very many pupils represent the school as part of sporting clubs. Many are regularly involved in competitions. Pupils told the inspector that they enjoyed learning about being part of a team. The girls in particular said that they ‘really enjoyed’ being in the girls’ football team.
• Training and development opportunities for staff are regular and focused. Teachers are involved in partnership working with the local cluster of local schools. The subject networking in particular has been successful in helping teachers to improve the accuracy of their assessments, particularly at key stage 2.
• The local authority adviser has only just commenced her support of the school. In a short period of time, she has provided effective guidance and challenge to the headteacher.
• The headteacher has ensured a positive and caring ethos within which pupils thrive. Many activities and events take place in order to broaden pupils’ understanding of people with different cultures and different faiths. Year 6 pupils said that they had particularly enjoyed visiting a mosque and experiencing aspects of the Muslim faith. Pupils learn to take responsibility for themselves and for each other. The pupil council is an important part of school life and pupils regularly contribute their views in order to improve their experience of school. Pupils have an understanding of democracy. There are weekly opportunities for leaders, teachers, governors, parents and carers to celebrate pupils’ achievements. One person told the inspector that it was ‘great to be a grandmother of children in the school, as there are so many activities and events to be involved in’.

Governance of the school

• Governance requires improvement.
• Governors have not made sure that school improvement happens at the appropriate pace.
• The chair of the governing body is skilled and is knowledgeable. She provides the right amount of challenge and support for the school but recognises that there are some areas for improvement in the way that leaders and teachers are held to account.
• Governors have undertaken a review of governance and have responded positively to the findings from this. They have undertaken regular governor training sessions in order to sharpen their practice and improve their monitoring role. A governor skills audit has been undertaken and roles and responsibilities reviewed as a result. Appropriate committee structures are in place.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders, teachers and the governing body work hard to ensure a positive culture within school that promotes and safeguards pupils’ welfare. Pupils said that they appreciated the great care that they received from their teachers, indeed from all adults working within the school. Pupils said that as a consequence of this care and support, they felt safe and happy.
• Leaders take great care when recruiting staff. Checks are thorough. The business manager diligently oversees the centrally held records.
• Staff and governors receive good training to identify the risks that pupils may face. If pupils require help, the processes in place to ensure this are clear and well understood by all members of staff. Issues are effectively addressed and in a timely fashion. Work with outside agencies is good.
• Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of contexts and situations. They are aware of the steps to take in order to be safe when using the computer or a mobile telephone. In this rural school, pupils have extensive opportunities to learn about the risks to their safety that can exist in the outdoors and what they can do to avoid these.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The expectations of what some pupils can achieve are not high enough. Teachers do not sufficiently extend and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. In key stage 1, too few pupils attain at a greater depth. In key stage 2, too few pupils make more progress than expected for their age. Some pupils told the inspector that they were sometimes capable of doing ‘harder work’. Inspectors agreed with them.
• Pupils do not make the progress in writing that they are capable of. Teachers do not plan sufficient opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge or share their ideas in extended pieces of writing. This limits the progress that pupils, particularly the most able pupils, make.
• The standard of presentation in pupils’ books is inconsistent. Some pupils show pride in their work. For example, they use rulers when underlining, use appropriate columns in mathematics and do not leave work unfinished. However, some pupils’ work lacks this level of care.
• Lessons are often characterised by productive and positive relationships between pupils and their teachers. Pupils said that they appreciated the efforts that their teachers went to in order to give them additional help, support and advice if they were slipping behind.
• Additional adults provide good support within lessons. Pupils, particularly pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress as a result of this high-quality support.
• The small number of disadvantaged pupils make the same progress in lessons as peers with similar starting points. Those who need it receive good support so that they quickly catch up.
• Teachers make sure that pupils’ achievements are celebrated. Pupils’ work is displayed with care and they are regularly rewarded for their efforts. For example, pupils celebrate their accomplishments every week during the ‘golden assembly’. Here, parents, teachers and pupils applaud and show pride in the many individual successes.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders have ensured a culture of care, support and consideration. There is an unmistakeable culture of safeguarding that impacts positively on pupils’ personal development and welfare.
• Pupils said that bullying was extremely rare. They said that if bullying did occur they had complete confidence that their teachers would deal with the issue quickly and effectively.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They show great respect and listen carefully to their teachers in lessons. They behave with maturity when working with peers in groups or when sharing their ideas with learning partners.
• Pupils have the opportunity to take responsibility and to lead. They take these responsibilities seriously. For example, some pupils have the role of Junior Police Community Support Officers (JPCSO). In this role, they support pupils to keep safe in school, support pupils who may be upset and help pupils who may need a friend. Pupils said they valued the support of the JPCSOs highly and appreciated that they had peers to whom they could turn if they needed help.
• Parents value highly the support their children receive. They said that they appreciate the efforts taken by the headteacher and teachers to keep them well informed about their children and to be involved in their education.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school behaviour policy is effective. Pupils behave well in their lessons and around the school. The names of pupils who misbehave are written in the ‘pink fizzy book’. This acts as a positive deterrent as pupils do not wish to appear in this book, particularly as this then means that they miss highly valued treats.
• Since the previous inspection, there have been no pupil exclusions.
• Pupils play together, cooperate with each other and show kindness and consideration. During the ‘golden assembly’, pupils were genuine in their celebration of the achievements of their peers.
• Attendance is improving and pupils are punctual to school. However, a small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2016, the proportion of pupils making the expected progress in writing at the end of key stage 2 was much lower than the national average. Pupils did not attain at the levels that their starting points indicated they should.
• In 2016, although pupils attained at levels above the national average in mathematics by the end of key stage 2, some pupils did not make the progress of which they were capable.
• Some of the most able pupils do not achieve at the levels they should. Expectations of what these pupils can achieve are too low. Too few pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 make accelerated progress. Work in pupils’ workbooks indicates that current pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to extend and deepen their knowledge, understanding and skills. At times, the learning activities set by teachers limit the progress that pupils can make. This is particularly evident in pupils’ writing.
• Leaders ensure that pupil progress meetings take place in order to regularly check that pupils are on track to achieve their targets. Those pupils identified receive additional and bespoke support to help them catch up if they fall behind. Targets for some pupils, particularly the most able, are not sufficiently challenging.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in key stage 1 and key stage 2. At key stage 2, this group of pupils achieve at similar levels to the national average in mathematics and science.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics has improved since the previous inspection and is now above the national average.
• In 2016, pupils’ achievement in science at the end of key stage 2 was good.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The leadership of the early years requires improvement. The management of the early years is shared between the key stage 1 leader and the early years teacher. This is successful on a day-to-day basis. However, there is not enough clarity about who is accountable for making sure that long-term improvement happens.
• The recent appointment of a specialist early years teacher is having a positive impact. More children are making good progress and the school’s most recent assessment information indicates that in 2017, more children than in 2016 will achieve a good level of development.
• Staff skilfully promote the early language development of children. The teaching of phonics is good. Children make a good start to developing their phonics skills in the early years and this is built on successfully in Year 1. As a result, their reading skills develop well.
• The transition from early years to key stage 1 is effective. Useful activities take place to ensure that children are ready for this next step in their education.
• Teachers keep parents regularly informed about the progress their child makes in school. Parents contribute to their child’s assessment and record the ‘successes’ achieved at home. Parents said that they valued the high-quality information they are given and the care taken by teachers to ensure that they receive this.
• Additional adults make a good contribution to the progress that children make. Children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive highly effective support.
• Children have a stimulating environment in which to learn. Teachers use the outdoor space imaginatively to spark pupils’ curiosity and stimulate their ideas. Children move readily between the indoors and the outdoors. The areas of learning are clear and teachers plan the activities carefully to meet the interests and needs of children. During the inspection, children were learning about and then celebrating Chinese New Year. They loved every minute of this learning!
• In this small school, teachers know children and their families well. Much successful work is undertaken to ensure that children are safe, happy and well cared for.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120627 Lincolnshire 10023157 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 82 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Kate Odlin Susan Kay Telephone number 01790 753 319 Website Email address www.partneyschool.co.uk enquiries@partney.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13 September 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The majority of pupils within the school are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is much lower than the national figure.
• The proportion of pupils identified to receive special educational needs support is above the national figure.
• The proportion of pupils identified to receive support through a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is the same as the national figure.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of key stage 2.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in all classes. All of these observations took place with the headteacher.
• The inspector looked at the work of pupils within Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 to gain a view of the impact of teaching over time.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher. The inspector met with the chair of governors, members of the governing body and the adviser who provides school improvement support to the school on behalf of the local authority.
• The inspector spoke formally with a group of pupils to gain their views of the school. Pupils were also spoken with informally in their lessons.
• The inspector looked at a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, whole-school plans, minutes of governing body meetings and information relating to the safeguarding of pupils’ safety and welfare. A range of information relating to pupils’ achievement and attendance was also discussed with the headteacher.
• The inspector observed the whole-school assembly.
• The inspector took into account the views of 10 staff, 22 parents and 21 pupils through the online surveys.
• The inspector spoke with parents.

Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector