The St Peter and St Paul C of E Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership, management and governance to drive more rapid improvement by ensuring that:
  • plans for improvement are precise and based on rigorous evaluation of the school’s performance
  • leaders support middle leaders to develop their roles so that they understand their responsibilities to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment
  • members of the governing body develop their understanding of their roles and responsibilities to hold school leaders more effectively to account for pupils’ progress and attainment
  • the recent review of the pupil premium funding is used to improve the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils
  • an external review of governance is undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in order to accelerate pupils’ progress by:
  • using assessment information to set work that is well matched to pupils’ abilities, especially for the most able
  • having consistently high expectations of the quality of pupils’ written work and insisting on high standards of presentation across subjects
  • teaching pupils to use English spelling, grammar and punctuation accurately and consistently in their writing
  • frequently providing pupils with opportunities to practise their writing and mathematics skills across the curriculum, to deepen their knowledge and understanding.
• Improve provision in the early years by:
  • ensuring that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently good
  • urgently developing the quality of the environment and resources in the outdoor area so that it can be used effectively to support children’s learning and development.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• School development plans are not precisely focused on the actions needed to improve the school. Leaders, including governors, do not use the range of information available about the performance of the school as strategically as they should. They have not accurately identified the immediate priorities needed to improve the school.
• School leaders have not made sure that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently good across the school, including in the early years. They have not taken swift action to address underperformance in teaching.
• During the last year there have been many significant changes to senior and middle leadership. Middle leaders, including the coordinator for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, have only recently begun to take responsibility for the strategic oversight and analysis of pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They are in the early stages of developing the skills to fulfil their roles. Their effectiveness, although improving, is limited.
• Until recently, leaders including governors, have not ensured that the additional funding provided for disadvantaged pupils has been used effectively to raise standards. The new headteacher has appointed a senior leader to make certain that this funding is used well to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. An external review of the pupil premium spending has just been completed and an appropriate action plan is being created.
• During the last year the school has been through a period of turmoil. After the departure of the previous headteacher, governors found it difficult to recruit a new headteacher. The acting headteacher was appointed to the post permanently just after the previous inspection, in February 2018.
• The new headteacher is ambitious for the school. He is currently well supported by both the local authority and the Diocese of Lincoln. He has recently strengthened the senior leadership team by appointing a new deputy headteacher to help him to implement the school improvement actions. This has increased the capacity for leaders to drive improvement.
• Recent changes to the school’s assessment systems have taken longer to establish than leaders had hoped. Teachers are now beginning to use the assessment system more often to help them to plan work for pupils, but the impact of this on pupils’ performance has yet to be measured.
• The majority of staff say that they feel proud to work at the school and value the opportunities that leaders provide to help them to improve their practice. The headteacher has created a harmonious team of staff who are determined to improve the school.
• Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through the broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils have opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills across a wide range of subjects. Pupils who spoke with the inspectors told them excitedly about the topics and activities which had inspired them, including learning about phases of the moon and their participation in the Young Journalist Academy.
• Leaders ensure that the additional sports funding received by the school is used well to develop pupils’ physical fitness, health and well-being. There is a carefully constructed plan in place to ensure that pupils have rich and sustainable opportunities to access a variety of sports activities and competitions.

Governance of the school

• Members of the governing body acknowledge that, in the past, they did not hold leaders to account for the performance of the school rigorously enough. Recent changes in senior leadership have enabled governors to feel empowered to ask questions about different areas of the school’s performance. Nevertheless, governors’ understanding of information about pupils’ progress and attainment is not as good as it should be.
• Governors are aware of their responsibility to monitor the use of additional funds, such as the pupil premium. They recognise that this has not been used as well as it could have been in the past to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.
• Governors have commissioned an external review of the spending of the pupil premium. The results of this review are shortly due to be scrutinised by governors to ensure that a sharply focused plan of action is promptly put in place.
• The governing body has not acted promptly to address the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. For example, the quality of education for children in the early years still requires improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have received clear guidance from the local authority to ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff understand they have a duty to be vigilant and are aware of the different forms of abuse.
• The governing body ensures that leaders provide a safe environment and that policies and procedures for safeguarding are implemented.
• All staff and the very large majority of parents who completed Ofsted’s online surveys agree that pupils are safe at school.
• Senior leaders know the school community well. They work effectively with external agencies to support vulnerable families. The headteacher takes prompt action to ensure that any welfare or child protection concerns are quickly and decisively addressed.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is inconsistent. Some pupils do not progress and learn as well as they should.
• Teachers do not use the information they collect about pupils to set work that is well matched to pupils’ abilities. Too often, the most able pupils do not receive the right level of challenge to enable them to deepen their understanding and attain the higher standards of which they are capable.
• Standards of presentation in pupils’ work across subjects are not as high as they should be. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ handwriting and presentation are not high enough.
• Teachers do not provide pupils with consistent opportunities to practise and apply their writing and mathematics skills in other areas of the curriculum. Pupils repeat skills in similar contexts rather than use them in different ways in order to extend their learning and deepen their knowledge. This is one of the reasons why pupils do not make the progress they should.
• Some teachers do not have high expectations for the pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation in their work across subjects. This means that some pupils’ progress in writing is not as good as it should be.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. The majority of pupils acquire a good knowledge of phonics. This helps them with their reading and writing. Pupils who read their books to inspectors were happy and confident. They displayed genuine interest in their books and an obvious love of reading. Records show that pupils read regularly and often.
• The teaching of mathematics is improving across the school. Work in pupils’ books and inspectors’ observations of teaching show that teachers provide increasingly regular opportunities for pupils to solve problems and explain their mathematical reasoning.
• Teachers and teaching assistants develop strong relationships with pupils. They give the pupils encouragement and praise. This has a positive effect in keeping pupils motivated.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. They model appropriate subject-specific vocabulary well, particularly in mathematics.
• Pupils are enthusiastic learners. When the teachers match work well to pupils’ abilities and maintain high expectations, pupils respond very positively. For example, pupils in Year 6 were enthused to write poetry because the teacher used a striking example written by a past pupil. They then used local landmarks as inspiration to write vivid poetic descriptions. One pupil chose the village church as his inspiration. He wrote, ‘He towers over his people. He is the king of Burgh. His giant crown placed on his royal head. His bell-like voice shouting for people to come and greet him. Telling stories about his one and only God to the Christians of the world.’

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school is a friendly place to learn. Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and nurturing. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school and that they are confident to talk to staff about any worries they may have.
• Pupils are taught how to keep safe in a variety of situations, including when using the internet. Initiatives such as the junior police cadets school officers and junior road safety officers are helping pupils to understand possible risks and to consider the safety and well-being of others. The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, confirmed that the school keeps their child safe.
• Pupils are proud of their school and socialise well. They enjoy positions of responsibility through their elected positions such as house captains and members of the school council. They are encouraged to participate in local, national and international events and competitions. For example, during the inspection, Year 6 pupils participated in the Formula 1 Maths in Motion competition. This involved competing live via the internet against pupils from other schools around the world. Pupils achieved a very respectable fifth place. They were very proud when their headteacher became world champion in the competition with other headteachers from around the world!
• Leaders promote healthy lifestyles well. Pupils were able to explain to inspectors the importance of staying healthy by eating well and exercising regularly. They thoroughly enjoy the range of clubs and activities provided by the school, including the variety of different sports clubs and competitions.
• The school has productive links to the Diocese of Lincoln and local churches. Representatives from the churches visit school regularly to lead collective worship and after-school clubs. These visits help pupils to deepen their understanding of different faiths and cultures.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and well-mannered towards staff, each other and to visitors.
• Pupils are clear about the expectations for behaviour, which are positively promoted by teachers and staff.
• Pupils understand the different forms that bullying can take. They say that incidents of poor behaviour are rare but when they do occur staff deal with them promptly and fairly.
• Pupils are often encouraged to work together in lessons. They collaborate well and show mutual respect for each other. Relationships are positive. In some lessons, pupils lost concentration if their work was not well matched to their needs.
• Procedures for monitoring attendance are improving. Leaders have raised the profile of attendance in the school and with parents. Pupils’ attendance is improving. Previously high levels of persistent absence among certain groups are affected by a small number of pupils who, for legitimate reasons, have periods of long-term absence.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils make good progress in key stage 1 but in the Reception Year and key stage 2 progress requires improvement. Children leaving the Reception Year are not as well prepared for key stage 1 as they should be. In key stage 2 pupils do not build on the good progress they make in key stage 1. In 2017, the proportion of pupils who attained the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics (combined) at the end of key stage 2 was in line with the national average. The information the school collects and inspection evidence indicate that a greater proportion of current Year 6 pupils are on track to attain the expected standards this year.
• At the end of key stage 1 an increasing proportion of current pupils are on track to meet the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics, reflecting the good progress that these pupils make.
• In some classes, pupils’ progress is not as strong as it could be because their work is not well matched to their abilities. This particularly affects the most able pupils because they are not sufficiently challenged to develop a greater depth of understanding.
• Too often, the quality of pupils’ writing in their books is let down by inaccuracies in their spelling, grammar and punctuation. Teachers’ expectations for the quality of pupils’ handwriting and presentation of their work across subjects are not high enough. This prevents them from making better progress.
• The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is lower than that of other pupils nationally. Inspectors’ scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to their peers. Until recently, school leaders have not rigorously evaluated the progress of disadvantaged pupils, so they were not well enough informed to take the right steps to bring improvements.
• The progress of each pupil who has SEN and/or disabilities is carefully monitored by leaders. However, leaders have not used this information to evaluate the overall progress of this group of pupils as they move through the school.
• For the last two years, the proportion of pupils who attained the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was in line with national averages. Current information and observations of pupils learning new letter sounds indicate that the majority of pupils in Year 1 are making good progress in their knowledge and use of phonics. They are on track to attain the expected standard.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Leadership of the early years requires improvement. Leaders have not ensured that assessments of children’s knowledge and skills when they enter the school are rigorous.
• The early years leader collects a range of evidence to show that children are making progress across the curriculum during their time in the Reception class. However, she does not analyse this information sharply enough to identify how she can improve the curriculum to meet children’s needs better. This prevents some children, including those who are disadvantaged, from making the progress of which they are capable.
• Until recently, many aspects of leadership of the early years were shared with senior leaders. The early years leader is therefore less experienced in some areas of strategic responsibility. Senior leaders have accessed ongoing support from the local authority to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment more rapidly.
• Leaders have not done enough to improve outcomes for children in different areas of learning. Historically, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has been well below the national figure. In 2017, this improved from previous years. However, a much-reduced proportion of current children are on track to achieve a good level of development by the end of this year.
• The quality of teaching and learning in the early years is not consistently good. Children, particularly the most able children, are not challenged well enough to deepen and extend their understanding.
• The outdoor learning area is currently not fit for purpose. The area is poorly equipped and does not promote children’s learning effectively. Leaders have not ensured that the outdoor environment is planned appropriately to meet children’s needs across the areas of learning.
• Children are articulate and enthusiastic learners. They cooperate well and enjoy sharing their learning with each other. They follow familiar routines happily and behave well. However, when adults’ guidance or instructions are not clear enough, some children take longer to settle to their learning.
• The indoor learning environment is well equipped. The leader provides children with a range of motivating and interesting activities across the areas of learning. During the inspection, children were enthralled when chicks hatched from incubated eggs. Children were captivated by the experience and expressed their delight at witnessing the birth of new life.
• Safeguarding arrangements in the early years are fit for purpose. The appropriate staff training has taken place. Children are well cared for and kept safe.
• The teaching of phonics in the early years is effective. Children are developing their phonics skills well. They enjoy reading and listening to stories. For example, inspectors observed some children independently playing a word-finding game based on their reading of a text about chickens. They used their knowledge of phonics to help them sound out the words they found.
• The early years leader makes sure that parents are involved in their children’s learning. Parents speak positively about the information they receive about their children’s achievements through the school’s website and from regular conversations with staff.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120566 Lincolnshire 10048970 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 241 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Claire Dougall David Hurdman 01754 810241 www.burghschool.org.uk enquiries@burghschool.org.uk Date of previous inspection 21 February 2018

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection following various interim arrangements.
• The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The school accesses support for school improvement from the local authority, the Diocese of Lincoln and through the Connect Teaching School Alliance.
• The school meets the current government floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching in all year groups, including joint observations with the headteacher. They observed the teaching of reading and listened to pupils reading. Inspectors talked to pupils about their school and looked at examples of pupils’ work.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, and several middle leaders including the leader for the early years and the coordinator for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. The lead inspector held meetings with five members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. They took account of the 97 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View).
• Inspectors considered the 11 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff. The 29 responses to the pupil survey were also considered.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including: the school’s self-evaluation of current performance and plans for improvement; the school’s most recent information on the achievement and progress of pupils; information relating to the safeguarding of pupils; information about the behaviour management of pupils; information relating to the school’s use of the pupil premium funding; the school’s most recent information relating to the attendance of pupils; and minutes from a number of governing body meetings.

Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector Chris Davies

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector