Teversham CofE VA Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching so that it is all of a high standard and low-level disruption is eradicated.
• Improve outcomes in subjects other than English and mathematics in key stage 2 by making sure that:
  • work in a full range of subjects matches the ability of pupils, particularly for the most able
  • staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • pupils have good opportunities to undertake scientific investigations

leadership of all subjects is as effective as that of English and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher provides clear, purposeful leadership and is supported well by the assistant headteacher. Senior leaders have the overwhelming backing of the staff, who are proud to work at Teversham and agree that the school has improved since the previous inspection.
• The overwhelming majority of parents are happy with the school. Almost all of the parents who responded to Parent View said that they would recommend the school to others. One parent spoke for many by saying, ‘this is a great school with strong leadership. Under the current head it has been utterly transformed for the better.’
• Leaders and governors have high expectations for pupils’ academic success and personal development. School leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of education the school provides. They plan well and use their expertise effectively to tackle weaker teaching. New staff receive good support and are given access to relevant training.
• Self-evaluation is accurate and leaders know what they need to do to improve the school. The school’s strategic plan to improve teaching and learning is comprehensive and focused on areas that will make a difference to pupils.
• Leaders meet with teachers regularly to check on the progress pupils are making. These meetings identify pupils who are at risk of underachieving and suitable support is put in place to ensure that these pupils make good progress.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced and prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Activities such as the Year 6 visit to a Buddhist temple and the Year 2 visit to a synagogue promote the British value of respect for, and tolerance of, a range of faiths.
• The curriculum is enriched through specialist music provision with every child in the school learning to play a musical instrument. The school uses specialist teachers to support the teaching of physical education, French and music.
• The pupil premium funding is having a positive impact on the achievement and welfare of pupils who are disadvantaged. As a result, these pupils make good progress.
• Government funding to support physical education and sport is spent well. It has enabled the school to offer a wide range of clubs and to provide training opportunities for staff. Pupils take part in a broad range of competitions. Specialist physical education teaching helps pupils to understand the importance of healthy lifestyles.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the programme of assemblies and extra-curricular activities. Pupils respect each other’s ideas and views. Pupils are reflective and think carefully about what they are told, for example, one pupil thoughtfully commented that ‘we need to persevere to help us succeed in life’, in response to a question from a visiting speaker.
• Leadership in English, mathematics, early years and special educational needs is effective. Leadership of some other subjects in the curriculum is less well developed. Where this is the case, expectations are not high enough and pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding fully in all year groups.
• A few parents expressed concern about the frequent changes of staff at the school. Inspectors found that although there have been significant changes of staffing, leaders and governors have managed these changes effectively.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is ambitious for the school and is well led by a knowledgeable and resolute chair of governors. Governors have the range of skills required to provide effective challenge and support.
• Governors are closely involved in monitoring the school’s progress in achieving key improvements. They monitor the use of pupil premium grant closely to ensure that it is effective in improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
• Governors know the school well. Minutes from governing body meetings show that governors regularly ask questions about pupils’ outcomes and well-being. Governors check that additional funding, including that for sport and pupil premium, is used well.
• Leaders provide governors with appropriate updates about the quality of teaching. Governors have a strong understanding about the link between teachers’ performance and pay, and make sure that any underperformance is tackled effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school carries out appropriate checks to ensure that only suitable people are employed to work with children. Procedures are robust and are monitored well by the safeguarding governor. Policies are up to date and reflect the latest statutory guidance.
• All staff receive regular up-to-date safeguarding training and are aware of issues such as the dangers of extremism and the use of social media. Procedures for staff to follow if they have any concerns are very clear. The school’s record-keeping is detailed and thorough. Concerns are acted upon quickly and appropriate referrals are made to relevant external agencies when necessary.
• Vulnerable children are supported well. The designated safeguarding lead works with families effectively. A range of services, such as the family intervention programme, are used to support pupils emotionally and academically.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers are enthusiastic about pupils’ learning and, in most subjects, have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers make effective use of their subject knowledge to plan appropriately demanding activities for pupils of all abilities in reading, writing and mathematics. As a consequence, pupils rise to the challenge and are confident about what they are learning.
• Teachers set work that is matched to the pupils’ abilities and pitched at the right level across the curriculum in early years and key stage 1. Challenging work is not consistently planned in subjects other than English and mathematics at key stage 2. As a consequence, pupils do not achieve the high standards which are well within their capabilities consistently, especially the most able pupils.
• Teachers develop pupils’ understanding well. In a lesson on conjunctions, for example, careful use of questioning by the teacher allowed the pupils to practise using conjunctions verbally. As a result, pupils were confident and worked hard to apply this knowledge when they went on to write a play script.
• Reading is well taught across the school and pupils enjoy reading for pleasure, with the most able reading a wide range of more difficult books. The teaching of phonics is effective in the early years and key stage 1, with pupils in the early stages of reading making good use of their phonological knowledge to read new words.
• Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and pupils respond to this positively and take pride in their work. Pupils take responsibility for their work and this contributes to their good learning and progress. Learning support assistants provide good support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with class teachers to ensure that pupils’ needs are met.
• The school’s application of the policy on marking and feedback is effective, with pupils responding well to the advice they are given to improve their work. Teachers use regular assessments to identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Teachers take prompt and appropriate action to tackle issues as they arise.
• Sometimes when pupils are not given work that is at the right level, this leads to low-level off-task behaviour such as talking when the teacher is talking.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils say they feel safe at school. Pupils are happy and staff check on their well-being. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe, such as when they use the internet or other forms of technology, and demonstrate a good level of understanding about how to keep themselves safe online.
• The overwhelming majority of staff and parents who completed online questionnaires during the inspection echoed the view that pupils are safe and well cared for. One parent wrote: ‘My children are extremely happy and feel safe whilst learning well.’
• Pupils conduct themselves well throughout the day, including break or lunchtime. They are proud of their school and willingly take posts of responsibility such as house leaders.
• In lessons, pupils show good manners. They listen to their teacher and each other. When working together, pupils are helpful, respectful and cooperative with one another.
• Pupils enjoy the wide variety of activities offered by the school. These range from gymnastics and hockey to choir, and contribute to developing pupils’ healthy lifestyles and artistic enjoyment. makes sure pupils are well behaved.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. The vast majority of parents agree that the school
• Good attendance has a high profile at Teversham and is celebrated in assemblies with parents. Since 2013, attendance has risen from below the national average so that is now above it. Persistent absence has also shown a marked improvement.
• Pupils who are disadvantaged and pupils who have special educational needs and/or
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are almost always positive in lessons. Pupils take pride in
• The school’s behaviour system supports pupils to make the right choices. Only a very disabilities attend school regularly. Pupil premium funding is used to improve attendance for some pupils who are disadvantaged through the breakfast club and after-school club. small number of pupils repeat the same poor behaviours. Analysis of behaviour logs demonstrates clear improvement, with the number of incidents reducing over time. their work, which they were keen to share with inspectors.
• Fixed-term exclusions were above the national average in the past. They were reduced to zero in the last academic year and there have been no exclusions in the current academic year.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare and dealt with effectively. The school promotes a clear anti-bullying message. Incidents of discriminatory behaviour, such as racism, sexism or homophobia, are rare and taken seriously.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes have improved since the previous inspection. The work in pupils’ exercise books and the school’s current assessment information show that pupils’ progress is good throughout the school.
• Children enter the early years with levels of development that are broadly typical of their age. The proportion who reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has been above the national average consistently since 2014.
• Phonics is taught effectively and this enables pupils to learn to read well from an early age. The proportion reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check has been above the national average for the last three years. Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the year groups. By the time they reach Year 6, they are accomplished readers who show confidence and enjoyment when they read.
• At the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average in 2016. The proportion that reached the higher levels was also above the national average. The school’s own assessment information and the work in pupils’ exercise books show that pupils currently in Year 2 are on track to achieve similar outcomes.
• Pupils’ outcomes in the key stage 2 national tests show that attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was similar to the national average. The progress that pupils made in reading, writing and mathematics was also in line with the national figures.
• The small proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress throughout the school from their individual starting points.
• Pupils who are disadvantaged make good progress in a wide range of subjects because of effective teaching. In 2016, Year 6 pupils who were disadvantaged made progress in line with all pupils nationally in reading and mathematics. The progress of disadvantaged pupils at the end of key stage 1 was also in line with other pupils nationally. Current pupils are making progress that is at least equal to that of their classmates and, as a result, differences in attainment are diminishing.
• In key stage 2, pupils make slower progress in science, history and geography than they do in other subjects. This is because work is not well matched to the abilities of the pupils, including the abilities of the most able, and expectations in these subjects are not high enough.
• As a result of previous weak teaching and other staffing issues, some pupils have not made as much progress as they should have done in the past. This means that some pupils have some catching up to do. Pupils are now being taught well, gaps in learning are being filled quickly and pupils are making more rapid progress as a result. Current pupils are well prepared for the move to secondary school.

Early years provision Good

• At Teversham, children enter the early years with skills, knowledge and understanding that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress across the Reception Year because the provision is carefully matched to their needs and interests. For example, when a group of children had mastered making and identifying numbers to 20, staff extended their learning to include numbers to 100. As a result, children showed high levels of concentration, perseverance and enjoyment.
• Disadvantaged children and those who speak English as an additional language receive additional support from adults and this helps them to make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Although the early years leader is new to her post, she has an accurate view of the strengths of the provision and the areas for improvement. She is very clear about what needs to improve in the early years setting for it to become outstanding.
• Children access a stimulating learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, which supports all aspects of their learning. During the inspection, boys delighted in showing inspectors their writing about a dinosaur park that they had built and were keen to use their phonics skills when they decided to name one of the dinosaurs ‘polar bear’. The boys did not want help when struggling with one of the sounds in the word ‘polar’. Instead they confidently looked around the classroom for the sound, as they told inspectors it would be on display for them to find and use.
• Behaviour in the early years is good because of the quality of the relationships between adults and children. Children listen to adults carefully and follow instructions. They respect each other and work well, either independently or in small groups.
• The Reception class is a calm and safe learning environment, with clear routines. The high expectations of the teacher ensure that children move sensibly and purposefully around the classroom. The children are able to work independently at an activity, such as at the writing table, for sustained periods of time.
• There are good systems for tracking children’s progress in Reception from their starting points. Children’s progress is recorded in their learning journals, which many of them proudly shared with inspectors. Adults are skilled in observing the children’s’ learning and using what they see to plan the next steps in children’s learning. Children’s learning journals give a clear picture of their progress over time.
• Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress. They are invited into Reception to share in their children’s learning. Parents are pleased with how quickly their children settle into the school.
• As a consequence of good teaching and well-chosen activities, the children are well prepared for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number 110834 Local authority Inspection number Cambridgeshire 10023353 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 aided 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 153 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Tony Sharpe Louisa Kenzie 01223 293357 www.tevershamschool.co.uk/ head@teversham.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 29–30 January 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. A small proportion are from minority ethnic backgrounds and some of the pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.
• There have been significant changes in staffing since the previous inspection. Half the teaching staff were new to the school in September 2016.
• The school runs a daily breakfast club and after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classes across the school at least once, observing teaching and learning, talking to pupils and assessing the quality of their work. The headteacher accompanied some classroom visits. Inspectors also observed an assembly.
• Meetings were held with pupils, parents, the headteacher, staff and a representative from the local authority. The lead inspector met with the chair of the governing body and three other governors.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of pupils’ work, including English, mathematics, topic, French and science books.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at break times.
• Inspectors considered the views of parents by talking to them after school and taking into account the 30 texts received from parents as well as the 53 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Two discussion groups were held with pupils, as well as informal conversations with pupils during lessons and at break times. Inspectors took into account 18 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire. The inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about books they enjoy.
• Inspectors took into account the 11 responses to the online staff questionnaire.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses; information on pupils’ attainment and progress; records of behaviour and safety; records of the monitoring of teaching and management of teachers’ performance; minutes of governing body meetings; and safeguarding documents.

Inspection team

James Adkins, lead inspector Nick Rudman Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector