Terrington St John Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the teaching of writing to enable more pupils to reach the highest age-expected levels by making sure that:
  • teachers help younger pupils to avoid repeating simple spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors by carrying out thorough checks and correcting them during writing activities
  • pupils are provided with opportunities to develop their written skills more thoroughly in history and geography.
• Improve the quality of teaching in science for the most able pupils by making sure:
  • teachers check that pupils understand how the different steps in tasks contribute towards the final result of their different tasks, enquiries or experiments.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• This school is led effectively. The executive headteacher leads with determination and purpose. She is competently assisted by her capable deputy and other senior staff and subject leaders. Leaders, governors and teachers set very high expectations about the quality of education and have secured decisive improvements in teaching and pupils’ progress since the previous inspection. The quality of care and pupils’ personal development is outstanding.
• Leaders have successfully managed a large number of changes in staffing since the previous inspection, and maintained improvements. They have challenged poor performance and supported teachers to improve their practice. They have recruited and developed new teachers who share their positive vision for the school. Teachers and teaching assistants receive high-quality professional development and this is shared across the Windmill Primary Federation of schools to which the school belongs. This training has helped bring about the improvement of teaching, especially in writing and mathematics.
• Subject leaders work effectively within the school. They offer accurate advice to teachers and they support the development of their subject knowledge in English, mathematics and other subjects. As a result, all teachers have a very clear view of the progress pupils should be making and the standards they should reach for their different ages.
• Arrangements for checking on the quality of teaching are perceptive and accurate and draw on information from lesson visits, pupils’ work and assessments, discussions with staff and analysis of results. Consequently, leaders are able to identify the improvements which are required and arrange effective training. One good example has been the increased level of challenge provided for pupils of different abilities and ages.
• Leaders’ views about the school’s performance and improvement priorities are also accurate and their arrangements to secure success are effective. Leaders have carefully examined past test results and pupils’ progress in order to tackle past weaknesses, especially in writing and mathematics. Improvement plans are well matched to these priorities and targets are precise. Arrangements for leaders and governors to check on progress are well established. As a result, the quality of teaching is currently good, as is the progress of those pupils who attend the school.
• Target-setting reflects the high expectations of the staff for pupils of all ages and abilities. Tracking arrangements and regular progress reviews are effective in preventing pupils from falling behind. As a result, the progress of pupils in all year groups is better than in the past. This is especially so for writing and mathematics, which have been key areas for improvement.
• Arrangements for managing the performance of staff are effective and also reflect the high expectations of leaders. Targets are well matched to the priorities in the school improvement plan and governors subject pay award decisions to robust checks.
• Care and provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are good. They receive effective help from the family support unit, which is shared across the federation. Senior leaders work closely with parents, pupils, teachers and support staff to identify how additional funding and support should be matched to each pupil. Assessments are accurate and targets are demanding. Consequently, these pupils are making good progress.
• Leaders’ use of the pupil premium is effective. The number of pupils entitled to this support is very small and leaders set out precise, individual plans for each pupil. Leaders carefully consider the individual steps which can best help the pupils and organise effective help in reading, writing, mathematics or other subjects depending on the findings of accurate assessments. Arrangements to review their progress are also effective. As a consequence of these effective actions, any differences between their achievement and that of other pupils with similar starting points nationally are reducing.
• Leaders have successfully increased the participation of pupils in physical education (PE) and competitive sport. Over time, the PE and sport premium has been used effectively to purchase quality equipment and develop higher-quality teaching and coaching, and to increase participation in cross country, tag rugby, skipping, street-dancing, netball, cricket, tennis, gymnastics and athletics.
• The curriculum is carefully planned to support pupils’ good learning and their outstanding personal development. Across a wide range of subjects, leaders and teachers ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills are developed effectively. These include English, mathematics, religious education, arts, music, sciences and computing. In history and geography, pupils’ written skills need further development.
• The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptional. As a result, pupils demonstrate a highly effective understanding of their school’s values. They describe school as ‘being part of a big family’ whose values include a love of learning, kindness, respect and consideration for all people. The school’s broader curriculum, and assemblies, support pupils’ understanding and respect for different beliefs and lifestyles. One good example of how the school helps promote their cultural development is the opportunity all pupils have to take part in a baroque musical production delivered by a world-class orchestra.
• The school’s work to develop pupils’ appreciation and adoption of British values is also exceptional. Older pupils in key stage 2 show a highly committed, age-appropriate attachment to personal freedoms, the rule of law and parliamentary democracy, and a rejection of anti-democratic or extreme ideas.
• The executive headteacher and leaders from other schools within the federation share expertise and a common, effective strategy for promoting high-quality education. Arrangements for improving the quality of teaching have been effective and federation leaders are currently developing the roles of new teachers within the school to take up further responsibilities and sustain the improvements made.
• The support of the local authority has been effective. Advisers have provided a careful balance of support and challenge to leaders. They have commissioned high-quality help for teaching in key subjects and improving the evaluative role of subject leaders.
• Parents agree that the quality of teaching is good and the care received by their children highly effective. They believe they can approach the school with concerns and they would be resolved. They would recommend the school to other parents.

Governance of the school

Governors are committed and experienced, and visit the school regularly. They are united with leaders in seeking a high-quality education for pupils. They have taken on roles which are closely matched to the priorities in the school improvement plan to check on developments. They receive effective reports from leaders about the work of the school. As a consequence, they hold an accurate view about the school’s performance and any areas which require extra attention. They hold leaders to account as well as offering support. Governors meet their statutory duties, including overseeing safeguarding arrangements and the use of additional funding to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and governors promote a vigilant culture of safeguarding. All adults protect pupils from harm and reduce risk effectively.
• Checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils are effective.
• Staff act quickly and thoroughly to pass on any concerns about pupils to leaders. Safeguarding referrals to local authorities or other appropriate agencies are effective. Leaders maintain detailed and thorough records about pupils which help them to keep track of any concerns, or act quickly if conditions change.
• Staff training about neglect, abuse, the risks of using communication technology, and radicalisation and extremism is thorough. All adults know what to do, how to act and who to tell in the event of concerns or a disclosure.
• Arrangements for ensuring safety on the school site are effective. Leaders carefully risk assess pupils’ supervised use of the school recreation field across the main road from the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Relationships between teachers and pupils are very positive and contribute to pupils’ outstanding behaviour and personal development. Teachers expect a great deal from their pupils and set demanding and interesting work for them. Teachers’ encouragement and support help pupils to believe that, ‘it’s right to strive and do our best’.
• Pupils are taught in classes of mixed ages and abilities. Teachers’ subject knowledge is detailed. They carefully organise lessons and activities which are well matched to support pupils’ learning. They assess pupils accurately as they work and often adapt tasks to add further challenge for the most able pupils. One good example was seen in a key stage 2 mathematics lesson, where the teacher quickly set more demanding work for some pupils as soon as they had demonstrated their understanding.
• Teachers’ questioning and discussion are used effectively to challenge pupils to use their knowledge, as well as to check on their understanding. One good example was in a key stage 1 religious education lesson about the Good Samaritan. Pupils’ views about the meaning of Jesus’ parable were shared across the class. As a result of skilful questioning and discussion, pupils were able to write clear explanations about the lesson within the story, while the most able were able to link it to other parables and why Jesus used these.
• Teaching assistants are effective in using discussion and questioning to support pupils’ literacy and numeracy development. They receive effective training alongside teachers and they are well led by the senior leader responsible for their work. As a result, they are effective in the support they provide to pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Writing is taught well. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of spelling, punctuation and grammar are developed consistently. As a result, pupils write well for different purposes and make effective use of language in order to express their point or feelings. Writing is developed well in a wide range of subjects including science, religious education, poetry and English.
• Mathematics teaching is effective. It successfully helps pupils to secure their understanding when applying their knowledge of numbers, arithmetic rules and multiplication tables. Teachers carefully explain new mathematics knowledge to ensure that new work is sufficiently demanding and that pupils can use their skills to tackle it. As a result, they are increasingly able to move on to more demanding work involving complex calculations and problem solving.
• Reading is a strength across the school. The youngest pupils acquire effective phonics knowledge and those who have been less successful in the past are catching up owing to precise support. Consequently, they are more confident in their understanding of the stories they read. Teaching is also effective in helping pupils to analyse and assess writing. Pupils of different ages and abilities, including the lowest attainers, are able to explain the meaning of stories, while most others can suggest the common themes and features within the work of different writers. They read with expression and pace owing to their effective understanding and control when interpreting the structure, sentences and punctuation employed by writers.
• Although most teaching is effective, some assessments of pupils’ knowledge in lessons fail to pick up on repeated errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. In addition, there are examples where pupils do not properly understand the purpose of a particular task within a challenging activity and this fails to thoroughly secure their knowledge. One example was in an exciting key stage 2 science lesson about mummification, where pupils understood the general purpose of preserving perishable materials but did not see how the use of certain chemical agents made it happen.
• In the wide range of subjects across the curriculum, pupils’ development of knowledge and skills is secure. However, in geography and history, pupils’ writing skills are not as effective as in other subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Parents are very positive about the work of the school to keep their children safe, care for them and promote their personal development.
• Staff demonstrate exceptional levels of care and attention for every pupil in lessons, on the playground, in the lunch hall and before and after school. They also ensure that they follow all procedures to monitor the welfare of pupils. As a result, pupils report their total confidence in being able to approach staff and disclose any concerns they may have.
• The number of pupils who join the school at times other than the start of each year is higher than average. Arrangements for supporting them to settle in and make a successful start to their education are highly effective.
• Pupils are exceptionally proud about their school and belonging to the ‘Terrington family’. They can explain the meaning and importance of their school’s values and why it is essential for them to respect others, learn well and work hard. Consequently, they are highly considerate and kind to one another, and to adults who visit or who work in the school.
• Pupils willingly take up positions of leadership and responsibility within school and offer a highly effective service as councillors and leaders of several clubs. They take their work very seriously. The pupil council has helped develop a more attractive lunch menu with the catering company and has helped school leaders decide on the selection of charitable activities, which include Comic Relief and Children In Need.
• Relationships between pupils are exceptionally positive. Pupils believe bullying of all types is extremely rare. This matches the school’s records, which report no serious incidents in recent years. Pupils believe that were bullying to occur it would be dealt with very quickly as soon as they reported it.
• Keeping safe when using the internet, age-appropriate social media and communication technologies are regularly discussed with pupils in lessons and in assemblies. As a result, pupils know how to avoid risks when using online resources, telephones, email and games.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils are taught explicitly to appreciate their feelings and to show consideration and understanding for the way others feel. As a result, pupils of different ages and backgrounds enjoy very positive relationships with one another.
• All staff and governors consistently promote the very high expectations for behaviour, and parents fully support this work. Consequently, pupils are able to develop exceptional standards of courtesy, respect and conduct. New pupils and the very youngest are quickly helped to know what is expected. Pupils report that there has been a significant improvement in behaviour since the previous inspection.
• Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are extremely positive because of the relationships they have with teachers and support staff. They strive to succeed in all lessons, accept demanding tasks, are eager to learn and work very hard. They share ideas and listen patiently to one another as they cooperate or discuss their learning. Their work is well presented.
• Pupils’ conduct around school is exceptional. They are extremely well behaved in assemblies or when moving around school. They demonstrate good manners when eating their lunch and are sensible when enjoying their games at breaktimes. They also look after their school environment by respecting the play equipment, computers, books and resources and there is no evidence of litter.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• There has been a sustained improvement in pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection, for pupils in all year groups.
• The very small classes make meaningful comparisons with national results very difficult. Most pupils enter the school with prior learning that is broadly typical for their age with a small number below. The very large majority reach a good level of development by the time they join key stage 1 and some reach above this expectation, which represents good progress.
• In key stages 1 and 2, current progress is good, taking account of pupils’ different starting points. Consequently, standards are rising. This is the result of effective improvements to the teaching of writing and mathematics, and the swift action leaders have taken in response to past test results and the shared findings from teachers’ assessments.
• Pupils’ work, observations of lessons and the school’s accurate assessment information confirm that pupils are making good progress.
• In Year 6 and Year 2, pupils are now reaching the expected standards for their age and more pupils are achieving above the expected standard in mathematics, reading and writing.
• Pupils in all year groups make good progress in mathematics. This is because they are now provided with much harder work which challenges them to use their knowledge and skills and apply them to higher-order problems and questions.
• Equally, pupils make good progress in writing. In all year groups, standards have clearly improved in spelling and grammar, although a few younger pupils continue to repeat mistakes when their work is not checked.
• Pupils achieve well in reading. Phonics is taught well and the large majority of pupils reach the required standard in the Year 1 phonics check. Older pupils develop secure reading skills and are confident readers as a result.
• The achievement of pupils whose attainment has been below that expected for their age is improving. They are provided with effective support to catch up, particularly in the current Year 3 and Year 4.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress. This is a result of accurate assessments, challenging targets, high-quality care and well-organised support which is carefully matched to their needs.
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is good. Their numbers are very small, which means it is not possible to make meaningful comparisons with national results. However, they receive effective support and their individual progress is good when their starting points are taken into account.
• Other than in science, the most able pupils achieve well. Their achievement has particularly improved in writing and mathematics. They are exceeding the expected standards for their age as a result of work which is far more demanding and which requires them to thoroughly use their knowledge and skills and articulate their learning. As a result, they are gaining a greater level of understanding at the highest level than was the case in the past.

Early years provision Good

• Effective leadership enables children to make good progress. This has been achieved despite changes in staffing since the previous inspection. The early years department is now fully staffed and parents and leaders express their confidence in the provision.
• Children enter Reception with skills and knowledge which are typical for their age, and effective teaching and provision ensure that they are well prepared for key stage 1.
• Children make an effective start. They visit school with their parents before they join and staff visit them at their homes. Teachers and parents observe the children and discuss their interests and personal development. Leaders also carry out very accurate assessments of their skills, knowledge and confidence upon entry to the school. As a result of these activities, leaders are able to organise well-planned teaching, play and support which help the children to learn well.
• Expectations are high and are reflected in the targets set for children, to ensure that they make good progress. Their learning is checked on a regular basis. Assessment is accurate and teachers and support staff act quickly to maintain children’s good progress.
• Learning activities are challenging and encourage the children to think in ways which help develop their knowledge, skills and confidence. One example was in an outdoor lesson where children rode tricycles or safely pushed each other along. The teacher’s questioning supported them to successfully describe and explain how different levels of force affected the speed and distance they could travel.
• There is a consistent approach to teaching phonics in both Reception and Year 1. Children are taught to sound their letters and words very accurately. The teacher and teaching assistants make careful checks to ensure that children acquire accurate knowledge and avoid repeating any misunderstandings or errors.
• Early handwriting skills are taught well. As a result, letter formation is increasingly accurate and more children are able to use their reading and language success to move on to write their first sentences with growing confidence and accuracy.
• Children’s behaviour reflects that found in other year groups. It is exceptional. They are quickly helped to understand what is expected of them. They willingly learn to share, show high levels of consideration and develop patience as they cooperate with

s

their classmates.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120883 Norfolk 10031351 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 43 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Martin Gordon Jillian Davis 01945 880340 www.terrington-st-john.norfolk.sch.uk/ office@terrington-st-john.norfolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10 March 2015

Information about this school

• This school is much smaller than average. As a consequence, the size of some year groups is very small.
• The school is part of the Windmill Primary Federation which includes Tilney St Lawrence Primary School, Walpole Highway Primary School and West Walton Primary School. The executive headteacher leads all schools within the federation and there is one governing body.
• The school has experienced several changes in staffing since the previous inspection and two teachers took up their posts in the current academic year.
• Most pupils are White British and the proportion that speak English as an additional language is well below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average and currently there are no pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection gathered evidence from lessons covering all classes within the school, some of which were visited jointly with the executive headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• The inspector looked at a wide range of information and school documents, including its self-evaluation records, improvement plan, curriculum information, checks on the quality of teaching, performance management arrangements, details of governors’ work and attendance records.
• The inspector looked at the school’s arrangements, records and policies for the safeguarding of pupils. They were discussed with staff, the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors.
• The inspector looked at work from each year group and listened to pupils read. The school’s records of pupils’ assessments and progress were also looked at.
• Meetings were held with teachers and support staff, the executive headteacher, subject leaders, the governing body and the school’s local authority improvement partner.
• Meetings were held with the school council and pupils from key stage 2, to discuss their experiences at the school.
• The inspectors observed an assembly and observed pupils at breaktimes and in the lunch hall.
• The inspector met with parents on each day of the inspection. He also took account of five written responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and the school’s own surveys of parental opinions about the school. The inspector also took account of 14 responses to the online staff survey and met with support staff and teachers to discuss their experiences at the school and their training.

Inspection team

David Turner, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector