Enborne C.E. Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase leadership capacity across the school by further developing the roles of middle leaders.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The executive headteacher and head of school have created a happy, supportive, respectful environment where pupils’ learning is at the heart of the school. Leaders’ relentless drive to embed a culture of high expectations has led to rapid improvement throughout the school. As one parent commented, ‘The school has changed massively for the better since Mr Whiteman arrived. He has a strong direction for the school, and I fully trust his decisions.’
• Leaders have successfully addressed the areas for improvement from the previous inspection by rapidly improving the quality of teaching. Leaders’ thorough monitoring of teachers’ work, alongside high-quality professional development, has contributed strongly to raising teachers’ skills. Consequently, the quality of teaching is now outstanding.
• Self-evaluation is rigorous. Leaders scrutinise information from a range of sources, including governors, local authority and diocesan advisers. This approach enables leaders to validate their own judgements. As a result, leaders have a very accurate and thorough knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for continued improvement.
• The broad and varied curriculum is a real strength of the school. The enriched arts curriculum gives pupils additional opportunities to build their resilience and develop positive attitudes to learning. One pupil said, ‘Preparing for something new is hard but we work as a team to achieve it. I was nervous about performing at first but now I am glad that I did it.’
• The school’s strong Christian values underpin life at the school. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness particularly well. Religious assemblies and reflection time provide pupils with an opportunity to apply topics to their own lives.
• Regular opportunities to learn about equality and discrimination promote tolerance and respect. When discussing different religions, pupils articulately explained that, ‘We know we have different faiths, we respect everyone’s beliefs.’ Performances also provide pupils with opportunities to reflect on their own progress and celebrate the achievement of others. When speaking about the boys’ dance group, one girl said, ‘Boys get less opportunities to dance so we (girls) were happy for them to have their own club. They performed very well.’
• Opportunities for some leaders to develop their skills using nationally recognised training is already in place. Middle leaders have started to develop their skills to improve outcomes in their own areas, but are not yet contributing as much as they could to school improvement.
• The special educational needs coordinator is highly effective. She identifies and understands pupils’ needs very well. She works with staff, parents and external agencies to develop plans, which focus on achievable steps to overcome barriers to pupils’ learning. Consequently, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make strong progress.
• Leaders ensure that the pupil premium is used very effectively. Disadvantaged pupils receive bespoke additional support to ensure that they make progress. Leaders track the impact of personalised support plans, making adjustments ensuring that they match pupils’ changing needs.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding are used extremely well to develop sporting provision. Leaders prioritise specialist coaching to train staff so that they can offer quality sports activities in school. Additionally, pupils participate in a range of sports clubs, such as netball, gymnastics and cross-country. As a result, pupils have performed very well in local inter-school netball and gymnastic competitions.
• All parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire Parent View, or spoke to the inspector, were highly complimentary about the school. Parents value the positive change that leaders have made. One parent spoke for many when they commented, ‘The school is like a different place since the last Ofsted report. We feel secure about what the future holds and have confidence in the leaders.’

Governance of the school

• Governors are passionate about their school. Since the previous inspection, working alongside the local authority, governors have successfully recruited an excellent team of senior leaders who have made rapid improvements across the school.
• Members of the governing body are well trained, knowledgeable and bring a wealth of educational and business skills to support them in their roles. They challenge school leaders well and ensure that standards continue to rise. Governors have played an important part in making Enborne School a much better place where pupils thrive.
• The governing body works in a ‘soft federation’ with governors from Theale Church of England Primary School. Working alongside governors from this school, a ‘joint committee’ constantly reviews and enhances the impact of this arrangement. Their detailed plans and regular reviews of systems have enabled them to oversee a significant improvement in standards across the school.
• Governors have a deep understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They check what leaders tell them by visiting the school to speak with pupils and staff, review pupils’ work and attend events.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in this school. All staff receive regular training so that they are aware of systems to keep pupils safe. Adults know pupils well, are vigilant and report concerns promptly. Records show that all issues are taken seriously, referring appropriately to external agencies where needed.
• Leaders and governors ensure that all statutory requirements are met. Appropriate employment checks are made on all staff working in the school.
• Pupils feel safe in school and know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils speak confidently and knowledgeably about ways to keep themselves safe, including road safety, fire safety and ‘stranger danger’. They have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe when online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding. This is because teachers have extremely high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers ensure that pupils throughout the school are highly motivated to learn. Their high expectations ensure that all groups of pupils make excellent progress from their different starting points.
• Leaders use assessment information very well to review pupils’ progress. Staff are skilled at analysing information to identify what pupils know, understand and can do and then identifying any pupils that show signs of potential underachievement. For example, leaders are acting effectively to accelerate the progress of a few pupils in Years 5 and 6 so these pupils make rapid progress. This, coupled with teachers’ in-depth knowledge of each pupil, ensures that no child is left behind.
• Teachers address swiftly any misconceptions pupils may have. The approach helps pupils to make strong progress. Probing questions encourage pupils to overcome any difficulties by making links and using their reasoning skills. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, a teacher helped a pupil to record a number bond calculation through discussing links to his prior mathematical knowledge.
• Teachers work collaboratively with their colleagues in other schools to develop their professional practice. Working in partnership, they carefully consider the impact of a range of different approaches, for example ways in which they develop writing across the curriculum. As a result, teaching is highly effective, leading to strong progress for all pupils.
• Teaching assistants support pupils exceptionally well. They work closely with the teacher to make sure that all pupils make very good progress. Teaching assistants use their in-depth subject knowledge to provide very effective support. This enables lesson time to be used effectively for all groups of pupils.
• Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to learning. They like it when teachers challenge them with harder work. As one child said, ‘There is always something new to learn.’ Pupils are motivated to work independently to complete tasks and often collaborate to find a solution. Pupils are keen to complete tasks to a high quality and take pride in their work.
• The teaching of the arts, especially dance, drama, music and art is a strength of this school. Teachers’ subject knowledge is excellent. They use this to challenge pupils’ thinking, promote reasoning and creativity. Consequently, work produced by pupils demonstrates high levels of artistic skill. This was demonstrated well in a Years 5 and 6 drama lesson, where pupils confidently improved their ensemble performance in preparation for a forthcoming external assessment.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders have created a happy, nurturing and respectful environment. At the heart of this school is a spirit of kindness and pupils love coming here. Pupils gain confidence, build resilience and willingly support each other. They delight in celebrating each other’s successes.
• Pupils are immensely proud of their school. Pupils from all ages play together as they know each other very well. As one pupil said, ‘We may be a small school, but we are a big family.’
• Leaders make sure there are many opportunities for pupils to celebrate their successes, particularly in assemblies and through rewards. For example, pupils proudly explained the reading reward scheme to the inspector. Many pupils are aiming to read more so they can collect the platinum award.
• Pupils are encouraged to develop their leadership skills. For example, older pupils act as monitors in the lunch hall. They efficiently assist staff with clearing the hall after lunch.
• Pupils develop a strong understanding of tolerance and equality. Pupils link their learning from religious education and life-skills lessons to understand different cultures. The school’s Christian values underpin all learning, and life-skills lessons help pupils to understand different cultures. As a result, pupils can eloquently explain the need to treat everybody equally.
• All pupils say that they feel safe in school and there is someone to talk to if they are worried about anything. Pupils were very clear that bullying is rare. They are confident that staff will help pupils resolve any issues if they arise.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Adults set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour, which pupils meet. Pupils behave impeccably in and out of lessons. They are supportive of one another and encourage each other to do their best. They are developing the resilience to tackle challenging tasks.
• The behaviour policy promotes the care and respect of one another, and pupils follow this superbly. Pupils report that incidents of poor behaviour are very rare and behaviour logs support this. Pupils resolve rare disagreements themselves, although leaders are there to help them.
• Pupils are extremely polite. They listen well to each other in lessons, on the playground and in the lunch hall. Pupils are keen to talk to visitors. The sense of family and respect for one another are clearly visible in pupils’ actions.
• Pupils rarely miss a day of school. Overall attendance rates are above national averages. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND have high rates of attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Since the last inspection, senior leaders have been relentless in ensuring the highest possible outcomes for every pupil. As a result, outcomes have improved significantly and are now outstanding.
• Last year, by the end of key stage 2, 100% of pupils attained age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. This was significantly above national averages. High proportions of pupils attained at greater depth. However, fewer pupils attained a greater depth in writing than in mathematics and reading. Leaders have already implemented strategies to improve the quality of writing across the curriculum.
• Over time, at the end of key stage 1, the proportions of pupils attaining age-related expectations have been well above average in all subjects. Reading has been especially strong, with very high proportions of pupils attaining a greater depth.
• Pupils have a love for reading. One pupil said, ‘Reading is fun. It is like an adventure, you can go anywhere.’ Many pupils talk passionately about reading at home. The school reading challenge has helped to instil this passion. Pupils read accurately, fluently and expressively to the inspector.
• Early reading skills stem from excellent phonics teaching. The proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in the phonics screening check has been consistently above average for the last two years.
• Work in pupils’ books, including religious education, science and art, shows that pupils continue to make sustained progress across all year groups. Pupils’ science work shows a high level of investigative skills. Older pupils are using scientific vocabulary to explain their learning while setting out work methodically. However, pupils’ acquisition of subject-specific skills in history and geography is not as strong.
• Outcomes in the arts are very strong. Pupils develop excellent musical and drama skills throughout the year. Expert teachers ensure that pupils develop subject-specific skills which they use when they perform in an end of year theatrical production. All pupils performed in last year’s production, ‘An anthology of musicals’, including several younger pupils who undertook leading roles.
• Pupils with SEND make very strong progress from their starting points, as a result of targeted support, delivered by well-trained adults.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support pupils. Adults are aware of pupils’ individual needs and ability and provide high-quality, personalised programmes to accelerate progress.
• The broad and creative curriculum ensures that pupils develop superb knowledge and skills across a range of subjects. They leave the school with increased resilience, positive attitudes to learning and excellent outcomes at key stage 2. Consequently, pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of education.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years provision is led exceptionally well. Leaders of the early years have a strong vision and are determined that children make the best possible start to school. Not a moment is wasted. Information received from nurseries and parents is effectively used when preparing activities for the children’s first day.
• Relationships between adults and children are very strong. Children are confident learners. They hold their concentration extremely well as they undertake activities which adults have planned for them, across a wide range of subjects. Children listen well to one another and to adults.
• Children’s behaviour is exemplary. They move calmly and sensibly between activities and willingly play with each other, sharing resources happily.
• Teachers use accurate assessments of what children know to plan their next steps. As a result, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development has been consistently above average.
• The environment is bright and stimulating. Displays provide strong support to develop reading skills, number and topic work. Children use the indoor environment to support their outdoor imaginative play. For example, a group of children worked cooperatively to use large construction bricks to build an outdoor igloo, taking care to make a base they could stand in.
• There is a strong focus on the development of early reading. The teaching of phonics is very effective. Teachers make sure that children accurately blend basic sounds together, so that they can identify the letters these sounds represent as they learn to read. For example, during a literacy lesson some children chose to read small sections of a non-fiction book to an adult when describing the book’s features.
• Teachers make sure that children have an advanced knowledge of number. For example, they provide opportunities for pupils to explore numbers beyond 20 and to calculate ‘more than’ and ‘less than’. Thoughtful activities, which adults have planned, inspire children to solve practical problems. For instance, two children challenged themselves to make a purse with the most money going beyond 30 pence.
• Safeguarding is effective. All adults are well trained, vigilant and ensure that children are safe.
• Parents are very positive about the progress children make. A home/school reading record, and daily contact with the class teacher, keep parents informed of their child’s learning through Reception. Leaders are considering ways to boost this further by sharing learning journals with parents more frequently.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 109963 West Berkshire 10052914 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 65 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Catie Colston Executive headteacher Catherine Morley Telephone number 01635 40569 Website Email address www.enborne.w-berks.sch.uk headteacher@enborne.w-berks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 September 2016

Information about this school

• This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The school has been in a ‘soft federation’ with Theale Church of England Primary School since July 2017.
• The executive headteacher is a national leader of education (NLE) and since June 2016 has worked in the school for one day a week. The head of school is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school for the other four days. An executive special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works half a day a week at Enborne.
• Enborne Primary School employs specialist subject teachers to teach dance, drama, music, physical education and science.
• Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is much lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is higher than the national average.
• The school is divided into three mixed-age classes; Reception and Year 1, Years 2 and 3, and Years 4 to 6.
• The school had a section 48 denominational inspection in July 2017.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in nine parts of lessons, all with senior leaders.
• Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the SENCo, governors, teachers and a representative from the local authority. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the diocese.
• In addition to discussions with parents, 22 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered.
• The inspector spoke to pupils to gather their views about the school, and heard pupils read. The inspector observed behaviour in classrooms, in the lunch hall and outside in the playground.
• The inspector scrutinised a wide selection of pupils’ books from across the curriculum.
• A range of the school’s documentation was reviewed, including that relating to self-evaluation, governance, improvement planning, behaviour and safeguarding.
• The inspector scrutinised the school’s website to evaluate the quality of information for parents and whether the school meets statutory publishing requirements.

Inspection team

Tracey Bowen, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector