Berry Pomeroy Parochial Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase pupils’ progress in mathematics, especially for girls and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, by:
  • developing pupils’ basic skills in number and calculation
  • identifying accurately pupils’ learning needs and matching the provision to them
  • working with parents more closely to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Improve leadership and management by:
  • developing the role of middle leaders, particularly in mathematics and special educational needs
  • improving communication with parents.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has high expectations of pupils and staff. She is determined to secure the best possible outcomes for pupils and provides clear direction for staff through the school improvement plan.
• Despite the staff changes in recent years, the morale among current staff is high. The responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire were fully positive. Teachers say they are supported effectively in their work and have access to relevant training. They value the positive relationships between leaders, staff and pupils. The local authority says it has no concerns about the school.
• The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and informs the right priorities for improvement. Appropriate actions are taken to improve key aspects of the school’s work. A recent example is the improvement in the progress of disadvantaged pupils, which is rising in English and mathematics.
• The management of staff performance is linked appropriately to outcomes for pupils. It has resulted in the current consistently good quality of teaching and learning, which is beginning to address pupils’ uneven progress in mathematics.
• To secure more rapid improvement, now that staffing is stable, the headteacher has rightly identified the need to develop the role of subject and other middle leaders.
• The broad and balanced curriculum provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to learn. It is planned appropriately on a two-year rolling cycle in the mixed-age classes. Planning for English and mathematics lessons is particularly detailed and regularly reviewed to meet the needs of the pupils. The curriculum is enhanced by extra-curricular activities. Clubs for art and various sports are especially well attended and promote pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and their personal development.
• The curriculum makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils develop a good understanding of major world faiths in religious education. In discussing global issues, they develop a strong moral compass that equips them well in considering how they should treat others with respect. The many opportunities they have to work together contribute strongly to pupils’ very good social skills. Pupils learn about other cultures, for example from their pen pals in a school in Africa, and participate in cultural activities, visits and residential trips.
• The headteacher and staff promote fundamental British values well. For instance, a display of pupils’ work shows how the pupils learn about democracy in voting for the school and eco councils. It includes their contributions to class rules and relates them appropriately to the rule of law. It also contains their thoughts on valuing diversity. This work prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Ofsted’s online Parent View survey shows that the majority of parents who responded would recommend the school to others. However, about a third of the parents do not agree that the school is well led and managed or that it responds well to their concerns. Most of the concerns expressed relate to the lack of communication with parents and pupils about the high turnover in staffing, but not the interim quality of teaching or the impact on children’s progress. The headteacher wrote to parents about the appropriate actions that she had put in place to minimise disruption to learning. However, the governors and headteacher did not make themselves available to talk with parents or pupils.

Governance of the school

• The impact of governance is effective.
• Governors have an accurate understanding of the quality of education at the school. They gain insight from evaluating pupil progress information and from external reviews, including a review by the local authority of the impact of the pupil premium on the progress of disadvantaged pupils. They use the information to challenge leaders to make improvements and their effectiveness is seen in the better use of the pupil premium.
• Governors also hold leaders to account for the impact of the primary physical education and sport premium, which is leading to more pupils participating in a wider range of activities, including basketball and climbing. Special educational needs funding secures appropriate support for identified pupils, but the pupils are not yet making consistently good progress.
• Governors supported the headteacher effectively during the period of instability in staffing by ensuring that appropriate resources, including supply staff, were deployed to support pupils’ learning and progress. They acknowledge that they did not address parental concerns about the staffing situation well and they are determined to improve communication with parents.
• Governors ensure that statutory requirements are met, including for safeguarding children. They are suitably trained in safeguarding and safer recruitment procedures.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The headteacher has established a culture of vigilance with regard to safeguarding pupils. Staff are knowledgeable and confident in applying child protection procedures. Their training is up to date, including for protecting pupils against radicalisation and extremism. The headteacher works effectively with external partners and parents to support pupils who are at risk. All required checks on the suitability of staff to work with children are carried out and recorded appropriately.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The impact of teaching over time on pupils’ learning and progress is good overall, particularly in reading and writing.
• The recent instability in staffing led to gaps in some pupils’ learning in basic number and calculation skills in mathematics. However, current teaching makes effective use of assessment to identify and address these areas. Consequently, progress in mathematics is improving.
• The quality of teaching now is consistently good and most parents agree that their children are taught well. Teachers have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve. They use their good subject knowledge to assess pupils’ progress accurately and use the information to plan work at the right level of challenge for most pupils. However, a minority of girls and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are sometimes not able to access learning fully because gaps in their prior knowledge and understanding have not yet been addressed.
• Time in lessons is used productively and pupils are engaged in their learning. Teaching assistants are deployed appropriately to support those who need to catch up with others.
• A key feature of the effective teaching is the checking of pupils’ learning and adapting activities to deepen the understanding of those who are mastering the work and to reinforce knowledge and skills for those who need more time. For example, Year 6 pupils enjoyed being challenged to convert number patterns into a formula. Through skilful questioning, the teacher challenged the most able to demonstrate different methods and invent a problem for a friend to solve. Appropriate support for those who were less secure in their learning enabled them to understand and to show this through explaining the method they used.
• Year 6 pupils say they are making better progress in mathematics now because the teacher explains the work well and provides feedback that helps them to know what to do to improve their learning. All teachers provide helpful feedback to pupils in line with the school’s assessment policy. Pupils’ books show that they are using the feedback increasingly well.
• Homework consolidates lessons. Parents agree that the school’s procedures for homework are effective in reinforcing their children’s learning.
• Teachers develop pupils’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and, where appropriate, their mathematics skills well across subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils explained to others the instruments they could hear when listening to music. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 applied their measuring skills in science lessons. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 are now enjoying more practical investigations in mathematics, as in exploring shape and space. The teaching of phonics is effective in enabling pupils from Reception to Year 2 to tackle unfamiliar words.
• Pupils are enthusiastic learners both in lessons and in extra-curricular activities. They enjoy researching information using computers and are willing to learn from their mistakes, for example in mathematics. They are keen to improve their work and they help each other to edit their writing.
• Parents are given regular opportunities to observe their children’s work in school, including during the day. School reports are detailed and include what the pupils need to do to improve their work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Positive relationships between pupils and with staff promote pupils’ self-confidence. In particular, with the exception of a minority of girls, pupils are becoming more confident in mathematics.
• Pupils grow in self-awareness and value each other’s differences. ‘It would be boring if we were all the same’, stated one pupil. Pupils show respect for others’ ideas and views.
• Pupils take pride in the presentation of their work and in their school. Their attitudes to all aspects of their learning are consistently positive and have a good impact on the progress they make.
• Pupils value their education and most attend school regularly. However, attendance is low for a small minority of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This impedes their learning and progress.
• Some parents expressed concern about the impact of staff turbulence on their children’s welfare and felt leadership did not support their children at the time. The inspector did not find any evidence to indicate that pupils felt unhappy or unsafe in school. Teaching assistants were deployed suitably to provide some continuity for the pupils.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils conduct themselves well throughout the day, including at lunchtimes. For example, Year 6 pupils take out play equipment for younger pupils in a very responsible and sensible manner.
• The school is an orderly environment. Pupils, including the very youngest, respond quickly to instructions and requests from staff, allowing lessons to flow smoothly and without interruption. Pupils confirm that low-level disruption is rare.
• The few pupils with particular behavioural needs make significant improvement in their behaviour.
• Parents, staff and pupils agree that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
• Pupils say they feel safe in school. They learn how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the internet and through events such as an anti-bullying week. They say, and school records confirm, that there is little bullying in the school. They understand the negative impact of cyber bullying. Older pupils were seen to take good care of younger pupils in the playground.
• Through physical education and sport, pupils learn how to stay healthy. They are encouraged to think positively about themselves, their learning and different situations.
• Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensures pupils are prepared to be reflective about, and responsible for, their actions as good citizens.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Across almost all year groups and in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics, most of the current pupils are making good progress from their different starting points.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are making consistently strong progress across all subjects because the level of challenge is matched well to their learning needs.
• Disadvantaged pupils did not progress as well as others last year, so the local authority carried out a review of the impact of the pupil premium. Current disadvantaged pupils are making better progress and they are now catching up with others nationally. This is due to leaders targeting the pupil premium more effectively on supporting the specific needs of the pupils in lessons and in small-group interventions.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in reading and writing from their different starting points. However, together with a minority of girls, they are not progressing as well as their peers in mathematics. Gaps in their prior learning have not yet been addressed.
• Throughout the school, pupils read widely and often. They talk enthusiastically about favourite authors and books. They draw on a range of strategies to read fluently with good comprehension. Outcomes in the Year 1 national phonics check have been above average over time and this trend is set to continue for current pupils.
• Pupils’ progress in reading is above average and this was confirmed in the school’s progress score at the end of key stage 2 in 2016. The progress scores for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities were slightly below average. However, current pupils are making better progress. There were no disadvantaged pupils at the end of key stage 1 in 2016.
• Pupils’ progress in writing was broadly average by the end of key stage 2 in 2016, including for disadvantaged pupils. However, given that almost 40% of the small cohort had special educational needs and/or disabilities, this represents good progress. Progress in writing is improving for all current pupils.
• The 2016 progress score in mathematics was close to the national average, although below average for disadvantaged pupils and girls. Again, current disadvantaged pupils are making better progress. However, a minority of girls and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are not progressing as well as they could. The low attendance of a small minority of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities means these pupils miss lessons and fall behind their peers in developing basic skills.
• A small minority of parents raised concerns about their children’s progress. Instability in staffing has resulted in some gaps in learning, particularly for identified pupils in mathematics. However, leaders identified the issue as a priority for improvement and current teachers are beginning to address the gaps.
• Overall, pupils are well prepared academically, socially and emotionally for secondary school.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the early years provision and use this well to inform improvement, such as developing children’s language and number skills.
• Leaders have taken appropriate action to secure additional adult support for the temporary teacher until a permanent teacher is appointed. As a result, the good quality of provision has been maintained.
• Arrangements for safeguarding children are effective and reviewed regularly. All welfare requirements are met. Leaders work well with external agencies to support vulnerable children.
• Planning covers the early years curriculum effectively. The indoor and outdoor areas are organised imaginatively with well-resourced activities that enable children to progress towards all the early learning goals.
• The quality of teaching is good. All adults assess children’s progress accurately and use the information well to inform the next steps in their learning. Teacher-directed activities are adapted to ensure all children make good progress from their starting points. For example, some children were adding instead of subtracting numbers up to 20. The teaching assistant’s effective use of teddy bear counters enabled them to see and understand the process, and to use both forms of calculation to check their answers.
• The teaching of phonics is very effective, enabling children to progress in their reading at a good rate. It also supports children’s letter formation and spelling well.
• Teaching assistants are used effectively to support the needs of disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. In particular, the children make good progress in reading from their starting points.
• Children enjoy positive relationships with each other and with staff. This, together with their good behaviour, indicates that they feel safe.
• Children’s personal, social and emotional development is especially strong. Children are keen to participate in the range of activities provided and they listen carefully to each other and to staff. They work and play together very well and show a high level of maturity in the considerate way in which they interact with each other.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development has been above average over time. The school’s information indicates that outcomes will continue to be good for most of the current children, including those who are disadvantaged. Staff have rightly identified the need to reinforce number work for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children are prepared well academically, socially and emotionally for Year 1.
• Parents make a positive contribution to children’s initial assessments. They say that they are happy with their children’s progress in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number 113388 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10033235 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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 5 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 94 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jemma Major Headteacher Sue Bower Telephone number 01803 863519 Website www.berry-pom.devon.sch.uk Email address admin@berry-pom.devon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection June 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than most primary schools.
• Since the last inspection and in the past two years, three of the four class teachers have left and been replaced and the fourth is now on maternity leave.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below average, as is the number of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• There is a high proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, although very few have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.
• Children in the early years are taught full time in the Reception/Year 1 class.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. It is also above the coasting school elements.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed pupils in each of the four classes learning and two sessions of phonics taught by teaching assistants. Most observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. The inspector looked extensively at pupils’ work in books at the end of key stages 1 and 2, together with the class teachers. She listened to small groups of pupils reading.
• The inspector held meetings with a group of pupils, all four teachers, the headteacher and members of the governing body. She telephoned a representative of the local authority and met informally with some parents. She observed pupils at playtime.
• The inspector examined a range of documents, including those relating to the school’s evaluation of its own performance, development planning and the safeguarding of pupils, and information on the monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour.
• The inspector took account of 50 responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey, the many comments posted online, two letters and four telephone calls from parents and the views of parents with whom she met informally. She also took account of questionnaires completed by eight members of staff.

Inspection team

Sue Frater, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector