St Martin's CofE Primary & Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership by ensuring that:
  • action is taken to improve the experience of those parents who are not satisfied with aspects of the school’s work
  • the system for monitoring pupils’ progress at a whole-school level fully takes account of the starting points of the large number of new pupils joining the school.
  • the curriculum enables pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of science.
• Raise achievement in mathematics by:
  • continuing to ensure that all pupils are sufficiently well prepared for the demands of the new curriculum
  • ensuring that the monitoring of pupils’ progress leads to speedy intervention and support for pupils who are falling behind.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders are driven by a sense of purpose to improve the life chances of every pupil in the school, keep them safe and help them to thrive. They lead with integrity. School staff also share this commitment and ‘go the extra mile’ to support pupils.
• The headteacher, supported well by other senior leaders, is tenacious, resilient and calm in her leadership of the school. Leaders have coped well with the pressures that have arisen out of the school’s unique and rapidly changing circumstances. For example, the school has grown at a very fast pace from having 30 pupils on roll five years ago to over 400 now. The management of this challenging situation by the headteacher has been highly effective and deserves much admiration.
• Leaders are clear about the school’s strengths and its areas for improvement. Their evaluation is comprehensive, objective and accurate. Leaders understand the barriers to improvement but do not make excuses; they are open and transparent about what needs to be better.
• The system for leading improvements to teaching through the management of performance is well organised. Leaders understand well the strengths, weaknesses and professional development needs of all staff. This is because effective reviews of the quality of teaching take place regularly. Reviews are based on a good range of different sources of evidence, such as pupils’ books, lesson observation and pupil progress meetings. Consequently, leaders are well placed to remedy weaker teaching. The large majority of staff who responded to the staff survey issued during the inspection feel valued. Most agree that their professional development needs are met.
• Leaders and school staff successfully deliver a curriculum that appeals to the interests of most pupils. Topics are selected carefully for their cross-curricular relevance. For example, this term’s topic is ‘The Rhythm of Life’. Pupils’ cultural understanding is enhanced when learning about how different countries, environments and peoples behave in different ways. Topics also develop pupils’ interests of lifecycles in the rainforest alongside considering issues of sustainability.
• The development of writing, particularly in the upper school, has been a recent priority for leaders. Consequently, the curriculum extensively enables pupils to practise writing for different audiences and purposes in their various subjects. However, pupils’ work shows that their understanding of science is not as strong. Leaders are developing the curriculum in mathematics because it is not yet ensuring that older pupils are fully prepared for the new, raised national expectations.
• Additional funding is used well to increase disadvantaged pupils’ readiness for learning. Leaders successfully use a range of strategies and support mechanisms to improve pupils’ social skills, behaviour and emotional health. These include the use of specialist teaching assistants, a pupil advocate and programmes to improve reading and working memory. Leaders have also made good use of external support to audit and improve the quality of this work.
• A much higher proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities attend the school when compared to other schools nationally. These pupils benefit well from a high level of individual support from teaching assistants as a result of additional funding received. Staff are effective in helping pupils to understand what they are learning and engage with the activities planned. The amount of additional funding is not always matched to the number of eligible pupils because of the large number of pupils continually joining the school. Nevertheless, the special educational needs coordinator works hard to meet the challenge of the school’s constantly changing population to ensure that pupils receive the support they require.
• The whole-school system for tracking the progress of different groups of pupils is not providing leaders with a fully accurate overview of progress made by different groups. Leaders’ analysis of group progress does not take sufficient account of pupils’ starting points when they join the school at different times. Staff do have a detailed, accurate understanding of the progress made by individual pupils. This is because they use the system effectively to produce reliable evidence to support their evaluations and are confident in their judgements.
• The sports premium additional funding is put to good use. Targeted training for staff is ensuring that they are better equipped to teach physical education. Additional and useful extra resources, such as gym mats, a tennis net and badminton sets, enable staff to offer a wider variety of after-school clubs to pupils. In addition, coaches come into the school to teach gymnastics, street dance and taekwondo, extending the provision further.
• Some parents who responded to the online Parent View survey are dissatisfied with aspects of the school’s work. Leaders and other staff have worked tirelessly, and in large part successfully, to foster positive, trusting relationships with families and the local community. This is supported by findings from the school’s own recently issued survey, which was highly positive and completed by a larger number of parents. However, some parents do not have confidence in the school and express concerns which include the quality of leadership. These concerns were not supported by the evidence gathered during the inspection.

Governance of the school

• Governors bring a good range of skills and expertise to their work. They have backgrounds in education, business and early years, for example. Governors are as passionately supportive of the school’s caring ethos and drive to support all pupils as staff. As one governor stated to the lead inspector, ‘The child is at the centre of everything here.’
• Governors know the school well. They have a good understanding of areas for improvement, local contextual issues and the pupils themselves. This is because they make the effort to understand, question and confront various issues at meetings. For example, governors correctly identified that the progress of key stage 2 pupils in mathematics needs to improve further and that attendance is improving. They are also able to articulate how additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is helping prepare pupils for learning.
• Leaders benefit from the positive relationship established with governors. The headteacher encourages governors to ask challenging questions so that she is appropriately held to account. Governors are aware of the key issues; they ask the right questions to ensure that leaders are focused on the key areas for improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The designated safeguarding lead is experienced and well qualified and leads this area of work confidently and skilfully. Consequently, staff are all appropriately trained and know how and where to refer any concern they may have, however small. Referrals are securely organised in an online system. This system enables appropriate staff to follow the chronology of individual cases carefully and ensure that the appropriate action is taken in each case. Safeguarding leads liaise effectively with external agencies, such as social care and the police, which helps support pupils’ needs. The designated safeguarding lead, as part of the school’s inclusion team, has built important bridges with the local community to support parents and families well.
• Checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with pupils are comprehensive and up to date. Senior staff and governors involved in recruiting new staff to the school use their knowledge gained following safer recruitment training to ensure that procedures are followed accurately.
• The school site is very secure. This is achieved through suitable fencing, and remotely operated doors which allow entry once the identity of visitors has been established. Processes to ensure that visitors know the school’s expectations of their conduct and behaviour are fit for purpose. All staff have a red emergency card on their identity lanyards to show to any other adult to secure instant help and support if needed.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils show positive attitudes to learning in their lessons because teachers plan stimulating, enjoyable tasks for them. For example, in Year 5, pupils’ enjoyment is enhanced when creating their own invention and producing a set of instructions for its use. Attitudes to learning are also positive because pupils appreciate the support they receive from staff. One pupil who spoke with the lead inspector said, ‘The teachers will come over and ask if we need help.’
• Most pupils, including the most able, are challenged to extend their thinking in different subjects. In response to an area for improvement from the last inspection, teachers now plan activities that meet the different needs of pupils more readily. Teachers also use questioning effectively to establish what pupils know and can do, to promote pupils’ interest and delve into their ideas in greater depth. One pupil who spoke with the lead inspector said, ‘Yes, there is a lot of challenge but not too much that we can’t do it.’
• A number of other adults are deployed effectively to assist those pupils who require more help. Teaching assistants work effectively on an individual basis with pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them understand what they are learning.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils. They expect them to do their best and this is evident in the quality of work that pupils produce. It is well presented and clearly demonstrates the pride pupils take in their work.
• Pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff. Pupils know that staff value them and provide the support they need, both with their learning and their behaviour. Staff are helpful, good natured and tolerant. Most pupils appreciate these attributes and respond in kind. As one pupil said to the lead inspector, ‘The teachers always know how to cheer us up.’
• Teachers are very committed in their efforts to establish an ongoing discussion with pupils about their learning, both verbally in class and through the medium of written work. They help pupils to understand what they have done well in their work and how it might be improved. This helps most pupils to make more rapid progress, although some pupils do not act on this advice as well as they might.

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 happy, welcoming place. Leaders work effectively with staff to foster an open, tolerant culture that reflects the school’s Christian values. Staff promote the values of the school and help to create a community in which all pupils are valued, regardless of need or background.
• Every available space in both the communal and classroom areas of the school is filled with pupils’ work or resources to assist learning. Examples of pupils’ writing and artwork, alongside photographs of pupils engaged in learning activities, lend warmth, colour and vibrancy to the school environment.
• The inclusion team is proactive and effective in meeting pupils’ behavioural, social and emotional needs. It is successful because of the range of expertise at its disposal and the connections forged with parents and the wider community. For example, the team includes the designated safeguarding lead/family advocate, special educational needs coordinator and an advocate for pupils, among other staff with specific roles.
• The vast majority of pupils who responded to the pupil survey issued during the inspection reported that they enjoy school, feel safe and that bullying is dealt with effectively in school. Pupils who spoke to the lead inspector typically commented that bullying is rare and dealt with effectively when it does occur. One pupil said, ‘If we’re feeling troubled they (staff) come to help us.’ Another pupil said, ‘The adults are very trustworthy; you can rely on them.’
• Pupils respect each other’s views. In class, pupils engage appropriately in class discussion; they offer their views without fear of ridicule and take turns to let other people speak. The pupils who spoke with the lead inspector were asked to discuss among themselves whether laws are necessary. They set to the task in hand immediately and with interest. They were keen to ‘have their say’ but also listened intently to each other at appropriate moments.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social education effectively. For example, pupils are prompted to consider philosophical questions through the prism of the school’s Christian values. Across all year groups, pupils are taught about how to be a successful learner. This enables pupils to understand the value of being able to ‘bounce back’ and show resilience, persist with difficult tasks and take pride in achievement. Qualities such as these help pupils to develop within the school community and become good citizens.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Behaviour in the school has improved over time. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and have established clear boundaries. As a result, most pupils respond well to adults’ instructions in class, arrive promptly and are ready to learn. At breaktimes, pupils respect each other’s space, play well together and use the play equipment safely. On rare occasions, some staff do not always challenge occasional examples of low-level disruption quickly enough.
• Teaching assistants and other adults support pupils who have additional social or behaviour needs or struggle to manage their behaviour well. Adults are on hand to provide 1:1 support, either in the class or outside. They take a calm, measured approach to ensure that potential ‘flashpoints’ do not occur and that aggressive, disruptive behaviour is de-escalated.
• Attendance overall and for groups of pupils is improving over time, despite being just below the national average. Staff work intensively, and with increasing success, to reinforce to parents that school attendance is vital for pupils to make progress. A good range of effective measures convey this message. These include providing rewards for pupils, such as attendance certificates and the chance for pupils to take home Alfie, the ‘attendance bear’. Meeting with parents, issuing penalty fines and working with the education welfare officer are also strategies rightly used to improve attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2016, pupils who left the school in Year 6, including disadvantaged pupils, made progress in reading that was in line with the national average. In writing, their progress was significantly above average, especially that of middle-ability pupils. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also achieved as well as all pupils nationally. Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics was also in line with average the previous year.
• The overall attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 1 in 2016 was in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, middle-ability pupils did not achieve as well as their peers nationally. Pupils’ achievement in the Year 1 phonics check was above the national average and has been so consistently over time.
• Current pupils’ work shows that pupils of different abilities are making good progress across their various subjects, particularly in reading and writing. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because they are provided with additional resources. These pupils are also motivated by praise from their teachers to persist with difficult tasks.
• Year 6 pupils write skilfully for different purposes and audiences. They produce many extended pieces not only in English but across a range of subjects. Examples include creative stories about a time machine or accounts of the formation of sedimentary rock in Lyme Regis. In topic books pupils refine their technical writing skills, for example, using semi-colons and adverbials to good effect.
• High-quality pastoral support and the inclusive school culture help prepare pupils for their transition to secondary school. The strong focus placed on the development of pupils’ self-esteem and habits for learning also assists in this work. Pupils also benefit from the school’s positive links with local secondary schools.
• The support provided for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is helping them to make progress. As a result, differences are diminishing between these pupils and their peers. However, leaders acknowledge that the impact of some strategies to promote learning is not yet as evident as in other areas of the school’s work.
• In 2016, pupils’ achievement in mathematics at the end of key stage 2, was significantly below average, particularly for the most able pupils. This was a decline on the previous year. Leaders were quick to analyse the reasons for this underperformance and take action in response. As a result, many current pupils are making more rapid progress. However, some pupils are not yet making sufficient progress because they are not fully prepared for the demands of the new mathematics curriculum. Teachers are not detecting underperformance quickly enough and taking action to help pupils catch up quickly.
• The school meets the government’s definition of a coasting school. Some aspects of pupils’ achievement at key stage 2 have not improved as rapidly as expected over time. This is a consequence of the high number of new pupils joining the school at different times. However, leaders are taking the right action to tackle this issue and as a result current pupils are making good progress and achieving well across the curriculum.

Early years provision Good

• The early years coordinator leads this area of the school’s work with confidence. She holds a good understanding of all aspects of provision and uses her expertise to strengthen what works well. For example, she enables other staff to take on leadership roles in relation to speech and language and attachment.
• The nursery and reception elements of early years work well together and there is regular interaction between the classes. This means that the transition of children through this phase of the school is smooth. It also enables the most able nursery children to benefit from the more challenging learning experiences in Reception, and further develop their social skills.
• Staff assess pupils’ starting points and their ongoing progress accurately. They use assessment information well to meet the different needs of individual and groups of children. For example, a current priority is to encourage children to use language in a richer way and speak in full sentences.
• Teaching challenges children’s learning with questions that require them to think more deeply and share their ideas with others. This reflects the priority among staff in early years to improve children’s use of language.
• Children are provided with a rich array of resources and learning opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom. Children are encouraged to be creative, to make, paint and experiment with different materials. They particularly benefit from the excellent forest school provision they use on a weekly basis. These various activities and resources ensure that most children enjoy their learning. Children are also encouraged to work both with each other and independently to enhance their social skills.
• Children’s achievement across the different areas of learning has been consistently at, or above, average over time. This is also true for the number of children achieving a good level of development.
• The early years coordinator works closely, and successfully, with parents to involve them in their child’s learning from the very start of their school experience. For example, she helps parents understand how phonics is taught by providing them with games to play with their children at home too.
• Safeguarding procedures mirror those of the main school and are similarly effective. The same online system is used for staff to record their concerns. All staff have identity badges and visitors are carefully vetted.
• Children’s work shows that they make good progress. For example, they progress from mark making to using simple sentences with correct use of punctuation. However, work does not explicitly draw attention to progress by indicating children’s starting points and noting progress gains at intervals over time.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 113351 Devon 10033244 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 Nursery and Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 415 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Dominic Morgan Tania Beard 01404 515409 www.stmartinscranbrook.devon.sch.uk admin@stmartinscranbrook.devon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 June 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
• St Martin’s CofE Primary and Nursery School is a larger than average-sized primary school with additional provision for nursery-aged children.
• The majority of pupils are from a White British background.
• The proportion of girls in the school is lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who receive support is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is just below the national average.
• The stability of the pupil population is well below average. The school opened in 2012 with 32 pupils. The number on roll has increased to 415 at the time of the inspection. This rapid growth has matched the growth of the new town in which the school is located. Pupils continue to join the school in different year groups as the town continues to grow. In 2016, only 10% of pupils who left the school in Year 6 had been in the school since the beginning of key stage 2. In 2017, this figure is 12%.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the designated safeguarding lead/family advocate. In addition, they met the special educational needs coordinator, the leader of early years and the inclusion team.
• The lead inspector had discussions with pupils, representatives of the governing body and the school improvement partner.
• A team inspector had a telephone discussion with an external consultant who had conducted a review of the use of pupil premium funding.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school development plan, governing body minutes, curriculum information and progress information. In addition, they scrutinised records of the monitoring of teaching and performance management, along with attendance and behaviour information. They also considered safeguarding records. Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work from different year groups and observed pupils’ conduct at break and lunchtimes.

Inspection team

Steve Smith, lead inspector Aisha Waziri Deborah Tregellas Adam Morris Non Davies

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector