Eardisley CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that improvement strategies are focused and have milestones and measures of success so that leaders can gauge the impact of their actions on sustaining improvement.
• Improve the progress of the most able pupils so that they reach the higher standards by ensuring that teachers provide more opportunities to challenge them and move them on in their learning.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has a clear and ambitious vision for the school. This dovetails with the school’s core values of ‘determination’, ‘friendship’ and ‘joy’. She is keen for the school to succeed, and other leaders, staff and pupils share this vision. She states that the staff are ‘fascinated by learning’, and so do their very best to help pupils learn effectively.
• Staff speak positively about the school and are proud to work there. They respect the leaders of the school and feel supported. Staff particularly value training opportunities which have enabled them to improve their teaching skills. Support for newly qualified teachers is effective and much appreciated.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school. They comment that their children are happy, well supported and that positive relationships exist between staff and their children. One parent commented, ‘It is a fantastic school and the support is amazing. I feel part of a family.’
• The values-based curriculum is broad and balanced. There is clear evidence in pupils’ books and around the school to reflect the range and quality of subjects being taught. Pupils talk about their favourite subjects and give good reasons why they enjoy them. Music and physical education are given a high priority within the school’s curriculum. There are many opportunities to reinforce English and mathematics skills in other subjects in most year groups.
• The curriculum is enriched through a range of trips, including a visit to London and a day out at Bristol Zoo, which pupils speak enthusiastically about. Residential visits to ‘Red Ridge’ and ‘Oaker Wood Activity Centre’ are also arranged for key stage 2 pupils and prove to be memorable. A range of well-attended after-school clubs are offered, including cricket, netball, art, gardening and many more. These clubs are free and, currently, over half of pupils attend at least one of them.
• The school is very inclusive. The leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is strong. Identification of pupils and their particular needs is swift and involves parents, who are fully involved in the review and target setting process. There is a whole-school approach in relation to how pupils who have additional needs are supported. There is a highly effective collaboration between school staff and external agencies. The leader for this area has a good knowledge of the pupils’ needs and is clearly aware of all interventions taking place. The specific funding for special educational needs provision is used well.
• Middle leaders, who are relatively new to their posts, are ambitious and enthusiastic about their areas of responsibility. They are aware of strengths and areas for development in their subjects and have improvement plans in place. As yet, it is too early to measure the impact of their actions.
• Leaders have identified the barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils. Additional funding is used to ensure that these pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life and that they are provided with extra support with their learning, where this is appropriate. Expenditure of pupil premium funds is managed effectively and the impact of this is assessed, where this is possible.
• Leaders use the primary schools sport premium funding in an appropriate manner. The use of sports coaches has increased the confidence and skills of teaching staff. Effective use of the funds enables pupils to engage in a range of sporting activities outside of the normal school day. Currently, just over 50% of the pupils attend after-school clubs.
• Although the majority of current pupils are making good progress in English and mathematics, not all pupils, especially the most able, are making as much progress as they could. Leaders are now aware of the need to provide more challenge for the most able pupils across the school in order for them to reach the higher standards of which they are capable.
• Using a range of information, leaders have self-evaluated and identified areas for improvement in the school. Subsequently, they have formulated a detailed development plan. However, the plan is not focused enough and there is a risk of leaders not tackling the most urgent priorities for improvement. In addition, some of the measures of success are written in a way which would make it difficult to evaluate the impact of actions taken.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Governors are clear about their responsibility to keep pupils safe and this is their highest priority. They have good systems for monitoring safeguarding in school. Governors with this specific specialism monitor policy and practice carefully.
• Governors have a clear vision for the school. They are keen for the school to be at the heart of the community. They are visible around school and use every opportunity to share their ambitions for the school with all stakeholders.
• Governors have a good understanding of the school’s current priorities. They provide a good balance of support and challenge to school leaders. They use information gathered through visits to the school, as well as that from reports provided by leaders, to ask pertinent questions in order to bring about improvements.
• Governors know how the pupil premium is spent and the general impact this has. They are clear about how the sport premium is used and the benefit that this is having on improving pupils’ health and fitness.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a culture of safeguarding which permeates the school. Staff are aware that safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone. Staff undertake regular training in relation to safeguarding and, as a result, they understand fully their roles and responsibilities. Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding have undertaken relevant training at an appropriate level to ensure that they fulfil their roles effectively.
• Accurate case records, which contain relevant detail, are kept securely in school and timely action is taken to support vulnerable pupils. The school has clear systems in place if a pupil makes a disclosure or allegation. Leaders work well with external agencies to provide the appropriate level of support and intervention required to keep pupils safe.
• Procedures for the recruitment and checking of staff are thorough. The single central record, used to record checks made on staff, is accurate and updated regularly.
• All pupils report that they feel safe and they attribute this to the caring nature of the staff and the security of the site.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have a secure subject knowledge. They consistently model language linked to mathematics and English grammar, which is mirrored by the pupils. This supports pupils when they explain their understanding of a concept in lessons.
• Being in a small school, teaching staff work closely together. They share their expertise in planning interesting learning experiences for the pupils.
• Throughout the school, teachers use open questions effectively to encourage pupils to think, deepen learning and correct misconceptions. As a result, pupils are confident learners who are keen to improve their ability to deal with difficult and challenging tasks. They are not afraid to make mistakes.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are effectively supported to engage in whole-class teaching. They are provided with appropriate support materials and adult support is effective. These pupils are fully included in all aspects of learning.
• The teaching of reading is becoming a strength of the school. Younger pupils are able to apply their phonics skills to read new and unfamiliar words with confidence. Strong routines promote reading well and pupils talk enthusiastically about their reading preferences and why they enjoy reading. A Year 5 pupil commented, ‘I like to be in a different world, and I can picture it.’ This represents the views of many pupils.
• Across the school, pupils are given opportunities to apply their writing skills in a wide range of contexts and genres. There are opportunities for extended writing across the curriculum, in a good range of subjects. For example, in lower key stage 2, pupils wrote an advertisement for a Roman villa in history.
• In mathematics, pupils are taught a range of mathematical concepts and there is clear evidence that pupils across the school can recall basic numeracy facts quickly and work out how to solve problems. There is strong evidence that problem-solving activities are provided in key stage 1, but not as much in key stage 2.
• In most cases, teachers have high expectations of behaviour and plan engaging lessons to fully engage pupils in their learning. In these instances, pupils are focused, on-task, take responsibility for their learning and make good progress.
• Homework is set regularly to support learning and the vast majority of pupils are well supported at home, particularly with reading.
• Adult support is used creatively and effectively to support the needs of all learners, but particularly those who require extra support and who are in danger of falling behind.
• In the majority of cases, pupils respond well to feedback on their work. They use comments to improve their learning and knowledge.
• In some English and mathematics lessons across the school, the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged. This is evident in their work over time and some pupils said that they find the work set by teachers too easy, particularly in mathematics. In these instances, teachers do not plan work that is challenging enough to meet the learning needs of these pupils. This limits the progress of the most able pupils in English and mathematics.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and happy at school. They personify the school’s core values. Pupils are proud to attend Eardisley CofE Primary School and they are considerate to each other.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and they attribute this to the caring nature of staff. Pupils have positive relationships with all staff, which are underpinned by mutual respect. Teachers know their pupils well.
• Pupils have a clear understanding of how to stay safe online. They speak confidently about this.
• Pupils make a significant contribution to the local community and enjoy welcoming visitors to their school. They are currently looking forward to the ‘senior residents’ tea’. The democratically elected school council is active and has a meaningful impact on school life. Pupils have participated in ‘Pupils 2 Parliament’ debates covering a range of topics, including safeguarding.
• Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils can talk articulately about the differences between right and wrong and they understand the consequences of their actions. They enjoy working collaboratively and they respect the views of others in the school.
• From the outset, pupils have an understanding of how to keep healthy. They talk confidently about eating a balanced diet and engaging in regular exercise.
• Pupils have a developing understanding of British values and they can explain how these link to the school’s core values.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons, at playtimes and when walking in corridors. There is a sense of calm and tranquillity around the school.
• Attendance has improved and is now higher than the national average. The number of pupils who are regularly absent is reducing. The school has clear systems in place to promote good attendance, and key members of staff have well-defined roles in relation to following up absence. The school has worked relentlessly to improve attendance through a range of initiatives, and these have proved to be successful. Punctuality is not an issue in the school, and during the inspection, no pupils arrived late.
• Pupils have a secure understanding of the different types of bullying. They say that incidents of bullying or derogatory language are very rare but, when they occur, staff deal with them swiftly. The majority of parents agree and feel that staff deal with issues promptly. Incidents of negative behaviour are relatively minor.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s assessment information and work in pupils’ books indicate that the majority of current pupils, across all year groups, are making good progress and working at the standards expected for their age in both English and mathematics.
• From 2015 onwards, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been above average. Over this period, there has also been a continuous upward trend, and this year’s results continue to be above the national average.
• School achievement information and work in books indicates that the progress of current pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with that of pupils nationally with similar starting points.
• Historically, attainment in science at the end of key stage 2 has been below what is usual for pupils of this age nationally. However, progress of current pupils indicates a sharp upward trend, so attainment now compares well with standards nationally expected for pupils of their age.
• The most able pupils make steady progress in all aspects of their work, but they are not achieving as well as they could in English and mathematics, because of a lack of challenge.
• In 2016 and 2017, all groups of pupils made slow progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. As a result, levels of attainment in these subjects have been below what is expected for their age. However, the number of pupils in each year group was small, making assessment information unreliable, and it is then difficult to identify specific trends and variations in outcomes. One pupil can make a significant difference to outcomes. For example, in 2017, one pupil equated to 10% of the data set.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years is a strength of the school.
• Children enter early years with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. By the time they leave Reception, the proportion of children who have achieved a good level of development is above average. This has been so for the last four years. Children in the early years make strong progress.
• Key staff, who are responsible for leadership, are enthusiastic, skilled and knowledgeable. Leadership in the early years is strong. Leaders and all staff use assessment information effectively to plan and deliver teaching which is tailored to meet the learning needs of different groups of children.
• When children begin their learning journey in the Reception Year, they are calm, happy and ready to learn. This is a result of an effective transition process that enables children to transfer seamlessly into school from home and other settings. Children are supported effectively at the end of the Reception Year through a range of activities that prepare them for Year 1.
• Children are busy learners and engaged in purposeful learning activities. Teaching is inspirational and lessons flow seamlessly, building on previous learning. Children are developing well into independent learners. Adults use open questions appropriately to encourage children to think, guide learning, develop language skills and maximise progress. The indoor learning environment is welcoming and supports learning very well. The outdoor learning environment is used very effectively to develop learning in different contexts.
• Children are happy, confident and keen to share their ideas with others. They are thrilled when others achieve and a positive ethos has been established within the setting. Strong relationships are evident and there is an acute sense of nurture and pastoral care. Children are confident to talk to visitors because they feel confident that their ideas are valued.
• Links with parents are strong. The school has developed good links with families, which in turn has a positive impact on children’s learning. Parents are fully encouraged and supported to play a part in their children’s development.
• Safeguarding arrangements in the early years are effective. Children feel safe and secure. Relevant staff hold paediatric first aid certificates and they follow safeguarding procedures with the same rigour as the rest of the school. Welfare requirements in the early years are met.

School details

Unique reference number 116804 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 10047469 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 98 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Philip Whittall Headteacher Bridget Knight Telephone number 01544 327 262 Website www.eardisleyschool.co.uk Email address bknight@eardisley.hereford.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26 27 February 2014

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than most primary schools.
• Pupils come predominantly from a White British background.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other key leaders. He spoke with six members of the governing body, including the chair. He discussed the school’s effectiveness with a representative from the local authority.
• The inspector made visits to classrooms on both days of the inspection. All of these visits were conducted with the headteacher. He scrutinised a wide selection of pupils’ books from different subjects. This was carried out during visits to classrooms and in a formal scrutiny of pupils’ work books.
• The inspector spoke to pupils both formally and informally. Another group of pupils accompanied him on a walk around the school. A number of pupils read to the inspector. He observed behaviour in classrooms, in corridors, in the hall at lunchtime and outside on the playground.
• The inspector talked to parents after school and a parent who requested to speak to him during day one of the inspection. Thirty-one responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, 59 responses to the pupil questionnaire and 18 responses to the staff questionnaire were considered.
• Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation form, the school development plan, achievement data, the local authority review and governing body minutes.
• Documents relating to safeguarding were checked and the inspector looked at published information on the school website.

Inspection team

Wayne Simner, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector