Long Mountain CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching to further improve pupils’ achievement by:
  • developing the school’s curriculum and the quality of assessment in all subjects other than English and mathematics, so that teaching in these subjects can build on what pupils can already do
  • bedding down improvements to the teaching of writing, to ensure it securely meets the increased demands of the national curriculum
  • ensuring that pupils have good opportunities to apply their mathematics and writing skills across a range of subjects.
• Develop the skills of newly appointed subject leaders so that they can have a good impact on the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility, securing rapid progress for all groups of pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have ensured that the school has improved since the last inspection. The inspirational headteacher brings many skills to the school. Since her appointment, she has united the pupils, staff and the wider school community and provided a clear sense of purpose. Staff, governors and parents hold her in high regard and value the work she has done to keep the school open and to unite the three schools in the federation.
• The headteachers’ and governors’ work to communicate their ideas and plans to parents and pupils has been successful. This is reflected in the highly positive responses to Parent View and in parents’ discussions with the inspector during the inspection. One parent commented to the inspector, ‘The communication has been excellent and the children are being taught in two-year age groups with good teaching. I have absolute confidence in the leadership.’
• The special educational needs coordinator has an excellent understanding of her role. She has improved the procedures for addressing the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is good evidence of the work carried out with external agencies to ensure that pupils’ additional needs are met.
• The roles of subject leaders are underdeveloped. Staff who are recently appointed and have responsibility for subjects are not yet fully involved in making checks on the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils in their areas of responsibility.
• Performance management is effective and has been used well to hold staff to account. As a result, inadequate teaching has been eradicated and pupils’ progress has improved.
• Training, support and regular checks have been used to improve the quality of teaching. Staff, including those new to the school, spoke of how training has enabled them to develop their skills. The school self-evaluation is accurate and leaders have a detailed and very accurate view of the school’s performance. Not only do they drive improvement in areas prioritised in the school’s development plan, but they also recognise where more progress is needed. Consequently, the latest assessment information shows that most pupils are making good progress.
• The curriculum, the relationships between adults and pupils and the school’s development of values make a good contribution to pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. During the inspection, pupils were learning about the value of ‘justice’. Pupils talked about this sensibly in an assembly and reflected on the implications for their own lives. Pupils learn about British values through different activities and mark events such as Remembrance Day and harvest festival. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in Britain.
• The pupil premium funding has been used to provide the very small number of eligible pupils with well-targeted support. Teachers are aware of these pupils and the targets that have been set for them. Their progress is tracked carefully and frequently. This has been effective in securing good progress.
• The local authority and Diocesan Board have provided very effective support to the school during the planning and organisation of the federation arrangements. The school’s adviser knows the school well and has supported the school effectively to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
• The sports funding has been spent well. Specialist coaches teach high-quality physical education to pupils in all year groups. There are a range of after-school sports clubs available and pupils are taking part in more competitions.

Governance of the school

• School governance has improved since the last inspection. Recommendations from the review of governance, which occurred shortly after the last inspection, were implemented, leading to an efficient and skilled group of governors. The governing body reconstituted earlier this year to form a single governing body across the federation. They used an audit to assess the skills needed to further support improvement.
• Over the last year, governors have taken successful action to secure the future of the school through the federation. This has enabled them to provide a long-term financial plan and secure leadership for the school.
• Governors are clear about the roles they undertake. They are effective in holding the headteacher to account for school improvement, evaluating and challenging the information she provides. Governors check on the accuracy of information through visits to the school. They review their own performance and this ensures they discharge their responsibilities effectively to secure school improvement.
• Governors are diligent in undertaking their duties in relation to managing the performance of staff.
• Governors check on how the pupil premium, sport premium and funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are used to check the impact of spending.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school’s arrangements meet statutory requirements. The headteacher has ensured the staff, including those new to the school, are familiar with procedures and how to identify pupils at risk, including from the dangers posed by extremism and radicalisation.
• Staff keep thorough records, work well with parents and react quickly to help pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the time of the last inspection. Observations of learning, scrutinies of pupils’ books and the school’s assessment information show that teaching is now typically good. As a result, pupils are making good progress.
• In the strongest teaching, teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge, there are high expectations of what pupils can achieve and staff are very clear about the next steps in pupils’ learning. The headteacher is working well to secure more of this high-quality teaching.
• Pupils receive good-quality phonics teaching and this provides them with a good base on which to build their wider reading skills. Pupils of all abilities enjoy reading and were keen to share their books with the inspector. They used their phonics knowledge well to attempt unfamiliar words and were able to talk with confidence about the plot and characters in the story. The most able pupils are being challenged well with reading material of a good level.
• In mathematics, pupils are making good progress in developing their calculation skills. There were some good examples of pupils being given opportunities to develop their mathematical reasoning and solve problems. For example, pupils in Year 2 were using a range of resources and used mathematical vocabulary well to explain their understanding of fractions.
• The teaching of writing has improved since the last inspection and as a result current pupils in the school are making good progress. As some staff are new to the school, training in writing is continuing across the federation this year to ensure that the approach to the teaching of writing is consistent and meets the increased demands of the curriculum. Teachers have a good understanding of the technical aspects of writing and find engaging ways for pupils to write. For example, pupils in Year 5 were proud of their attempts to use their writing skills to produce a leaflet on Ancient Egyptian farming.
• Since the last inspection, teachers have worked hard to develop a consistent whole-school approach to giving pupils precise guidance on how to improve their work. This is working well across the school and fully understood by pupils. Pupils correct their mistakes and act on suggestions for improvement.
• Teachers have increased their expectations of what the pupils can achieve, including the most able, and offer greater challenges to pupils in their learning. For example, the most able pupils in Year 5 were undertaking work on pie charts at a fast pace, gaining understanding rapidly.
• Additional adults are used well to support learning throughout the school. They give helpful guidance and support, and extend learning in all parts of the lessons including small-group sessions. Their support for pupils in one-to-one sessions is particularly successful.
• Pupils enjoy studying a variety of topics. However, teachers do not consistently take account of what pupils can already do to plan the next steps for pupils in these subjects. This is because assessment practices in other subjects are not as sharp as in English and mathematics.
• There is some variation in the opportunities for pupils to apply their writing and mathematical skills in various subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• From their entry into school, pupils are taught to respect each other, with teachers and teaching assistants acting as role models. There is a harmonious atmosphere in the school; pupils mix well and enjoy the additional opportunities and friendships offered by the federation arrangement.
• Pupils feel safe in school. They are aware of how to keep themselves and others safe. The school teaches children how to be safe, including awareness of road safety and how to keep safe on the internet. Leaders have recently taken measures to enhance security and upgraded fencing to the car park.
• All pupils spoken to said that bullying was rare. They were confident that any issues would be effectively addressed.
• Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of the importance of making healthy choices about what they can eat, and can explain the effects of exercise on their body. This is a result of effective learning in physical education, science and personal, social and health education.
• Parents who spoke to inspectors and responded to Parent View were confident that their children were safe.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ conduct in lessons is positive and usually attentive, and they show respect towards both adults and each other.
• Pupils play happily at playtimes, often with younger and older pupils playing together. Pupils appreciate the wider group of friends they have across the federation of schools.
• Pupils understand and are motivated by the school’s reward system. The school’s behaviour log shows that there are very few incidents of poor behaviour.
• Pupils enjoy lessons and respond well to adults’ questions and prompts. They move sensibly between activities in lessons and work well together during group work, carefully considering each other’s views.
• In 2016, attendance was broadly in line with the national average. Holidays during term time are not authorised. Senior leaders have high expectations for pupils’ attendance, which is closely monitored. Few pupils are persistently absent.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The progress made by pupils is now good, which is an improvement since the time of the last inspection.
• In 2016, numbers in the cohort were small. However, the majority of pupils achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check.
• In key stage 1 pupils make good progress from their starting points. In 2016, the proportion of Year 2 pupils reaching the expected standard in all subjects was close to national figures.
• In Year 6 2016 there were very few pupils, and it is not possible to comment on their attainment and progress without risk of identifying them. There are no current pupils in Year 6.
• The school’s current assessment information and work in pupils’ books confirms the view that pupils are making good progress from their individual starting points. Pupils now make good progress in writing, which was an area for improvement at the last inspection.
• The school’s procedures for assessing pupils’ progress and tracking are effective in identifying pupils who are at risk of falling behind. As a result, there is little variation in progress between different groups of pupils in school.
• The numbers of disadvantaged pupils in the school are very small. However, information supplied by the school and confirmed by inspection evidence shows that disadvantaged pupils are making progress in line with their classmates.
• Some of the pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities start in the school with considerable academic and social difficulties. Inspection evidence shows that because their needs are accurately assessed and their learning carefully planned, the majority make good progress from their different starting points.

Early years provision Good

• Children usually start school with skills that are generally typical for their age, but this varies from year to year. Some children have lower skills, particularly in writing, speaking and language. Effective organisation and teaching enable children to make good progress so that they are well prepared for Year 1.
• Adults provide a nurturing and safe environment for children to play and learn in. Children benefit from the very positive relationships they have with adults and their older classmates. Children are confident and happy because of the well-established routines that are reinforced by adults.
• Teaching in the early years is good. Well-planned activities stimulate and retain children’s interest, with an appropriate focus on literacy and writing skills. During the inspection, pupils were observed undertaking a range of exciting writing activities. For example, pupils were writing a healthy food shopping list for a monkey. Pupils were applying their knowledge of phonics and were mark-making and writing with confidence and enthusiasm.
• Parents are positive about the good start their children have made at the school. Parents appreciate the level of communication they receive to keep them informed of their children’s learning and progress.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the provision, and are keen to improve it further. For example, they are aware of the importance of accelerating progress in writing for those who need to catch up, and plan to make the outdoor area as stimulating as the indoor classroom.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 123518 Shropshire 10020019 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 Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 38 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Sally Johnson Jane Gill 01743 891 320 www.worthen.shropshire.sch.uk/ admin@worthen.shropshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 November 2014

Information about this school

• Worthen Primary School is very much smaller than the average primary school. It is federated with Hope Primary School and Westbury Primary School. In September 2016, the pupils from Hope and Westbury Primary Schools joined pupils on the Worthen school site. A formal consultation process has started to amalgamate the three schools from September 2017. The schools share the same governing body.
• The headteacher acts as the leader across the three schools in the federation. Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes to the teaching staff and leaders.
• Children in the Reception Year join a mixed-aged class with pupils from Year 1. There are two mixed-aged classes in key stage 2. Year 2 are taught on their own. There are no Year 6 pupils currently in the school.
• The small year groups mean that data for pupil performance does not appear in published form. This is because it may be possible to identify individual pupils from this information.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the content of the curriculum for every year group in each subject and the use of sports funding on its website. A new website is currently being constructed for the federation of schools.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector visited lessons to observe pupils’ learning in all classes across the school; several visits were conducted jointly with the headteacher.
• The comments on and responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered. The inspector also talked with parents before the school day.
• Pupils’ work on display and in books was looked at. The headteacher evaluated pupils’ books together with the inspector in lessons.
• Regular meetings were held with the headteacher.
• In addition, meetings were held with governors, subject leaders and the early years and special educational needs coordinators.
• A range of school information and documentation was examined that related to behaviour, the curriculum, attendance, school governance, pupils’ progress, safeguarding, school improvement planning and evaluation, staff performance management and monitoring.
• The lead inspector met with the school improvement adviser from the local authority and had a telephone call with a senior adviser from the local authority.
• The inspector met with pupils formally and informally at breaktimes and in meetings.

Inspection team

Sarah Somers, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector