Minsterley Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further develop the programme of training for middle leaders, based on the school’s improvement priorities, to ensure that all staff with whole-school responsibility are fully effective.
• Ensure that all teachers promote the highest expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work, particularly in key stage 1.
• Make sure that learning is more challenging for disadvantaged pupils, including the most able pupils, so they make the progress of which they are capable.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher knows the school well and shows no complacency in identifying and addressing issues that affect pupils’ progress. He was therefore able to act decisively and effectively when outcomes declined in 2017. His actions, spurred on by the recommendations from the short inspection in February 2018, have led to a renewed sense of purpose and urgency in the school.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher form a cohesive and effective team. They share a strong determination to ensure that pupils are taught well and get the support they need to progress.
• All of the staff approve of the actions taken by leaders to sustain the good standard of education that the school provides. They respond well to the ways in which leaders support them and hold them to account for the progress of their pupils.
• Most leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They have detailed plans to make the school even better. The school’s improvement in standards over the past three terms demonstrates the effectiveness of many leaders’ actions.
• Recently, the role of middle leaders has been an improvement focus for the school and now the vast majority are playing a major role in the school’s success. Senior leaders clarified their expectations and middle leaders are now rightly focused on ensuring consistently high-quality provision for their area of responsibility. Senior leaders acknowledge, however, that there is still some work to do to ensure that all staff with a whole-school responsibility carry out their work effectively.
• The curriculum reflects leaders’ focus on providing pupils with a well-rounded education. Beyond the specific teaching of reading, writing and mathematics, pupils study topics that cover a wide range of subjects. They have ample opportunities to develop their literacy and numeracy skills while learning about science, geography, religious education or history. The curriculum also includes provision for art and music, as well as outdoor education.
• Pupils benefit from a good range of extra-curricular activities. They can learn archery skills and martial arts and they can enjoy competing in team games. All pupils are invited to participate in these activities. Those who do take part talk excitedly about how they learn new skills and face new challenges.
• Additional government funding, such as the pupil premium and the physical education and sport premium, is directed carefully to support pupils’ engagement in learning and their progress. For disadvantaged pupils, the summer 2018 key stage 1 and key stage 2 outcomes indicate that during this academic year, many have made the same good (or better) progress as their peers. Leaders acknowledge that these pupils, particularly the most able, could be challenged further and make even more progress over time.
• Leaders and staff promote equality of opportunity well through the school’s core Christian values. In lessons and around the school, pupils show respect and consideration for one another. They enjoy learning about other cultures and experiences. For example, the links the headteacher has developed with a school in Uganda provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to explore cultural differences and world issues.
• The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, as well as many of the parents who spoke to the inspector, were highly supportive of the school. One parent summed up the views of the majority by explaining, ‘I am absolutely delighted with this school. My three children in different classes are always keen to tell us at home how well they are doing each day. The staff genuinely act in the interests of the children and are constantly trying to improve their experience … they try to make it as exciting as possible.’

Governance of the school

• Governors acknowledge that the short inspection earlier this year was ‘a wake-up call’ for them to ensure that initiatives for school improvement could be monitored and evaluated more effectively. This re-focus has been successful and governors have been able to secure the required improvements. They effectively support and challenge leaders and are committed to the development of the school.
• Governors have a very clear understanding of the strengths of the school and areas that need further improvement. This is because they receive detailed information from the head of school and other leaders about pupils’ progress. They visit the school regularly to find out for themselves about the quality of teaching and learning. This enables them to ask probing questions about how well pupils are doing.
• The work of the governing body is well structured. Governors take responsibility for their own training. They commissioned a review of pupil premium funding to ensure that they are fulfilling their duties appropriately and are able to monitor more effectively disadvantaged pupils’ progress. As a result, governors now have a more comprehensive oversight of all aspects of the school, including financial management and the impact of additional funding, including the pupil premium.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The caring ethos of the school is reflected in its approach to safeguarding. Records are thorough and up to date. Policies and procedures are fit for purpose and support a strong culture of safeguarding. All members of staff receive regular training. Leaders check that all staff are aware of their duty of care and confident to take appropriate action to protect vulnerable pupils. The school works well with families and external agencies to support pupils who are at risk and reach a swift resolution of problems.
• Pupils feel safe at school. They trust adults and know whom to talk to if they have problems. They are taught about risks and how to avoid them. They are clear about what they need to do to keep safe when using the internet and social media.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Senior leaders, subject leaders and governors regularly visit lessons. They provide constructive feedback to teachers and support staff, who respond well to advice. Consequently, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good.
• Senior leaders are thorough in their analysis of pupils’ progress and outcomes. They identify any gaps in learning, and deal with them successfully. Their detailed actions and evaluations give a clear view of what has been achieved and what the school’s next steps are to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They have identified the few weaker aspects of teaching and are providing support and challenge to bring about improvement quickly.
• Teaching and support staff ensure that their classrooms are attractive and welcoming. Displays are colourful and well maintained and assist pupils in their learning. For example, classroom displays model pupils’ work of the highest standard and demonstrate to pupils what can be achieved.
• The teaching of subjects other than English and mathematics focuses on subject topic work. Topics are designed to encourage pupils to broaden their knowledge, while using and further developing their literacy and numeracy skills. Pupils are taught to make connections between subjects and have frequent opportunities to write extensively about what they learn.
• A strength in teaching is the way in which teachers consistently use effective questioning to challenge and deepen pupils’ understanding. For example, pupils were encouraged to think carefully before describing a character from the text they were studying. Similarly, teaching in mathematics is challenging and encourages pupils to think deeply. Pupils rise to the challenge, for example, using their knowledge of long division when calculating with large numbers.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils’ early reading skills are developed well. Good teaching of phonics helps pupils prepare for more challenging reading tasks. Pupils are taught to develop good skills to infer meaning from texts.
• Teachers do not routinely ensure that pupils present their work to a sufficiently high standard, particularly in key stage 1. Here they often accept second best when pupils are capable of much higher standards of presentation.
• Teachers and teaching assistants work well together. Their partnership is effective in providing support for pupils who find some of the work difficult. As a result, all pupils, including pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, develop their knowledge, understanding and skills across the curriculum.
• Where teachers have high expectations, pupils respond well and are highly attentive. In these lessons, pupils are fully engaged and listen carefully to each other. However, this is not yet the case in all lessons. In some cases, teachers do not have high enough expectations based on what pupils already know and can do. This is especially the case for disadvantaged pupils, including the most able.
• Homework is given in line with the school’s policy. The majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, felt that their children receive the right amount of homework. The overwhelming majority of pupils complete their homework on time.
• Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Teachers focus on extending pupils’ understanding of people and communities beyond their immediate experience, for example in receiving a visitor from the Omushana charity in Uganda to explain to pupils what life is like for children in that country.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils show strongly positive attitudes across a range of contexts, especially when engaged in lessons. They are supportive of each other and interact well when learning together. The school is a calm, happy and orderly environment. Pupils are polite and treat visitors with respect and consideration, for example by holding open a door or asking if they can be of help. They are friendly and gregarious, reflecting the school’s Christian ethos extremely well.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and they know how to keep themselves safe online. They can also explain how to keep themselves healthy. Pupils talk with great appreciation about the care and support they receive from staff. They say bullying is not an issue and, if it did occur, they are certain it would be dealt with well by their teachers.
• Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of the British values of tolerance and respect.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ conduct is overwhelmingly positive. The vast majority of pupils clearly enjoy school and behave well in lessons and during breaktimes. Pupils have a clear understanding of school rules and the vast majority adhere to them willingly.
• Pupils respect adults and get on well with each other. Pupils respond well to adults’ instructions and do not challenge their authority. As a result, the school has a calm and pleasant atmosphere.
• Leaders have rigorous and effective policies in place to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. The school’s systems to identify and address attendance issues have ensured that attendance is consistently above the national average year on year. When required, leaders work closely with families and external agencies to address issues that may prevent a small minority of pupils from attending school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ skills and needs on entry to the school are subject to wide variations. In this smaller-than-average primary school, a significant and rising number of pupils arrive from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some enter having experienced little or no previous schooling. A small number speak English as an additional language or are still at an early stage of learning English. They respond well to skilled teaching and specialist support and make good progress during their time in the school.
• Improved teaching and the development of different types of adult support, both in and out of class, have improved pupils’ early reading and phonics skills. Pupils continue to extend their reading skills well as they move through the school. They benefit from plentiful opportunities to read alone and with adults.
• School and inspection checks of pupils’ developing skills show increasing proportions of pupils strengthening their progress as they move through the school. Checks of pupils’ responses in class and in their work show that they benefit from close adult assistance. This is the case across all subjects.
• Early indications of the summer 2018 key stage 1 and key stage 2 outcomes are very encouraging. Year 6 pupils have made a significant improvement on last year’s results in mathematics and reading at both the expected and high standard. Writing outcomes have maintained similar pleasing outcomes to those in 2017. Similarly, in 2018, key stage 1 pupils’ outcomes have improved significantly at expected and greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Staff have improved the progress in reading, writing and mathematics of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. This group of pupils now make progress that is closer to that of other pupils nationally.
• Senior leaders recognise that disadvantaged pupils are not consistently making the progress of which they are capable, particularly the most able, although this is improving. Recent initiatives, including those taken from an external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding, indicate a positive impact on current pupils’ progress. This was seen in many disadvantaged pupils’ books during the inspection.
• Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Staff have accurate processes to assess and track pupils’ learning throughout the school. The vast majority use this information to intervene appropriately when pupils are not making enough progress. As a result, most pupils in all classes are now working at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. Where pupils are not yet working at the expected standard for their ages, they are making rapid improvement and are on track to reach it. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

Early years provision Good

• Children in early years make good progress from their starting points. They join the school with levels of development that are often lower than those seen typically. As a result of the good teaching they receive, children, including disadvantaged children, make good progress. By the end of the year, most children achieve a good level of development and are well prepared for Year 1.
• The teaching of early literacy and numeracy is effective. The curriculum is lively and well planned. Imaginative activities enthuse the children and give them exciting opportunities to practise what they are learning. A good example of this was the astronaut project seen during the inspection. The classroom work resulted in some excellent writing of application forms and generated enormous enthusiasm.
• Parents value the work in early years. They say that their children are safe, happy and well looked after. Parents are pleased with the progress that their children are making.
• Leadership is good. Leaders are fully aware of strengths and weaknesses in early years. They take effective action to improve provision and outcomes. For example, leaders have made good use of additional adults to support children’s learning. This has ensured that all children, from a variety of different starting points, have made good progress this year.
• Safeguarding is effective. All adults involved in early years are vigilant and have the appropriate qualifications and training to provide a high level of care.

School details

Unique reference number 123383 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10048972 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 143 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Brian Goodwin Headteacher Clive Roe Telephone number 01743 791398 Website www.minsterleyschool.org.uk Email address admin@minsterley.shropshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6 March 2018

Information about this school

• Minsterley Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The current headteacher will retire at the end of the academic year and a new headteacher will take up the post in September 2018.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is higher than average.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British. A small number come from minority ethnic groups and speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum standards expected nationally for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector visited lessons in all year groups, accompanied by senior leaders, to observe pupils learning.
• Discussions were held with senior leaders, members of staff, governors, a representative from the local authority, pupils and a group of parents at the start of the day.
• The inspector examined a wide range of documentation, including that relating to attendance and behaviour, school improvement planning, assessment information, monitoring of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings and school policies relating to safeguarding.
• The inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 reading, and met formally with a group of pupils to discuss their learning, behaviour and safety. The inspector also evaluated pupils’ books, displays of pupils’ work and the school’s assessments of the progress made by pupils.
• The inspector took account of 11 responses to the pupil questionnaire, nine responses to the staff questionnaire, 37 responses on Parent View and 24 free-text comments from parents.

Inspection team

Steven Cartlidge, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector