Morville CofE (Controlled) Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and boost pupils’ progress by ensuring that:
  • teachers provide pupils with work that is sufficiently challenging in mathematics
  • teachers have consistently high expectations for the quality of presentation in pupils’ written work.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • there is a measurable and specific impact of the additional support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
  • the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of other faiths and cultures.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher has been instrumental in improving the school since it converted to an academy. She has galvanised the school community and raised expectations. As a result, teaching has improved rapidly and the number of pupils on roll has increased significantly.
• Leaders drive improvements in teaching, because they know the school well. They have ensured that focused improvement plans link coherently to their self-evaluation of the school. Leaders also ensure that teachers’ performance management targets relate closely to key priorities. This efficient process enables leaders to improve key priorities swiftly and accelerate pupils’ progress.
• The executive headteacher and the trust put in place regular reviews from external consultants. These reviews provide an effective level of challenge and also enable leaders, including governors, to validate their own evaluation of the school.
• Leaders have developed a culture in which staff reflect on their practice within and beyond their own school. Morville is a small school with two teachers, so the executive headteacher has arranged training and collaboration with staff from another school. Teachers at Morville are receptive to this approach and it is having a clear impact on the quality of teaching.
• Leaders carry out effective checks on the quality of teaching in lessons and the work in pupils’ books. Leaders then provide teachers with relevant and precise feedback on how to improve. Importantly, teachers act on the advice and make the necessary improvements to their teaching. For example, after clear feedback from leaders, staff in the early years have improved the quality of their observations and assessments of children’s learning.
• All parents who spoke to the inspector expressed positive views about the quality of education at Morville. They feel that their children are thriving because of good teaching and the high quality of care that staff provide. Parents also appreciate the ‘open door’ policy and individualised attention that their children receive. One parent commented, ‘Pupils are treated as individuals and are pushed just enough to achieve, academically, physically, musically and artistically.’
• The curriculum is a strength of the school. Leaders have ensured that pupils develop good knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. Moreover, the topics that pupils study are meaningful and relevant, which helps to spark pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. For example, in key stage 2, teachers immersed pupils in a project called ‘All about Morville’. Pupils researched the history of their community, and wrote and received letters from local people, as well as visiting key people and buildings in the area. Pupils produced an impressive piece of class artwork and also designed an information leaflet about their local area. Pupils have a deep understanding of the topics that they are studying and also develop key life skills such as communication, creativity and teamwork.
• Pupils’ moral and social development is well catered for. They discuss things that are happening in the world. For example, one pupil shared a prayer with the class in order to pay respect to those affected by a recent fire in London. Pupils’ social development is a strength. Older pupils support younger pupils in the school and there are regular opportunities for pupils to work in teams. Furthermore, a range of visitors and experts come into school to work with pupils and further support their personal development. While pupils have a good understanding of the Christian ethos of the school, they do not have a deep understanding of a range of other faiths and cultures.
• The special educational needs coordinator ensures that additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used well. She works in partnership with staff to identify pupils who require additional support. Leaders involve external services and parents in a timely and effective manner. As a result, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have access to carefully planned provision and make good progress. Some additional support delivered by teaching assistants is not measured specifically for impact. This means that leaders cannot precisely determine how successful the different types of support have been.
• The effective use of physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is a strength. Morville works with a local sports partnership to put in place a range of sports clubs and competitions. Pupils are incredibly proud of their sporting achievements and several teams have qualified for county tournaments. Leaders have also brought in experts to support the development of high-quality PE. For example, a dance expert is used to develop pupils’ skills and enable them to perform a dance to an audience.
• Pupil premium funding is used well to support disadvantaged pupils. There are very few pupils who qualify for this funding, but those who do receive targeted support from adults in the school. The work in pupils’ books and current assessment information show that disadvantaged pupils make good progress.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed and ambitious. They are proud to serve their local community.
• Governors:
  • have steered the school through a fragile period and have had a clear impact on recent improvements
  • provide an appropriate level of challenge and support to leaders through meetings and school visits
  • have clearly defined roles and use these to hold leaders to account for particular aspects of school improvement.
• The trust:
  • knows the school well and offers an accurate evaluation of the quality of education that it provides
  • carries out increasingly useful checks on the quality of provision and the progress that pupils are making.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Records of concerns are thorough, and any emerging issues are followed up with tenacity by leaders. Records show that leaders work closely with families and external agencies to address any concerns. This makes a significant contribution to the culture of safeguarding that is evident in the school.
• Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding risks, because they are given regular training by leaders. Staff know the procedures for reporting concerns and they follow the school’s policy clearly. Leaders also provide regular updates so that staff can keep abreast of any changes to guidance.
• Leaders have also been proactive in working with parents to promote pupils’ safety. For example, leaders held an internet safety workshop to deepen parents’ understanding of the associated online dangers and how they can keep their child safe at home.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the school opened as an academy. Teachers respond well to the challenge of planning and delivering lessons in a small school. There are two classes in total, which means that staff plan for up to four year groups in each class. Teachers know the pupils extremely well and use this information to plan lessons that match pupils’ needs, particularly those relating to reading and writing.
• Teachers have developed a strong culture for reading at the school. As a result of the application of teachers’ good subject knowledge and a wider range of reading strategies, pupils’ progress in reading is strong.
• Phonics is taught well in key stage 1 and helps pupils to secure good early reading skills. Parents, pupils and teachers use the home reading records highly effectively. Pupils in key stage 2 read challenging texts and they talk enthusiastically about different authors. Furthermore, precise teaching in key stage 2 enables pupils to develop successful higher-level reading skills, such as inference. During the inspection, an author visited the school to work with pupils on storytelling skills. Pupils were absolutely inspired by this visit.
• The teaching of writing has improved across the school. Teachers plan effective sequences of lessons to build pupils’ understanding of language, sentence types, grammar, punctuation and the structure of different genres of writing. Pupils write at length to demonstrate how they can apply their skills. Furthermore, pupils are becoming increasingly skilful in editing and improving their work. Pupils’ writing in their books demonstrates that they make good progress.
• Teachers do not have consistently high expectations for the quality of presentation in pupils’ written work. Some pupils’ books do not show a consistent level of pride and care in the appearance of work. Consequently, progress slows for some pupils, because they are not producing their best work.
• Teaching in key stage 2 provides exciting stimuli for writing and a good use of technology to spark pupils’ interest. For example, pupils worked in pairs to research on the internet and answer the question, ‘Would you prefer to live in Tudor times or in the modern day?’ Pupils were highly motivated by the task. Consequently, the quality of their research and their planning for writing was strong.
• Teachers are improving the quality of mathematics teaching. Pupils’ calculation skills are more accurate and fluent. They are also getting better at applying their understanding through problem solving. However, pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as rapid as it is in reading and writing. This is because teachers do not provide a consistent level of challenge for pupils. Pupils’ progress slows when they are carrying out work that is too easy for them.
• Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work are regular and accurate. Assessments link closely to the ‘steps to success’ that are shared and reviewed with pupils each lesson. Teachers take part in effective moderation activities within and outside school. This helps to further secure teachers’ accuracy in assessing pupils’ work and progress.
• Teaching assistants are reflective and respond well to training opportunities. Consequently, they make an effective contribution to pupils’ progress during lessons and when providing additional support.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils’ emotional and social development is well catered for. Staff and pupils form positive relationships in this close-knit school community. Older pupils in the school are sensitive to the needs of younger pupils and look after them at breaktimes. As a result of these strong bonds, pupils feel safe and love coming to school.
• Pupils have a good understanding of their school values and they can talk in depth about why they are important. One pupil commented, ‘All our values are important, but I think friendship is vital so that we can all support one another.’ Staff and visitors teach values well in assemblies which contributes to the positive ethos of the school. While pupils have a deep understanding of their school values, their understanding of other faiths and cultures is not well developed.
• Leaders identified that pupils needed to develop certain aspects of their character. This led to the creation of ‘learning passports’. Pupils prove that they have achieved certain targets, including ‘holding the door open for someone’ and ‘saying thank you’. Pupils are motivated by achieving their targets and receiving awards. The initiative is contributing well to pupils’ good manners and their respect for others.
• Safety is taught well by staff. Pupils can identify the negative effect of various types of bullying. E-safety week has had a strong impact on pupils, because they are very clear about the dangers associated with the internet and know exactly what to do if they have concerns online. As a result of the school’s actions, pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.
• Pupils enjoy ‘forest schools’ sessions and this is helping them to develop key life skills. Pupils are curious about the world around them when learning outdoors and it contributes well to their physical development.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ conduct in lessons and at other times of the school day is exceptional. They show high levels of self-discipline. For example, on the rare occasions that behaviour does not meet their usual high standards, pupils quickly recognise this and correct their actions. Pupils’ outstanding behaviour makes a strong contribution to their progress and is helping to ensure that they are very well prepared for their next stage of education.
• Leaders and staff manage behaviour extremely well. Behaviour records show very few incidents occurring, which correlates strongly to the positive behaviour seen during the inspection. Staff skilfully and sensitively reinforce the agreed behaviour expectations outlined in the ‘Morville way’. Furthermore, staff focus on rewarding pupils’ excellent behaviour, which motivates pupils to continue their high standards.
• Parents are unanimous in their positive views of pupils’ behaviour. Of the parents who completed Ofsted’s Parent View survey, all of them agreed, and the vast majority strongly agreed, that the school makes sure that pupils are well behaved.
• In 2016, whole-school attendance levels were high and above the national average. In the current academic year, due to exceptional circumstances, attendance levels have dropped slightly. Leaders manage attendance well and no groups of pupils are disadvantaged by low attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes across the school were strong in 2015. In 2016, the proportions of pupils achieving the expected and higher standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 were not as positive. However, there were small numbers of pupils in both of these year groups and, while their attainment was not high, most pupils made good progress from their starting points. The school’s current assessment information and the work seen in pupils’ books shows that pupils’ progress is good in reading and writing. In mathematics, pupils’ current progress is not as quite as rapid, but it is improving.
• Pupils are achieving well in reading across the school. Phonics is taught well and, over the last three years, the proportion of pupils passing the Year 1 phonics screening check has been broadly in line with national levels. In key stage 1 in 2016, all pupils achieved the expected standard in reading. In most year groups, current assessment information shows that a high proportion of pupils are achieving expected standards.
• The most able pupils are making good progress. Teachers set challenging work, particularly in English, which is extending the learning for this group of pupils. For example, in a Year 6 reading lesson, the most able pupils were developing sophisticated answers to inference questions. Due to this added push for the most able pupils across the school, there is an increase in the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standards during this academic year.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive specific support and make good progress. In 2016, at the end of Year 6, their progress was good in mathematics and in reading. Their progress was not as strong in writing, due to the fact that pupils’ barriers to learning were more pertinent in this subject area.
• In 2016, there were no disadvantaged pupils at the national assessment points for Years 1, 2 and 6. There are very few disadvantaged pupils in the school. However, those who are disadvantaged receive appropriate additional support and make good progress.
• In 2016, at the end of key stage 1 and 2, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards in mathematics was low. However, their progress was sufficient from their starting points. Pupils’ work in books and current assessment information shows that pupils’ progress is improving in mathematics. However, it is still not as strong as is in English and remains an important area of focus for leaders.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders and staff have made positive changes to the provision in the early years. In 2016, they recognised that children were not receiving sufficient challenge. This led to a drop in the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development. However, the curriculum now provides rich experiences for pupils and appropriate challenge. As a result, current assessment information and work in children’s books shows that a higher proportion are achieving the expected standards this academic year.
• Leaders and staff have used external expertise well to develop practice in the early years. For example, an external review identified that the quality of staff’s observations and assessments of children’s learning needed to be improved. Staff now use more precise observations and identify children’s specific next steps more frequently. Consequently, children’s books show that progress has been boosted even further.
• The learning environment in the early years has developed considerably in order to support different areas of learning. There is a vast array of exciting activities and resources for children to choose from. For example, in the current topic, children were taking on construction challenges in the ‘three pigs building site’. They were also seen developing their language in the small world farm area, using words such as ‘shiny’, ‘spiky’ and ‘hard’. As a result of the stimulating environment, children are developing their independence and extending their thinking in a range of different scenarios.
• The quality of teaching is resulting in good progress over time in reading, writing and mathematics. Staff plan activities that spark children’s interest. They also support children during activities with appropriate questions to deepen their thinking. For example, in a mathematics session, children played a game by throwing bean bags into different hoops to identify and then add different coins. The most able children were pushed even further to add coins together with more challenging amounts.
• Leaders arrange training for staff that has an impact on practice. For example, recent phonics training is being used effectively. Staff were observed using accurate subject knowledge to encourage children to sound out tricky words before writing sentences.
• Children’s behaviour and attitudes to their learning are good. Staff nurture children by praising them and supporting them to develop their social skills. Children play together productively and are highly imaginative in their interactions with one another.
• Parents are kept well informed about children’s progress, and communication between home and school is good. Parents and staff regularly contribute to children’s reading records. This provides a strong start to children’s reading skills.
• Children have their curriculum experiences further enhanced by regular ‘forest schools’ sessions. Through these sessions, children develop their problem-solving skills and extend their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
• Welfare requirements are met and children are safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141180 Shropshire 10032556 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 Academy sponsor-led 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 44 Appropriate authority Academy trust Chair Executive headteacher Telephone number Website Email address

Elizabeth Townsley

Sue Blackburn 01746 714219 www.morvilleschool.org.uk/ a2205@telford.gov.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is well below the national average.
• A large majority of pupils come from a White British background.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is just above the national average.
• The government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils by the end of Year 6, do not apply to this school. This is because it is a small school and there were only four pupils in Year 6 in 2016.
• The school is part of the Bishop Anthony Educational Trust, which has legal and strategic responsibilities for all of the schools within the trust. The local governing body supports and challenges the school, as well as providing a link with the local community. The school opened as an academy in September 2014. When its predecessor school was inspected by Ofsted in May 2014, it was judged to require improvement.
• The executive headteacher started at this school in September 2014. She leads this school and one other school.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed pupils’ learning in nine lessons or parts of lessons. A number of these observations were undertaken with senior leaders.
• The inspector scrutinised work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read. The inspector met with three groups of pupils to gain their views of the school. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at break time, lunchtime and at the end of the school day, as well as in lessons and in an assembly.
• Meetings were held with the executive headteacher and a senior teacher. The inspector met with two teachers. The inspector met with three members of local governing body, including the chair. The inspector also met the chief executive officer of the trust.
• The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including assessments and records of pupils’ progress, the school’s checks and records relating to safeguarding, child protection and attendance, records of how teaching is monitored and the school’s improvement plans.
• The inspector took account of 15 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors considered 15 free-text responses from parents. The inspector also talked to parents at the start and end of the school day. The inspector reviewed five responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Matt Meckin, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector