St Andrew's CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Accelerate pupils’ progress and further raise standards in reading, writing and especially in mathematics across key stages 1 and 2, by:
  • increasing the amount of challenge for the most able pupils
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to demonstrate reasoning and mastery across the curriculum
  • increasing the impact of monitoring carried out by leaders and managers, including governors, on the quality of teaching and learning
  • ensuring that teachers have the highest expectations of pupils and accept only the best presented work.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher has successfully improved key areas of the school since its previous inspection. She has high expectations and is highly aspirational for all pupils to achieve their absolute best, whatever their individual starting points.
• Greater stability for this small school has been brought about by secure leadership and management and the support of the federation of schools in planning for improvement.
• School leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and few remaining weaknesses in the school. They are very clear about what they will do next to improve the school further. The school development plan is rightly focused on further improving pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics.
• Those with responsibility for leading subjects are skilled at identifying weaknesses and taking decisive action to bring about improvement. This happened with writing at the end of Year 2 last year. The leader of mathematics is currently planning to make substantial improvements in this subject.
• Special educational needs education is led and managed effectively by a highly skilled coordinator who, together with effective teaching assistants, is successfully ensuring that pupils who have complex and profound educational needs become successful members of the school community. Specific funding is used to good effect.
• Sports funding is used effectively to provide highly-effective coaching for teachers to improve their skills in teaching physical education. The funding is also providing opportunities for pupils to enjoy a wide range of less common sports such as the weekly fencing club in which around half the pupils participate.
• Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. The school’s arrangements help disadvantaged pupils catch up with others.
• The curriculum is well organised. It was recently changed to help pupils become more creative and imaginative. It is meeting the needs of different pupil groups well. Many parents commented during the inspection on how engaging and exciting the curriculum is for their children. They reported their delight in seeing their children arriving home buzzing after learning in the forest school. Pupils are also encouraged to lead their own clubs which their peers can join during lunchtime breaks.
• Many pupils have good personal development and a well-developed moral code because of the school’s effective promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.
• Fundamental British values are taught through the closely aligned Christian values which permeate school life. Pupils enjoy learning about democracy in action through activities such as voting for their chosen candidates to join the school council.
• Since the previous inspection, senior and middle leaders have been well supported in school improvement by expertise from the Westcliffe Federation of schools. Successful support to improve the quality of teaching was also provided by the local authority. However, checks carried out on the quality of teaching currently lack sufficient focus and rigour to improve teaching even more.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly ambitious for pupils to succeed. They are supportive and regularly challenge school leaders when they identify issues to be tackled. Governors check frequently on how well pupils are achieving. However, some of these checks could be more focused on learning. Governors monitor the performance management of staff carefully. Governors have close links with subject leaders and spend time in school deepening their understanding of how well teaching is moving learning forward. They take difficult financial decisions when required, but only do so after carefully evaluating all options to secure the best deal for pupils. The shared governing body across the federation of schools brings extra skills and talents to the group which they use wisely for the good of school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Secure processes are in place to make sure children are kept safe. Those responsible for safeguarding meet regularly with outside agencies and parents to ensure that pupils are kept safe.
• Leaders and staff are well trained to ensure that legal requirements are met. Regular safeguarding updates are attended by the staff. All governors are trained in safer recruitment. This helps them to check carefully that only those deemed safe to work with children are appointed. All required checks are carried out before staff or volunteers are permitted to work at the school.
• The designated safeguarding governor regularly comes into school to audit safeguarding processes. A robust culture for safeguarding has been successfully established, which ensures that pupils are kept safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Many teachers use highly developed questioning skills to probe and challenge pupils’ understanding to assess for themselves how well their teaching is accelerating learning.
• Recent improvements to the teaching of writing have resulted in much improved attainment. Pupils are spending much more time developing their writing skills through writing longer pieces in a range of styles and in different subjects.
• Teaching assistants play a key role in supporting effective learning. In lessons, they generally provide highly focused support for those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This support is so successful that it is difficult to identify these pupils because they are making similar rates of progress in their learning to others.
• In many lessons, learning tasks are well matched to pupils’ interests. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge in a range of subjects to move learning forward at a fast pace. Occasionally, the pace of learning slows when learning time is wasted because pupils lose focus.
• Many teachers have high expectations of pupils and what they can achieve. This can be seen in most pupils’ books, but it is not consistently the case throughout school. Occasionally, pupils present scruffy and untidy work which is not challenged by the class teacher.
• Pupils report that they enjoy being given challenging learning activities. However, the most able pupils are not always challenged well enough by work which they find too easy. Additionally, pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to explain their reasoning behind how they solve problems or how they see themselves developing a greater depth of understanding or mastery in different subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• A highly successful culture of care and support for all pupils underpins this area of the school’s work. Pupils feel safe and very comfortable throughout the school day.
• The excellent level of care and welfare for those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities permeates school life. This enables those who have complex and profound needs to successfully integrate into school life.
• Pupils are made very aware of how to keep themselves safe. They display a maturity beyond their years when explaining that if they ignore pupils who occasionally call them names, the name-calling will stop as the perpetrators become bored.
• Pupils are taught very effectively about what they should do to stay safe when using the internet. They show a high level of awareness in this area.
• Around school, and in lessons, pupils are confident and self-assured because of how effectively staff build their confidence and resilient learning skills. A child from Reception confidently strode towards the lead inspector twice during the inspection to introduce themself and shake hands.
• Pupils take on many additional responsibilities in school. One group is responsible for caring for the bearded dragon reptile which lives in the school library. These pupils take their duties very seriously. Other opportunities for pupils to take on responsibility include membership of the school council, which is highly sought-after following a democratic election process.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Around school, pupils are polite and well mannered. They are respectful and tolerant of others.
• The playground and dining area are well ordered and calm. Pupils enjoy taking time chatting and playing with their friends.
• Pupils’ attendance is above average. The proportion of pupils regularly absent from school reduced last year because of the effective work of school staff in collaboration with other support agencies.
• Occasionally, there is a little low-level disruption in lessons which reduces the rate at which learning progresses. This mainly involves a small number of boys.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The progress of all groups of pupils in a range of subjects is more rapid than at the time of the previous inspection. This is because of improved teaching.
• Pupils are taught to read well. This is reflected in the good number of younger pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check.
• In 2017, standards in Year 2 writing increased dramatically to above average from the previous year. There was also an increase in the proportion of pupils reaching a greater depth of understanding in mathematics at the end of Year 2.
• At the end of Year 6 in 2017, all pupils reached the expected standard in reading and writing. The proportion was lower in mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are achieving well. These groups of pupils are catching up with others. The careful use of the pupil premium is helping to ensure improved rates of progress for disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The most able pupils are not achieving as well as they should because of a lack of challenge in a range of subjects.

Early years provision Good

• The proportion of children leaving early years with a good level of development has increased substantially since the previous inspection because of more effective teaching. Three quarters of children were well prepared to join Year 1 at the end of Reception in 2017 from starting points which were below those typically expected for their age. Current Reception children started school with knowledge and skills which were broadly typical for their age.
• Early years is effectively led. The leader is very knowledgeable about individual children and how well they are progressing in their learning and development. The skilled early years team knows how to get the best out of children. The early years leader is keen to further increase the proportion of children who are well prepared to join Year 1.
• Children behave well in the classroom and in the outdoor learning area. They sensibly take turns to share equipment. Staff carry out regular risk assessments to ensure that children are kept safe.
• Adults provide innovative and creative learning opportunities that enthuse and engage children effectively in their learning. During the inspection children were observed learning about how to use adjectives while undertaking a forensic search for the evil Brussels sprouts who had kidnapped the broccoli and cauliflower superheroes.
• Disadvantaged children in early years make similar rates of progress to other children because they are well supported in their learning.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 123477 Shropshire 10037160 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 aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 47 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Colin Jenno Nicola Bond Telephone number 01743 741331 Website Email address www.standrewsprimary.net admin@st-andrews-nesscliffe.shropshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 2–3 July 2015

Information about this school

• This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above average.
• The school is a member of the Westcliffe Federation of schools, led by a shared governing body, an executive headteacher and an assistant headteacher.
• The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in lessons and part lessons. Some of these were observed jointly with the executive headteacher.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, school staff and the chair of the governing body, plus seven other governors.
• The inspector spoke informally to pupils in lessons, during breaks and lunchtimes. The inspector also spoke with parents during the afternoon of the first day of the inspection.
• Pupils’ work was scrutinised during lessons. So was work produced over time in a wide range of work books. The inspector also listened to a small number of pupils from Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 read.
• The work of the school was closely observed, as was the latest school performance information showing pupils’ current progress.
• Other documentation scrutinised included plans for school improvement, safeguarding information, behaviour logs, attendance records and minutes of governing body meetings.
• The inspector took account of 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), 14 free-text responses from parents, and eight responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Declan McCauley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector