Austrey CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Build on the improvements made to leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • the gaps in expertise of the local governing body are filled
  • the school development plan is sharply focused on the key areas of school improvement and provides precise measures by which governors can check on the progress the school is making
  • assessment systems are further developed to monitor pupils’ outcomes in all subjects of the curriculum.
• Further boost pupils’ progress in writing, by:
  • showing pupils how to develop their writing skills in a range of different writing styles
  • improving pupils’ handwriting and letter formation.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and the deputy headteacher understand the school’s strengths and areas for improvement in great detail. They have been successful in developing a caring and nurturing culture which ensures that pupils come to school and are happy to learn. Teachers have high aspirations for all pupils.
• An outward-looking leadership team has successfully drawn on a range of external support to develop in-house expertise. Teachers now benefit from a range of professional development opportunities, which allow them to develop and refine their teaching and leadership skills.
• The curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of interesting learning opportunities, which are enhanced by visitors coming into school. For example, pupils visited the Hippodrome Theatre in Birmingham and ‘The Animal Man’ came into school to give pupils opportunities to handle animals safely. Pupils enjoy talking about practical activities that they have enjoyed, such as making their own models. A good range of extra-curricular activities, including music, sport and art, provide pupils with further opportunities to develop new skills.
• The curriculum provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development. Diversity is celebrated and embraced. Pupils from all backgrounds are treated equally and are treated with kindness and respect.
• The vast majority of parents and carers are very supportive of the school and the improvements they have seen. One parent commented, ‘Everyone in the school works really hard to help the children get better with their reading and writing skills.’ Many parents also remarked on the positive changes the headteacher has put in place since the previous inspection.
• Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding is spent effectively. Disadvantaged pupils achieve broadly in line with other pupils. The additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is also put to good use. Leaders engage with external agencies to provide the right support for these pupils. The majority of these pupils make good progress.
• Senior leaders and governors have developed a strong sense of purpose among staff and morale is high.
• Leaders now make sure that teachers are held to account stringently for the progress pupils make. This was not the case in the past. Precise appraisal targets are in place to hold individual teachers to account. Leaders monitor improvements through a sharp analysis of pupils’ progress information for reading, writing and mathematics. However, leaders do not yet monitor pupils’ outcomes with the same rigour in other subjects.
• Senior Leaders have an accurate understanding of where the school needs to improve, but the school development plan does not focus well enough on the key priorities for improvement. Nor does the plan set measurable targets for improvement that leaders expect to achieve as a result of the actions taken.

Governance of the school

Safeguarding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching has improved well since the previous inspection because the school has invested in extensive training for staff. In mathematics, for example, teachers have been trained to focus on effective approaches that will allow pupils to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills. This has now resulted in good rates of progress in mathematics for all pupils.
• Senior leaders check that teachers deliver the prescribed curriculum. Teachers develop exciting and thought-provoking opportunities across many subjects, such as ‘Darwin’s delights’ in Year 4, where pupils have an opportunity to discuss evolution and contrast it with an understanding from a faith perspective. Teachers also provide opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills in subjects other than English, particularly in their topic books.
• The teaching of phonics is effective thanks to the structured approach implemented by the phonics leader. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and accurately model letter sounds that effectively develop pupils’ phonic understanding. This shows the impact on pupils’ skills.
• Regular reading lessons across school successfully develop pupils’ ability to decode, comprehend and extend their vocabulary. As a result, younger pupils are able to use their phonics skills effectively to help them to read unfamiliar words. Older pupils read with fluency and confidence and show a secure understanding of what they read.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support with their learning. Additional help ensures that these pupils make good progress from their starting points.
• Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to pupils’ progress by supporting groups or individuals to practise basic skills in English and mathematics. As a result, pupils who need extra help are well supported to keep up with their peers.
• Teachers have a clear focus on what pupils are learning. They skilfully question pupils to check whether they have understood new information. Teachers are systematic in checking what pupils have understood before moving on to make them apply what was taught. However, this is not yet consistent in the teaching of writing. Pupils are not being shown how best to develop their writing in a range of different styles.
• Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve in reading and mathematics and make these clear. Pupils respond well to these expectations and conduct themselves well in lessons. They work hard and want to succeed. However, expectations of correct letter formation are not routinely spelled out; this is reflected in pupils’ work lower down school.
• Teachers effectively use the school’s assessment system to monitor pupils’ progress. They compare their assessment judgements in English and mathematics with those in other schools to ensure accuracy. However, they do not yet use assessment effectively to monitor pupils’ outcomes in other subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The curriculum provides pupils with a range of opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Teachers skilfully weave the development of these aspects through the curriculum. As a result, pupils develop a good understanding of how people across Britain and in other countries live. They show respect for pupils from different faiths and religions.
• Pupils said bullying is rare, but when it occurs it is dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils understand what constitutes bullying and why it is unacceptable to act in a way that can hurt other people’s feelings. Leaders track incidents in detail, although serious incidents are extremely rare. They provide individual support plans for pupils who have difficulty in managing their own behaviour, which are agreed with the pupil and reviewed with parents.
• Pupils are encouraged to take responsibilities within school. They are keen to contribute to the various groups that have an input in the school life such as the school council. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe in a variety of ways. For example, pupils across school learn about using the internet safely and can talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe.
• Pupils are thoughtful, caring members of the school community and are keen to support those needing help. For example, a group of pupils told an inspector that they are planning to raise money for children in Africa who are less fortunate than themselves. The school supports a range of charities and has more recently supported the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.

Behaviour

• Pupils’ attendance is similar to the national average. The school has effective and rigorous systems in place to work with families to improve attendance and punctuality. Consequently, the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school is reducing.
• Vulnerable pupils are supported well. The school works across a range of agencies to ensure that additional support is put in place quickly. Consequently, there is a very low incidence of disruption to learning in lessons.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the school behaviour system, which has been recently reviewed. They understand the clear rewards and sanctions in place to support pupils’ conduct. Pupils believe the system is effective in ensuring that there is good behaviour in the school. Pupils are proud of their school. They are well mannered and keen to do well. Pupils work hard and support each other with in-class activities and during social times. This creates a positive learning environment and results in pupils learning from each other as well as from their teachers.
• Pupils behave well at break and lunchtimes. For example, pupils queue sensibly and wait patiently for their food in the dining hall. Pupils have polite, purposeful conversations with their peers and behave well when they are supervised. On occasion, when not supervised, a small proportion of pupils do not self-regulate their behaviours to the same standards.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Leaders track current progress in reading, writing and mathematics in great detail. School assessment systems identify where pupils are in their learning. Any pupils who are not making the progress they should are supported to catch up with where they should be. The current assessment information shows that the vast majority of pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and this is backed up by the quality of pupils’ work in books. However, pupils’ progress in writing is not as rapid as in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils make good progress in developing their phonics skills as a result of high-quality teaching. Consequently, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 is above the national average. Pupils develop strong, age-appropriate reading skills and have a secure understanding of what they have read.
• Pupils have a good understanding of concepts in mathematics. Work in books shows good progress in their calculation, reasoning and problem-solving skills. Additional activities challenge the most able to deepen their knowledge and understanding of what is being taught.
• Last year’s national assessment results show that pupils at the end of key stage 1 attained in line with national averages for 2017. Current information on pupils’ progress shows that these improvements have been sustained. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective. Their needs are identified early and the progress they make is checked regularly. The support that pupils receive in class and through additional interventions is tailored to their needs. As a result, the majority of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress.
• Disadvantaged pupils make similar or better progress to other pupils. A range of pastoral and academic support programmes help them to develop their learning effectively in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils who are currently in Year 5 and Year 6 are now making good progress. Issues with the accuracy of assessments in earlier years affected the assessments of these pupils’ achievements. Leaders have identified gaps in their knowledge and put in place extra support to enable these pupils to catch up on previously lost ground. The school’s current progress data shows that these pupils overall are making good progress, but some are still short of the progress they should make across key stage 2.
• Last year’s national assessment results for Year 6 pupils show that the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading and writing was well below the national averages. However, there has been significant improvement this year. Work in books shows that current pupils are making better progress than previously and increasingly more are working at the standard expected for their age.
• Pupils make good progress in their technical writing skills. They confidently respond to focused tasks to develop their skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar. However, pupils are not consistently shown how to develop their writing in a range of different styles.

Early years provision Good

• Early years provision is well led. There is a detailed understanding of the strengths in the early years, but also where further development is needed. The early years leader has received external support; as a result, the outdoor learning has improved significantly.
• Leaders have established a culture in which children’s safety and welfare are protected at all times. All staff know, understand and apply the safeguarding policies and procedures consistently well.
• Staff understand the individual needs of children well, especially children who have SEN and/or disabilities. They take time to ensure that the learning activities meet children’s needs.
• Activities are carefully designed to take children’s learning forward in all areas, especially communication, language and literacy. Children show a high level of engagement and sustain concentration for lengthy periods because activities are tailored well to meet their individual needs.
• Early years assessment and monitoring systems are robust and accurate. Adults focus on individual children and design activities around the children’s needs and interests. The skills of support staff are improving through well-devised training on recording observations and using questions.
• The teaching of phonics is effective thanks to the structured approach implemented by the phonics leader. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and accurately model sounds and allow pupils to practise these in lessons.
• The school has also identified writing as a priority; early writing is planned and taught skilfully. Teachers expect children to apply the skills they have learned independently and this was evident in the observations undertaken by the inspector.
• At the end of the Reception Year, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development is in line with the national average. This represents good progress in relation to the children’s starting points on entry to the school. The early years leader has rightly identified reading skills and understanding of what pupils have read as a priority to improve outcomes. This has the potential to prepare children better for the curriculum in Year 1.
• The school has extensive evidence to show that the children make good progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. The early years lead is now developing children’s portfolios further by making explicit links to characteristics of effective learning.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140125 Warwickshire 10047034 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 converter 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 85 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Anne Bufton-McCoy Lee Kilkenny 01827 830248

www.austreyceprimaryschool.co.uk admin@austrey.heartwoodmat.co.uk

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school became part of the Heartwood Church of England Academy Trust in 2013.
• Austrey Primary is a smaller-than-average-sized school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average. The proportion of pupils who have statements of special educational needs or education, health and care plans is above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics for the pupils by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Five lessons or parts of lessons were observed, four of which were carried out jointly with the headteacher.
• In addition, a number of other short visits to lessons were made and other inspection activities were carried out; for example, to look at pupils’ work in books and observe intervention programmes.
• Pupils were heard read and a phonics session was observed in the early years.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, pupil representatives and other members of staff.
• Discussions were held with the chair, vice-chair and representatives of the multi-academy trust.
• Parents gave their views through discussions, online questionnaires, free-texts and email. There were 78 responses to take account of through the online questionnaire, Parent View, and 60 text responses.
• A number of documents were scrutinised, including: the school’s self-evaluation; its improvement plan; school information on recent attainment and current progress of pupils at the school; behaviour and attendance information; and policies and procedures, including those relating to safeguarding, child protection, SEN, the pupil premium and sport premium. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection.
• Recent minutes of the governing body were reviewed to check information and the extent of governors’ involvement in the school and their oversight of school policies, systems and procedures.

Inspection team

Khalid Din, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector