St Oswald's CofE Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes in reading and writing by ensuring that:
  • reading and writing skills are balanced in phonics teaching in the early years
  • home reading books are suitably challenging for the most able, and more easily decodable for pupils of low prior attainment
  • pupils develop their drafting and editing skills to improve their writing
  • teachers equip pupils with effective grammar, punctuation and spelling strategies
  • resources provided to support writing, such as word banks, are used properly and do not stifle pupils’ independent writing.
• Improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers:
  • provide greater levels of challenge for all pupils, especially the middle- and higher-ability pupils
  • use precise and effective questioning to check children’s understanding and extend their vocabulary in the early years.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • school development plans are sharply focused on the progress of different groups and identify who will monitor and evaluate the impact of actions taken
  • leaders’ monitoring has a clearer focus on the impact teaching is having on pupils’ progress over time
  • baseline assessments in the early years use all evidence available to determine secure starting points for children
  • governors question and challenge leaders more robustly about teaching and pupil outcomes. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders’ planning for improvement does not focus sharply enough on the progress of different groups of pupils. Consequently, middle and higher prior-attaining pupils have not made good progress by the end of Year 6 for some time. This is because leaders have failed to detect or address weaknesses in teaching for these pupils. The school development plan does not include information about who is responsible for checking the impact of actions taken. It is therefore unclear who, if anyone, is monitoring different priorities for improvement.
• Leaders check the quality of teaching and learning regularly by visiting classes and looking at pupils’ work. However, these checks do not focus sufficiently on the impact that teaching is having on middle- and higher-ability pupils’ progress in different subjects in each key stage.
• Leaders, including governors and the academy trust, acknowledge that more work is needed to improve the school. They share a determination to do this. The academy trust commissions external reviews to gauge precisely how well the school is performing. Trust members provide good support for leaders through regular visits and meetings and the trust has paired the school with an outstanding school in order to develop good practice.
• Subject leadership in English, mathematics and special educational needs (SEN) is becoming more effective. This year, leaders have introduced different strategies to improve pupils’ achievement. Regular training is provided for staff and this is leading to improved consistency in teaching. Teacher assessments are regularly checked with local schools, the academy trust and the local authority. These checks confirm that teacher assessments are accurate. Pupils’ work indicates that initiatives introduced in mathematics are proving effective, but progress in reading and writing, especially in key stage 1, is weaker.
• Leaders make good use of the pupil premium and SEN funding to provide additional support for pupils. This is leading to improved progress for pupils who are disadvantaged or who have SEN and/or disabilities. Leaders have commissioned a recent external review of the pupil premium funding. This report, together with leaders’ assessments and work seen in pupils’ books, demonstrates that disadvantaged pupils are making at least similar progress to their peers, and, on occasion, better progress.
• Leaders have used the additional funding for physical education and sport well to improve resources, increase outdoor education (Forest School) and extend staff expertise. Pupils access a wide range of clubs, including martial arts, street dance and badminton. Leaders are working towards a national sports award as a result of an increased focus on promoting pupils’ health, well-being and fitness.
• The school’s broad and balanced curriculum, enrichment activities and extra-curricular clubs ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is effective. Displays around the school reflect the many opportunities pupils have to develop their understanding of British heritage and culture to prepare them well for life in modern Britain. Displays make good links across the curriculum; for example, an art project on Josef Albers linked art with mathematical shapes.
• Parents have positive views of the school. Parents appreciate the support their children receive and feel they are safe, happy and well-cared-for.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has not challenged leaders well enough over time about the attainment and progress of specific groups of pupils. They have failed to ensure that achievement is high enough, particularly in writing. This is because they are not clear about the school development plan priorities or whether all groups are making sufficient progress.
• Minutes of meetings show that governors meet regularly and question leaders about different aspects of the school. However, some of these questions are low level and do not probe deeply enough to hold leaders fully to account.
• Governors meet regularly with leaders and staff to receive information and updates about initiatives implemented to improve the school. They take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously and ensure that they are fully trained in this aspect, including for safe recruitment of staff.
• Governors know how additional funding is spent and the impact this has on pupil outcomes.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders are meticulous in their duties to safeguard pupils. Systems are clear and fit for purpose. Records relating to child protection are detailed, well organised and stored securely. Staff are fully trained and know precisely what to do if they have a concern about a child.
• Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. ‘Cause for concern’ incidents are quickly raised when staff are worried about a child, and swiftly escalated for leaders’ attention. Leaders ensure that they seek advice from the local authority for more serious concerns and relentlessly pursue any referrals made until they are satisfied they are being dealt with properly. A clear chronology of events is in place for each case, with information documented comprehensively.
• Almost all parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, or the schools’ own survey confirmed that their children feel safe in school, as did staff who completed the inspection questionnaire.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers do not challenge pupils sufficiently to ensure that they make good progress, especially middle- and higher-attaining pupils. The school has introduced a three-star challenge system which presents tasks at different levels, level three being the most difficult. However, some pupils opt to carry out the one- or two-star challenge and teachers do not encourage them enough to be adventurous in their choice of level. Consequently, too few pupils experience the harder tasks or extend their knowledge and skills.
• Phonics teaching does not present enough challenge for the most able pupils. Pupils are not moved on to the next phase when they show they are ready. Some reading books provided for pupils who have not yet reached the level required by Year 1 are also not suitable. This is because books provided are not phonically decodable and pupils do not therefore practise the skills taught in phonics lessons. Additionally, reading books for higher-attaining pupils in key stage 1 are not monitored or changed frequently enough. As a result, some pupils read the same book over several months and make limited progress.
• The teaching of writing is not effective. Weaknesses exist in pupils’ drafting and editing skills, and some resources provided to help scaffold pupils’ writing are not effective or helpful. For example, pupils choose random words from a word bank to improve their sentences without knowing the meaning of the word or whether it is used in the right context. The teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling is not consistent. Often, capital letters in the middle of sentences or repeated spelling errors are not identified or corrected.
• This year, teachers have placed a stronger emphasis on deepening pupils’ understanding in mathematics. As a result, pupils’ progress is improving. Work in books shows an increased focus and opportunity for pupils to apply their skills to problem-solving activities and to extend and develop their reasoning skills.
• Initiatives introduced in reading are beginning to have an impact in key stage 2. Group reading materials offer access for all pupils to the same text, with good levels of challenge. Pupils in Year 6 demonstrated good comprehension skills when reading ‘Odysseus’ and completing the task set.
• Relationships between pupils and adults are good in all classes. Pupils engage well in lessons and have positive attitudes towards their learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use appropriate technical vocabulary well so that pupils develop the right terminology. They explain tasks clearly and model what pupils’ work should look like. As a result, pupils are clear about what they need to do.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported well. Pupils benefit from additional adult support either in groups or one-to-one. This helps them to make progress and keep up with others in their class.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are respectful, tolerant and have a good understanding of other faiths and religions. This helps to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong and understand the impact of their behaviour on others. Their social skills are well developed, and pupils make a positive contribution to school life and life in the local community through participation in various fund-raising events.
• The spiritual garden provides an area for pupils to be quiet, reflect or investigate nature. Pupils say they enjoy spending time in this area because it helps them to calm down if they are upset. The quiet room, or ‘nest’, is also available for pupils who need support to develop play and social skills.
• Pupils enjoy and readily take on additional responsibilities, such as house captains, prefects and looking after younger pupils They make an effective contribution to school decisions through pupil voice and through the ‘Making a Difference’ group. For example, pupils suggested that cycle and scooter racks were purchased to increase pupil fitness and reduce the number of parents in cars dropping pupils off at school.
• Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils learn to make safe and sensible choices in a range of situations, including when using the internet. Firewalls and tight security help protect pupils from accessing, or being exposed to, inappropriate internet material. For example, if a child types in a rude word there is immediate contact from the local authority to alert staff to deal with this.
• Before- and after-school care provides a valuable resource for parents and contributes well to pupils’ personal development and well-being. Resources and facilities, such as computers, a small snooker table and art materials, enable pupils to socialise and develop recreational skills. Provision is well supervised and offers a secure and positive start and end to the school day for pupils.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well in lessons, at breaktime and in the lunch hall. They know and follow the behaviour policy. They have a good understanding of the sanctions and rewards in place, with the school’s use of red and yellow cards for misbehaviour and privilege cards for good work or good behaviour. Pupils say that behaviour is good and that adults manage any incidents effectively.
• Leaders record behaviour incidents systematically for each year group. Logs checked show that staff deal with these effectively. Where necessary, leaders impose a fixed-term exclusion in line with the school policy. However, this only relates to a very small number of pupils and there have been no permanent exclusions since the school opened as an academy.
• Pupils attend school regularly. Leaders track the attendance of different pupil groups and take swift action to follow up persistent absence. Consequently, attendance rates and persistent absence are in line with national figures. Pupils enjoy the competitive element of seeing which class has the best attendance each week, and the incentive offered by leaders of saving up the money won to buy a whole-class reward.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Attainment at the end of Year 2 has been below average for the last three years in reading, and below average for the last two years in writing. Attainment in mathematics has improved this year and is closer to the last reported national average. Pupils have made better progress in mathematics across key stage 1 from their starting points than in reading and writing. Fewer pupils are now working at the expected level in Year 2 in reading and writing compared to the number who were working at the expected level at the end of their Reception year.
• Attainment at the end of Year 6 has been consistently below average in writing since the school became an academy in 2015. Standards in reading have improved and both 2017 and provisional 2018 results are in line with the national average. This is also the case in mathematics. Pupils’ progress improved significantly in 2017 compared to 2016, but writing progress remains well below average, especially for middle- and higher-ability pupils.
• The proportion of pupils reaching greater depth in national tests in Year 2 compares favourably with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the picture is more variable at the end of Year 6 and remains below average in writing over time.
• The proportion of pupils who reached the expected level in phonics in Year 1 dipped in 2017 but has recovered in 2018. Results are broadly in line with national figures. However, ill-matched home-reading material in Year 2 does not ensure that all pupils who are working below the level expected in Year 1 catch up and reach the expected standard by the end of Year 2.
• The school’s own assessment information and work in pupils’ books shows that there is variability in pupils’ progress across the school. Inspectors’ evidence shows that middle- and higher-attaining pupils are not challenged well enough to make consistently good progress. Writing standards also remain low in most classes, with grammar, punctuation and spelling skills not being secure for most pupils.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress due to the support they receive. In 2017, disadvantaged pupils at the end of Year 6 made better progress than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils in Year 2 also attained above their peers in all subjects. This is because the support provided is effective.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make comparable progress to their peers. Often, from low starting points, they achieve well. Leaders carefully evaluate progress against small steps and plan provision accordingly.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Children join the early years either in Nursery or in Reception classes. Although leaders administer the academy trust initial assessment of children to establish a baseline, they do not take account of their own wider observations and discussions with children to secure reliable and accurate starting points for each child. Most children are judged to be below age-related levels on entry to both Nursery and Reception Years in almost all areas of learning. However, work in children’s journals shows that some children can count, write early letters and are socially well adapted when they start the early years. Evidence seen therefore shows discrepancies in the starting points recorded.
• Teaching does not consistently challenge children, especially the most able, to use and apply their understanding. For example, in phonics, children are not moved on to the next phase when they demonstrate they have mastered the phase being taught. Work provided is also too often too easy and set at a lower phase than the children are currently working at. On occasion, there is an over-emphasis on writing skills during phonics teaching with limited opportunity for children to practise their reading.
• On occasion, adults’ questioning is not precise and confuses children. For example, ‘what shape is a roll?’ The answer expected and then given was ‘a circle’. This misconception was not then picked up or corrected. Other adults accept short answers which lack detail. They do not use extended questioning in order to help children develop their vocabulary and language skills.
• The proportion of children who achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception Year in 2017 and 2018 is below the national average. No children exceeded the levels expected in writing or mathematics in 2016 or 2017. This is because they are not challenged sufficiently or moved on to extend their skills and knowledge. Consequently, middle- and higher-ability children do not make good progress from their starting points.
• Children behave well, take turns and use equipment sensibly. Relationships between teachers and children are very positive. Parents are very pleased with the education their children receive. Induction arrangements prepare children well for entry to the school. Children are also encouraged to write their own comment on their end-of-year report to demonstrate the progress they have made in writing.
• Teachers use the outdoor area well to promote children’s physical and social development. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-selected activities to address the learning needs of children across the required areas of learning. Teachers plan activities that interest and engage children. Well-resourced classrooms and outdoor areas help children develop their physical, creative and technical skills and knowledge.
• The safety and well-being of children are well managed. Adults provide high levels of supervision and support for groups and individuals. As a result, children settle well when they arrive and feel safe when they are learning.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 142022 Warwickshire 10048366 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 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 218 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Peter Law Hilary Lorimer 01788 543882 www.stoswaldscerugby.co.uk/ admin3206@welearn365.com Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• St Oswald’s CofE became a sponsor-led academy in September 2015. The school’s sponsor is the Diocese of Coventry.
• The trustees delegate oversight of the school to a local governing body that works alongside the headteacher and senior leaders.
• This school is an average-sized primary school. It is one-form entry with a nursery.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A small number speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above average.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. They saw 16 parts of lessons, eight of which were jointly observed with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Observations of before-school activities were also carried out.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff with leadership responsibilities, and members of the governing body and multi-academy trust.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and conduct, both during visits to classrooms and at other points during the school day, including lunchtime. Inspectors also visited one assembly.
• Inspectors took account of the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, the school’s own parent survey, and comments made by parents via email and as they brought their children to school.
• Pupils’ views were collected by talking to pupils both formally and informally during the school day.
• Inspectors considered the 11 survey responses from staff.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read, talked to them about their learning and examined the work in their books.
• Inspectors reviewed a number of documents, including: the school’s own evaluation on how well it is doing; the school development plan; leaders’ records of current achievement; external reports about the school; minutes of governors’ meetings; and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Michael Onyon

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector