Ofsted report
 |
Cherry Tree Primary School
| Unique Reference Number | 111150 |
|---|---|
| Local Authority | Warrington |
| Inspection number | 337628 |
| Inspection dates | 21–22 April 2010 |
| Reporting inspector | Paul Bamber |
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 | 4–11 |
| Gender of pupils | Mixed |
| Number of pupils on the school roll | 211 |
| Appropriate authority | The governing body |
| Chair | Cllr S Woodyatt MBE |
| Headteacher | Mrs H Hall |
| Date of previous school inspection | 16 July 2007 |
| School address | Hardy Road |
| Lymm | |
| Cheshire WA13 0NX | |
| Telephone number | 01925 755885 |
| Fax number | 01925 758245 |
| Email address | Cherrytree_primary@warrington.gov.uk |
| Age group | 4–11 |
|---|---|
| Inspection dates | 21–22 April 2010 |
| Inspection number | 337628 |
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Introduction
This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 14 lessons and observed nine different teachers. They held meetings with staff, groups of pupils, governors and parents and carers. They observed the school's work, looked at pupils' books and documentation related to safeguarding, pupils' progress, teachers' assessments and development planning. In total, 69 parents' and carers' questionnaires were analysed, seven of which were submitted too late to be included in the table that appears later in this report.
The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following:
- whether boys and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good enough progress
- the degree to which pupils are involved in their own learning, especially in assessment and target-setting.
Information about the school
Most of the pupils who attend this average size school are of White British heritage. A smaller than average proportion is from a minority ethnic background. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language, none of whom is at an early stage of learning English. A much lower than average proportion is known to be eligible for a free school meal. Lower percentages than normal have special educational needs and/or disabilities or have a statement of special educational needs. Pupils have access to a breakfast club and after-school club. These are managed by a private provider and are subject to a separate inspection and report.
The school's provision in the arts, in information and communication technology, sport and in promoting healthy living has been acknowledged by a number of awards, including the Primary Quality Mark. The governing body has gained the Financial Management in Schools status. Since the last inspection a new headteacher was appointed in September 2007.
| Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate |
|---|
| Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms |
Inspection judgements
Overall effectiveness: how good is the school? | 1 |
|---|
The school's capacity for sustained improvement | 1 |
|---|
Main findings
This is an excellent school. Since the last inspection, extremely effective leadership and very accurate self-evaluation have led to extensive improvements in many aspects of its work. The relentless way in which the headteacher and senior leaders pursue excellence and improvement has an extremely positive impact on pupils' outcomes and the quality of provision. Standards are significantly above average, pupils make outstanding progress overall and the quality of learning is excellent. Parents and carers are very keen for their children to attend this school and hold extremely positive views about its work. Very strong teaching, combined with a rich curriculum and the rigorous tracking of pupils' progress, ensure that overall, pupils make rapid strides in their learning. Although good, progress in writing in Key Stage 2 especially that of boys is not as strong as that in reading and mathematics. The high quality care, guidance and support pupils receive plays a significant role in ensuring that pupils are safe, that their attendance is high, that they behave well and that they are extremely well looked after.
The school is a harmonious and inclusive community in which every child is valued and enabled to achieve as well as he or she can. Pupils, and pupils and staff get on extremely well together and lessons are characterised by much good humour, mutual support and the frequent celebration of individual achievement. Particularly strong is the quality of assessment. Pupils are much involved in their own learning, particularly through assessing their own work and that of others, and through a strong knowledge of their targets for improvement. Pupils are socially very adept and have strong moral values. Their development is less strong in their awareness and understanding of different cultures.
Leaders are vigilant about spotting any relative weakness in pupils' progress and attainment. For example, Key Stage 2 boys and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities did not perform as well as expected in 2009 national tests. Robust analysis of the reasons for this, allied with very effective interventions, has much improved these two groups' performance this year. This very effective response, combined with the highly successful work since the last inspection to improve standards and pupils' progress in Key Stage 1, provide compelling evidence to support the judgement that the school has an outstanding capacity to sustain improvement. Despite the overall excellence of leadership and management, there is an understanding that the school needs to do more to promote pupils' awareness of different communities in the wider United Kingdom and abroad.
What does the school need to do to improve further?
- Ensure that Key Stage 2 pupils, especially boys, make the same exceptional progress in writing as they do in reading and in mathematics.
- Improve the promotion of community cohesion and pupils' cultural development, by:
- establishing sustainable links with diverse schools and communities in different parts of the United Kingdom and internationally
- ensuring that more formal systems are put into place to monitor and evaluate the impact of the school's work on pupils' attitudes and values in these areas.
Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils | 1 |
|---|
Pupils thoroughly enjoy learning and they achieve extremely well. Typically, pupils are conscientious and very keen to learn and to succeed. They take considerable pride in their work and show great delight in reaching their targets and overcoming challenges. They persevere through difficulties, listen carefully to instructions, work very cooperatively in pairs and groups and are confident in expressing their point of view or in articulating their thinking. These very positive characteristics underpin the excellent overall progress they make throughout the school and their significantly above average attainment. The excellent support provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are more vulnerable than most, enables them to progress extremely well and to often reach expected standards by Year 6.
Pupils love their school, feel very safe and are keenly aware of the benefits of eating sensibly and taking regular exercise. They seize any opportunity to take responsibility and carry out their duties diligently. They make a very valuable contribution to the smooth running of the school and to the well-being of other pupils. They feel that their opinions and suggestions are valued and that they have a strong influence on decision making. Pupils are environmentally aware, are concerned about sustainability and they are extensively involved in community activities. Their excellent basic skills, combined with their excellent attendance and punctuality, equip them very well for their next steps in life and education.
These are the grades for pupils' outcomes
| Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹ The quality of pupils' learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress | 1 |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| The extent to which pupils feel safe | 1 |
| Pupils' behaviour | 2 |
| The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles | 1 |
| The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community | 1 |
| The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹ | 1 |
| 1 | |
| The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development | 2 |
1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low
How effective is the provision?
All teaching is at least good and a substantial proportion is outstanding. Together with very rigorous assessment this ensures that pupils' quality of learning is excellent and that they make fast progress. Lessons are typically very purposeful, pacy and meticulously planned, with tasks extremely well matched to the needs of all pupils. Class teachers work closely and very productively with other adults to support and challenge pupils and to provide them with interesting and appropriate tasks. High expectations and challenging targets are set to which pupils respond very enthusiastically. Resources, including the use of information and communication technology (ICT) are used extensively and creatively to promote learning and pupils' interest. Teachers are acutely aware of how well pupils are doing and as a result, are in an excellent position to plan the next stage in learning. Pupils understand in detail how to improve their work and respond actively to teachers' very helpful marking.
Pupils have many rich experiences which enhance their learning. They thoroughly enjoy their visits out of school and welcome visitors who bring learning to life and promote their wider personal development and well-being. They have specialist teaching for French, participate in a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and receive specialist support from a range of external providers that considerably enhance their sporting and aesthetic development. Cross-curricular links are very well developed, which enable pupils to apply their excellent basic literacy, numeracy and ICT skills to support their work in a range of subjects.
Significant features of the high quality care, support and guidance pupils receive are the welcoming environment, the quality of information and guidance provided for parents and carers to help them to support their child's learning, and the perceptive deployment of staff and resources to support those pupils who have more difficulty learning or attaining at expected levels. Parents are full of praise for the time and effort staff put in to ensure that pupils are nurtured, reassured and encouraged to become confident and healthy young people.
These are the grades for the quality of provision
| The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning | 1 |
| 1 | |
| The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships | 1 |
| The effectiveness of care, guidance and support | 1 |
How effective are leadership and management?
The headteacher is outstandingly successful in promoting a shared ambition and determination that all pupils will have maximum benefit from their schooling. Over the last three years, marked improvements have taken place in pupils' attainment, progress and in the quality of teaching and learning and in assessment. Extremely rigorous performance management systems have underpinned these improvements and led to much more challenging performance targets being set, which have always been met and often exceeded. Staff are very adept at analysing and using data about how well pupils are doing in order to adapt their teaching or to initiate targeted support to help pupils overcome difficulties or to accelerate their progress. Very rigorous checks on the quality of teaching have led to considerable improvements in classroom practice and in pupils' learning and progress.
The governing body is well qualified to provide strong support for leaders and to challenge the school's performance. Governors are prudent financial managers. Currently, their contribution is good rather than outstanding because there are aspects of their oversight of the school's promotion of community cohesion that need sharpening. While community cohesion is very strong within the school and in the local community, links with other areas of the United Kingdom and abroad are tenuous or at the planning stage. The governing body also acknowledges that it could have closer, more direct contact with pupils in order to elicit their views. The school's partnerships with parents and carers and with other agencies are excellent. Parents and carers feel very included in their child's education. They state that the school listens carefully and responds appropriately and promptly to their concerns, and enables them, through the Parents' Forum and through workshops, to voice their opinions and to support their child's learning at home. Partnerships with other schools, colleges, universities and external providers and organisations, all contribute very significantly to the well-being and experiences of all pupils. Good safeguarding procedures follow recommended best practice and it is evident that the school emphasises safety to pupils in lessons and within the curriculum. Providing equality of opportunity is at the heart of the school's work and the extremely robust monitoring of pupils' achievement and of their participation in all aspects of school life ensures that this is a reality. The outstanding outcomes for pupils and the very efficient use of resources ensure that there is excellent value for money.
These are the grades for leadership and management
| The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning | 1 |
| 1 | |
| The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met | 2 |
| The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers | 1 |
| The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being | 1 |
| The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination | 1 |
| The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures | 2 |
| The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion | 2 |
| The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money | 1 |
Early Years Foundation Stage
Excellent induction procedures that fully involve parents and carers and feeder nurseries ensure that children happily enter the Reception class and are well prepared. They are supported outstandingly by very experienced staff, in both their learning and to ensure that all their welfare needs are fully met. Children enter the Reception class with overall broadly average skills for their age. They make excellent progress in all areas of their learning but especially in reading, number and in their personal, social and emotional development. Their progress is observed and recorded daily which enables staff to plan well matched tasks to children's needs. Children also initiate their own learning, suggesting developments to and extensions of the activities in which they participate. Parents and carers are kept extremely well informed about their child's progress and welfare and given very helpful guidance about how they can support and extend children's learning and development at home. The Early Years Foundation Stage manager leads a very strong team outstandingly well and ensures that improvements are implemented effectively. Excellent provision and leadership ensure that many children enter Year 1 having exceeded the expected levels in most areas of their learning.
These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage
| Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage | 1 |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 |
Views of parents and carers
'My children love going to school which is fantastic. Their enthusiasm and motivation are well directed and they are performing brilliantly', typifies the sentiments of most parents and carers. Nearly a third of parents and carers responded to the questionnaire they were asked to complete prior to the inspection. In addition, inspectors met with 10 parents and carers during the inspection to hear their views. Nearly all the parents and carers who responded were very supportive of the school's work. A hundred per cent of respondents said their children enjoyed school, that the school took account of their suggestions and concerns, and that the school was led and managed well. In all other areas there were very high positive returns. In a very small minority of cases where concerns were expressed, inspectors were assured that they were known to the school and had been or were in the process of being addressed.
Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire
Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Cherry Tree Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.
In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.
The inspection team received 69 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 211 pupils registered at the school.
| Statements | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | |
| My child enjoys school | 52 | 75 | 17 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The school keeps my child safe | 56 | 81 | 11 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| My school informs me about my child's progress | 45 | 65 | 21 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| My child is making enough progress at this school | 43 | 62 | 24 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| The teaching is good at this school | 50 | 72 | 17 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| The school helps me to support my child's learning | 51 | 74 | 15 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle | 49 | 71 | 16 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) | 42 | 61 | 19 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| The school meets my child's particular needs | 43 | 62 | 23 | 33 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour | 43 | 62 | 20 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns | 46 | 67 | 21 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| The school is led and managed effectively | 53 | 77 | 15 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school | 54 | 78 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.
Glossary
What inspection judgements mean
| Grade | Judgement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Outstanding | These features are highly effective. An oustanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. |
| Grade 2 | Good | These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. |
| Grade 3 | Satisfactory | These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. |
| Grade 4 | Inadequate | These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. |
Overall effectiveness of schools
| Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of school | Outstanding | Good | Satisfactory | Inadequate |
| Nursery schools | 51 | 45 | 0 | 4 |
| Primary schools | 6 | 41 | 42 | 10 |
| Secondary schools | 8 | 34 | 44 | 14 |
| Sixth forms | 10 | 37 | 50 | 3 |
| Special schools | 32 | 38 | 25 | 5 |
| Pupil referral units | 12 | 43 | 31 | 14 |
| All schools | 9 | 40 | 40 | 10 |
The data in the table above is for the period 1 September to 31 December 2009 and is the most recently published data available (see ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn term 2009 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.
Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.
Common terminology used by inspectors
| Achievement: | the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training. |
| Attainment: | the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons. |
| Capacity to improve: | the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement. |
| Leadership and management: | the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. |
| Learning: | how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners. |
| Overall effectiveness: | inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be. |
| |
| Progress: | the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started. |
This letter is provided for the school, parents and
carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's
main findings from the inspection of their school.
|
23 April 2010
Dear Pupils
Inspection of Cherry Tree Primary School, Lymm, WA13 0NX
On behalf of my colleagues and myself may I thank you very much for your most warm welcome when we inspected your school recently. I am sure you will be delighted to know that we judge your school to be outstanding. I know that Year 6 pupils know what this word means because I was in the literacy lesson when they were being challenged to produce some 'outstanding' writing.
There are so many things that your school does so very well. Some of these are:
- the excellent teaching helps you to do really well with your work
- the way in which it helps you all get on so well together, behave sensibly and attend so often
- the many exciting things you have to do in and out of class
- how well you are looked after and supported
- the excellent way in which the school is run.
Even in outstanding schools there are still things that can be improved. To help with this your headteacher and the governors agree with me that:
- those of you in Years 3 to 6, especially the boys, could be helped to make even better progress in writing so that you improve as fast as you do in reading and mathematics
- you should understand more about, and link up with, people who live in different parts of the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world.
Thank you again for helping with the inspection.
Yours sincerely
Mr Paul Bamber
Lead inspector
| Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 08456 404045, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. |