Ofsted report
 |
Treeton CofE (A) Primary School
| Unique Reference Number | 106946 |
|---|---|
| Local Authority | Rotherham |
| Inspection number | 336775 |
| Inspection dates | 14–15 January 2010 |
| Reporting inspector | Ken Valentine |
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
| Type of school | Primary |
|---|---|
| School category | Voluntary aided |
| Age range of pupils | 3–11 |
| Gender of pupils | Mixed |
| Number of pupils on the school roll | 254 |
| Appropriate authority | The governing body |
| Chair | Mr Bernard Wright |
| Headteacher | Mrs Deborah Ball |
| Date of previous school inspection | 15 May 2007 |
| School address | Wood Lane |
| Treeton, Rotherham | |
| South Yorkshire S60 5QS | |
| Telephone number | 0114 2692677 |
| Fax number | 0114 2690535 |
| Email address | treeton-cofe.junior-infant@rotherham.gov.uk |
| Age group | 3–11 |
|---|---|
| Inspection dates | 14–15 January 2010 |
| Inspection number | 336775 |
ofsted.gov.uk
© Crown copyright 2009
Introduction
The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 13 lessons and held meetings with governors, staff and groups of pupils. Inspectors observed the school's work and looked at a range of documents, including the school improvement plan, records of pupils' progress and attainment and samples of pupils' work. Inspectors also analysed the 85 questionnaires returned by parents and questionnaires returned by staff and pupils
- the reason for the decline in attainment and progress of pupils in Key Stage 2 since the last inspection
- the quality of teaching in Key Stage 2
- whether the quality of the curriculum and care, guidance and support are as good as the school suggests
- what actions have school leaders taken to improve standards in Key Stage 2 and what is the impact of these.
Information about the school
The school is slightly larger than the average-sized-primary school. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is lower than the national average. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is about average. The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises a Nursery and two Reception classes. Since the time of the last inspection a new headteacher has taken up post and there have been a number of staff changes after a significant period of stability in the staffing of the school. The school has a number of awards including Healthy Schools Status and the Warwick Award for Enterprise.
| 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? | 4 |
|---|
The school's capacity for sustained improvement | 3 |
|---|
Main findings
In accordance with Section 13(3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than in all circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a notice to improve. Significant improvement is required to ensure that the single central record of safeguarding checks fully meets requirements. The school has failed to make appropriate checks and maintain required records and, as a consequence, the governing body has failed in its duty to ensure that statutory requirements are met.
The school is committed to the pastoral care of pupils. This is evident in the appreciation for the school's provision expressed by parents and the good safety awareness of pupils.
Pupils' achievement is satisfactory across the school as a whole. They enter Year 1 with attainment that is in line with expectations and reach broadly average standards by the time they leave. Progress is strongest in the Early Years Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1 where teaching is good. However, it is less strong at Key Stage 2 because the quality of teaching and the use of assessment information are less consistent and staff changes have adversely affected the continuity of pupils' learning. Nevertheless, teaching overall is satisfactory. The curriculum is also satisfactory, although there are shortcomings in the use of information and communication technology, especially in Key Stage 2.
Pupils show a good awareness of health issues and have an interest in their future education and enterprise activities in working life. Behaviour is satisfactory overall. They are proud of their school and are keen to play a role in the school community. Pupils' attendance is in line with the national average. Pupils respond well to good pastoral support, work well together with adults in class and participate well in clubs and school visits.
Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school is taking positive steps to secure improvement, including to pupils' attainment, by strengthening the use of assessment information. The successes to date demonstrate a satisfactory capacity to bring about further improvement. Self-evaluation has taken place and it has identified areas requiring further improvement, although it lacks rigour in its evaluation of the quality of teaching and monitoring of pupils' progress and the subsequent impact on student outcomes.
What does the school need to do to improve further?
- Ensure that safeguarding arrangements are fully met and in so doing that care, guidance and support is improved by:
- - making use of relevant advice and training to ensure that the governing body and leaders have appropriate knowledge of requirements relating to the safeguarding of pupils
- - ensuring that appropriate checks are made and that records are completed accurately as a matter of urgency.
- Improve pupils' attainment and progress in Key Stage 2 by:
- - improving the quality of teaching, the use of assessment and the quality of teachers' marking
- - making better use of information and communication technology in pupils' learning.
- Improve the precision and effectiveness of school self-evaluation by:
- - undertaking more rigorous evaluation of teaching and learning
- - carrying out greater scrutiny of pupils' work and progress
- - having a closer emphasis on the impact of recent school initiatives on pupils' outcomes
- - ensuring that governors provide greater challenge and more thorough checking of the school's effectiveness and compliance with statutory requirements.
Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils | 3 |
|---|
Pupils in Key Stage 1 show a high level of interest in their work and, under the careful guidance of teachers, behave and learn well. They are particularly keen on practical activities and work well together. They contribute confidently in discussions and are attentive when listening to their teachers. Progress across the key stage is good and some pupils reach above average standards by the end of Year 2.
Some older pupils in Key Stage 2 do not have a sufficiently secure grasp of earlier work, which restricts their current learning. There is evidence of slippage in their progress, although the school's improved assessment and recording arrangements are now being used to help make up lost ground. Pupils willingly contribute to the assessment of their own learning and help each other when asked to work in pairs. Relationships are good and pupils respond well to praise from teachers. When work set in class does not fully challenge or interest pupils they quickly become disengaged. A high level of support from adults in classes ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make similar progress.
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They give their views with confidence, showing interest and knowledge about moral and social issues both in their local community and nationally. They enjoy and participate well in sporting activities and respond well to encouragement to eat healthily. Older pupils feel well informed about their local secondary school through talks and visits.
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 | 3 |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| The extent to which pupils feel safe | 2 |
| Pupils' behaviour | 3 |
| The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles | 2 |
| The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community | 2 |
| The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹ | 2 |
| 3 | |
| 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?
Teaching is now more settled after a period of staff changes. Teachers are increasingly assessing pupils' work accurately and make more use of the data collected. The planning and organisation of lessons is good. Teachers often relate pupils' learning back to the lesson objectives when assessing their progress. However, the effectiveness of assessment is reduced in Key Stage 2 by variability in the quality of teachers' marking and the limited advice given to pupils. Lessons in Key Stage 1 are often good, proceeding at a good pace and of considerable interest to pupils.
The curriculum is matched to pupils' needs and includes creative and cross-curricular activities, for example, Enterprise Fortnight and Science Week. Provision for potentially vulnerable pupils meets their needs. Good use of visits and visitors contributes to the personal development of all. The use of information and communication technology supports the curriculum well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. This results in lessons that pupils find interesting and adds clarity to the teaching. However, the use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped in Key Stage 2. There is a good range of clubs available to pupils, for example, in sports, art and music.
Although the weaknesses in safeguarding mean that care, guidance and support are inadequate overall, other arrangements to protect pupils are satisfactory. Good pastoral care benefits all pupils and has been very effective in the case of vulnerable pupils. Staff training has increased awareness of pupils' needs. There is now a better allocation of support to pupils where this is needed, including through the intervention of outside agencies. Good systems promote and reward attendance resulting in less absence and a reduction in the number of persistent absentees.
These are the grades for the quality of provision
| The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning | 3 |
| 3 | |
| The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships | 3 |
| The effectiveness of care, guidance and support | 4 |
How effective are leadership and management?
The relatively new leaders have high expectations for the school and are committed to bringing about improvement. They have made helpful changes which are taking the school in the right direction. Improvements in the curriculum have led to greater opportunities for creative work and a better match of work to pupils' interests. Assessment information is more widely shared to assist in planning. There is a greater degree of involvement of the whole school community in school improvement and celebrating success, for example, in the participation of parents in some school assemblies. However, self-evaluation is too generous because it focuses more on actions being taken rather than their impact on pupil outcomes. Records of monitoring are sometimes descriptive rather than evaluative.
The governing body is actively involved in the school community. Governors have a satisfactory knowledge of the school's performance. However, they have an inadequate knowledge of the school's arrangements for safeguarding record keeping, training of staff in health and safety matters, and the provision and implementation of safety policies, and they do not always hold the school to account strongly enough.
The promotion of equal opportunities is satisfactory and is particularly effective in ensuring that provision meets the needs of pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities. The school is at the heart of the village community and this is the strongest aspect of community cohesion. As yet there are few opportunities for pupils to become familiar with communities of different backgrounds. Engagement with parents is satisfactory and there is a steady increase in activities to improve parental involvement. Partnerships with the local community are effective in providing enrichment in pupils' learning, for example, in the use of a French specialist teacher to secure good quality teaching and learning in that subject.
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 | 3 |
| 3 | |
| The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met | 4 |
| The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers | 3 |
| The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being | 3 |
| The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination | 3 |
| The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures | 4 |
| The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion | 3 |
| The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money | 3 |
Early Years Foundation Stage
Children's skills on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage vary but are often low compared with children of a similar age. Relationships between adults and children are good and help make children quickly feel secure, settled and confident. Teachers' planning is good and children thrive on the exciting and well-focused activities that are provided across all curriculum areas. These are presented in a structured and supportive environment and children develop good levels of cooperation and independence. The setting is well resourced with good use of visual material including effective use of interactive whiteboards and computers. Support staff are effective in helping targeted groups of learners and ensuring they make good progress. Action to promote children's personal and social development is good through effective links with parents, for example, in the use of a booklet on teaching letters and sounds. Assessment is securely founded on observation of children's progress and staff know which children need extra support. As a result children progress well and most reach the goals set for children of that age by the time they leave Reception.
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 | 2 |
| 2 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 |
Views of parents and carers
Most questionnaires returned by parents were positive. In particular parents consider that teaching is good and that they are kept well informed about their children's progress. A very small minority raised concerns, for example, about the way the school deals with unacceptable behaviour and the preparation of pupils for the future. These issues were investigated and inspectors consider that behaviour is dealt with appropriately. The preparation of pupils for the future is satisfactory and good at the time of transition to secondary school. Inspectors also considered that parents' positive comments were well founded, including communications about their children's progress, but they judge that teaching could be better in Key Stage 2.
Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire
Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Treeton CofE (A) 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 85 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 254 pupils registered at the school.
| Statements | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | |
| My child enjoys school | 40 | 44 | 38 | 42 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| The school keeps my child safe | 41 | 45 | 42 | 46 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| My school informs me about my child's progress | 26 | 29 | 59 | 65 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| My child is making enough progress at this school | 24 | 26 | 53 | 58 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| The teaching is good at this school | 27 | 30 | 56 | 62 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| The school helps me to support my child's learning | 23 | 25 | 55 | 60 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle | 25 | 27 | 53 | 58 | 11 | 12 | 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) | 27 | 30 | 46 | 51 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| The school meets my child's particular needs | 26 | 29 | 55 | 60 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour | 19 | 21 | 52 | 57 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 5 |
| The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns | 15 | 16 | 61 | 67 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| The school is led and managed effectively | 23 | 25 | 53 | 58 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school | 35 | 38 | 48 | 53 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
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 inspected between September 2007 and July 2008
| Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of school | Outstanding | Good | Satisfactory | Inadequate |
| Nursery schools | 39 | 58 | 3 | 0 |
| Primary schools | 13 | 50 | 33 | 4 |
| Secondary schools | 17 | 40 | 34 | 9 |
| Sixth forms | 18 | 43 | 37 | 2 |
| Special schools | 26 | 54 | 18 | 2 |
| Pupil referral units | 7 | 55 | 30 | 7 |
| All schools | 15 | 49 | 32 | 5 |
The data in the table above were reported in the Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2007/08.
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.
|
16 January 2010
Dear Pupils
Inspection of Treeton Church of England (A) Primary School, Rotherham, S60 5QS
Thank you for being very friendly and helpful when my colleagues and I inspected your school. I really enjoyed talking to you about your work.
You told me you were proud of your school and liked the work you were asked to do. I was particularly interested to hear that the school gives you many opportunities to learn about business enterprise and your school has been successful in getting the Warwick Enterprise Award. You also told me you have plenty of clubs to attend and many of you are very interested in sporting activities and keeping healthy. We agree that these are positive aspects of the school's work. Your attendance and behaviour are satisfactory. I was impressed by how well you are developing personally.
The school provides you with a satisfactory education overall. Some of the teaching is good and is helping you learn well, especially for younger pupils. However, it is not always good enough in Key Stage 2 and we think you could be helped to make more progress there.
It is important that your school keeps accurate records of all the people who work there or who are involved with you regularly. The existing records need to be improved so I have given the school a 'notice to improve' which means that other inspectors will come and check how well the school is doing.
The headteacher and other teachers are working hard to make sure you are well looked after and able to learn, and they are taking action to improve the school further for you. To help with this I have asked the school to do the following:
- make sure that the information about staff is kept correctly
- improve teaching and assessment in Key Stage 2 to help you make more progress
- make sure that leaders and governors check the school's organisation and procedures carefully so they know how to improve things further for you.
You can all help by continuing to work hard and enjoying your school!
Yours sincerely
Ken Valentine
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. |