Astley CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school. In its exceptionally welcoming and inclusive ethos, pupils are cherished as individuals.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted with conviction, including through outstanding assemblies. The school is not outstanding because pupils' achievement and the teaching are good rather than excellent. The reasons vary for different classes.

For example, very occasionally, opportunities are missed to use visual aids to the full, the teaching assistant is not fully deployed in every aspect of the lesson, or a lesson tries to cover too many points. This prevents progress from being outstanding. Pupils greatly enjoy the before and after school activities.
<...br/>Pupils make good progress and achieve well. Groups of pupils including boys and girls and those whose circumstances make them and their families vulnerable all make good progress. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are correctly identified and achieve well.

Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together. Enthusiastic teaching and good subject knowledge ensure pupils are engaged by lessons, and try their best. Accurate assessments of progress inform lesson planning and marking is very thorough and constructive.

Behaviour in lessons and around school is good and sometimes outstanding. Pupils act safely and have a good understanding of how to keep safe. While a small minority of parental and pupil questionnaires stated lessons are sometimes disrupted by unacceptable behaviour, a range of evidence indicates behaviour over time is good.

The governing body is effectively developing closer links with that of another local primary school and challenges and support the school well. The dynamic leadership of the headteacher and conscientious leaders and managers ensure a clear vision and high aspirations. Comprehensive, self-evaluation enables the school to know how to improve further.

Safeguarding meets statutory requirements. Arrangements for managing performance ensure support is channelled effectively to enable staff improvements. Rigorous leadership of teaching includes regular lesson monitoring where accurate judgements clearly conveyed to staff lead to improvements.

Information about the school

Astley C of E Primary School is smaller than average. Some of the year cohorts are very small. The great majority of pupils are from a White British background.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is high. The school meets current government floor standards. Since the previous inspection there has been a drop in the school role.

The previous headteacher left in August 2010 and a temporary headteacher took up the post until, in September 2011, an executive headteacher was appointed with responsibility for the school and another local primary school. The two schools are in the early stages of experimental federation arrangements whose continuation is due to be considered in July 2012. A breakfast club and an after-school club are run by the governing body.