Corringham CofE VC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. All pupils make good progress and achieve well from the time they join the school.

Teaching is good because teachers plan activities that the pupils find interesting and enjoyable. Teaching assistants boost pupils' achievement because they support individuals or guide the learning of small groups of pupils very well. Pupils enjoy school and attendance is good.

They say they feel safe and cared for well and most parents agree with this view. The behaviour of pupils is good because they respond well to the high expectations of staff. The headteacher offers strong and well -considered leadership.

The very small number of teachers a...nd the business manager all carry out a leadership role and support the headteacher very well. This means that the school is continuing to improve at a fast rate. The governing body makes an excellent contribution to leadership.

The expertise of the Chair of Governors has meant that governors have supported the school and asked searching questions of its leaders to make rapid progress in improving issues from the previous inspection. It is not yet an outstanding school because : More-able pupils do not make as much progress as they could do. Pupils do not write enough longer pieces of work.

At times teachers spend too much time talking when pupils could be getting on with their work. Not enough teaching is outstanding to drive progress at an even faster rate. There is too much focus on what pupils will do rather than on what they will learn.

Marking does not always make clear to pupils how to improve their work.

Information about this school

This is a smaller-than-average sized primary school. Some parents who live outside the area choose to send their children to the school.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those with educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is well below average and there were no pupils on roll at the time of the inspection.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and children from service families, is average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics. The school does not make use of any alternative provision for its pupils off site.

A new Chair of Governors was elected from within the governing body just after the last inspection 18 months ago. A new headteacher was appointed from within the school in June 2012. She had worked alongside an executive headteacher as an acting headteacher until September 2011 Three out of the four teachers have changed since the last inspection.

The proportion of pupils who move onto the school roll or leave the school outside normal times is well above average. The school is one of four schools in an informal network called the 'villages collaborative'. The schools share training and good practice and offer mutual support.