Local Authority Officers:

  • Julie Ash – Senior School Improvement Officer, Learning Division
  • Maxine Bull - Senior School Improvement Officer, Learning Division
  • Jackie Stirland - Senior School Improvement Officer, Learning Division

Information about the review

The purpose of the review is to evaluate progress made by the school following inspection in October 2013 when the school was judged to be good. Also, to establish the current strengths and areas for development in light of the September 2015 Ofsted framework.

The key lines of inquiry therefore focus on previous Ofsted issues plus an evaluation of current provision:

1. Improve teaching in mathematics and thereby raise achievement so that it matches reading and writing by:

  • requiring pupils to show their working out when completing mathematics problems
  • marking mathematics work in more detail and checking that pupils understand and can correct what they have done wrong
  • linking the different aspects of mathematics together, and improving the ability of all pupils to use and apply their mathematical knowledge in problem-solving activities
  • raising pupils' awareness of the importance of mathematical learning in everyday life
  • building opportunities for pupils to consolidate and extend their mathematical skills in other subjects.

2. Improve leadership and management by:

  • completing the training and other support for subject leaders so that all are able to lead developments in their subjects and areas of responsibility effectively.

Officers carried out fifteen lesson observations and visited every classroom including the Enhanced Resource Facility (ERF)in order to establish the quality of teaching across the school. All senior leaders carried out joint observations at some point over the two days. Officers observed leaders providing feedback to staff.

Officers held brief discussions with seventeen parents at the start of the school day, met formally and informally with pupils independently and during lessons.Officers spoke with the leaders of English, mathematics, EYFS, Inclusion, Pupil Premium and held formal interviews with the Headteacher, Deputy headteacher and also the Chair of Governors (telephone). The views of staff were collected on an anonymous questionnaire and evaluated. In addition,officers looked at pupils’ work,listened to readers, considered monitoring and evaluation documentation, policies and current attendance and assessment information provided by the school.

  1. Leadership and management is good and some elements are outstanding.
  • The vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school is consistently evident in all aspects of school life and communicated well to all stakeholders. Pupils are happy at this school and feel cared for and valued by all staff. 100% of parents met say they would recommend the school and believe that the school is well led.
  • Leaders focus consistently on improving outcomes for all pupils. They have a clear ambition and this is reflected well in the challenging performance management targets that are set for staff. Teaching is consistently strong across the school and development is carefully tailored to individual needs.
  • Leaders and governors have an accurate and deep understanding of the school’s effectiveness as a result of regular monitoring and evaluation activities. Consequently, they continue to focus on improving outcomes for all pupils and refine and adapt approaches and support. They are uncompromising in their ambition and recognise that the focus on disadvantaged pupils and challenge for the most able remains. Leaders’ analysis of assessment information and the quality of teaching is carefully directing where further support is needed. Resources are allocated as a result and there are examples of good improvements and closing of gaps.
  • The curriculum is developing well to ensure it is interesting and purposeful. The new Assertive Mentoring approach is helping teachers to specifically identify the needs of individual pupils, although it is too new to provide evidence of impact. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school. They are particularly enthusiastic about reading, mathematics and music. Whilst reflecting the minimum expectations, information about the curriculum on the school website is limited, a missed opportunity.
  • The promotion of equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion is exceptional. Leaders, staff and pupils do not tolerate prejudiced behaviour. Parents say the school is ‘fantastic’ and ‘brilliant’ in this regard. Others indicate that this was not their first choice school but it is now. Parents value how well the school knows their child, they especially like the closeness it brings to them, ‘like a family.’
  • The new SENCo is developing her understanding of the assessment information through being mentored by the previous SENCO and she recognises, and is appropriately addressing, the whole school priorities. She is gaining an improving awareness of all SEND pupils across the school and this is being well supported by the existing secure and robust systems that are in place. However, this is not yet fully formalised and is identified as an on-going area for development as this new leader transitions into this role.
  • Leadership for core subjects is strong. It reflects the position presented by senior leaders. Following careful assessment these leaders have identified appropriate areas for improvement and the strategies involved. They are fully involved in monitoring and evaluation across the school and have accessed professional development opportunities to support them in this role.
  • All middle leaders report that they are well supported by Senior Leaders. They share the common vision and drive to improve as articulated by senior leaders. Regular meetings, that are well structured ensure that communication is open and effective. This is leading to stronger leadership capacity across the school.
  • The EYFS and KS1 leader is clear about their role and responsibilities and values the team input and sharing of ideas. They are gaining secure knowledge of the outcomes for pupils at different keys stages and makes changes to provision based on findings. They have used knowledge from external and internal training to review and plan further. A joint observation with the SSIO, identified a clear understanding of strengths and next steps, and demonstrated that they know the team well. They will need to continue to use national data to further analyse outcomes for all groups in the changing climate of assessment without levels.
  • The ERF leader constantly evaluates the opportunities to re-integrate pupils back into mainstream classrooms. This is managed sensitively and pupils’ learning and progress is at the centre of decisions, as well as their emotional needs.
  • Safeguarding is effective. Leaders and managers have created a culture of vigilance where pupils’ welfare is actively promoted. Staff are familiar with the safeguarding policy and know what to do if they have concerns. Leaders have high expectations in regard to health, safety and wellbeing for all pupils, so that help can be sought from external agencies at the earliest opportunity if needed. The school works well with external agencies to support pupils at risk. Effective systems are in place to ensure security of confidential documents and transfer of documentation to other schools.
  • Risks assessments are in place and have been adapted to meet individual needs. Further risk assessments will be identified and completed as appropriate. Staff have completed an access plan; the headteacher will review it linked to the frequently changing intake of pupils and parents.
  • Leaders meet regularly with Local Authority representatives linked to health and safety and buildings issues; leaders have responded to the Fire Safety Audit recommendations.
  • A training matrix is in place and monitored to ensure that staff are trained for their roles; further training is planned when staff change their area of work and this ensures effective capacity and consistent approaches are maintained.
  • Governors know the school well. They have an accurate picture of the outcomes and are focused consistently on challenging leaders to improve further. Governors visit the school and are well informed by the views of pupils, parents and staff. For example, learning walks with leaders, safeguarding checks and closely monitoring the SEND provision. They access relevant training for example, Raise Online training and this has helped them to perform their role even better.
  • Governors recognise their statutory core duties and dispatch these thoroughly. They are clear about the importance of the Pupil Premium funding and the Sports Funding and are closely checking on its impact.

2. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good and some that is outstanding

  • Teaching is good across the school. Where the teaching is most effective, pupils benefit from teachers' and teaching assistants' secure subject knowledge. The delivery of the national curriculum is developing effectively and increasingly pupils are working at the expected standard for their age. Teachers value relevant professional development activities such as additional grammar training that is helping them to plan challenging lessons that meet the needs of their pupils. Coaching sessions are well utilised to good effect so that the basic skills are taught consistently across the school.
  • Staff use questioning strategies skilfully, this enables pupils to think more deeply about what they are learning and as result they make good progress. For example, in Year 6 pupils are required to explore strategies in their mathematical problems using a simple example before challenging them with harder versions. Similarly, in Year 5, pupils are provided with opportunities to write an example of a complex sentence. This is revisited following further investigation and pupils check and improve on their understanding. In a Year 1 PE lesson pupils make the connection between heart rate increasing and physical activity due to effective modelling and insightful questioning. Where required teacher re-phrase questions well to ensure challenge and understanding for example in the ERF.
  • Teaching assistants know the pupils well. They are well prepared for each lesson and know what to do to ensure the pupils are challenged sufficiently. As a result, these groups are making good progress. In one example, a teaching assistant working with two SEND pupils uses a practical activity to explore equivalent fractions. Pupils cut shapes and labelled the relevant fractions of the whole. The mathematical concept is well supported as a result of the carefully planned approach and skilful use of mathematical language, peer support and practical resources to reinforce the learning. In lessons, teaching assistants have a clear role and relationships with pupils are positive and purposeful.
  • The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is effective. This is because all relevant staff know precisely what these pupils need to do. Pupils are also provided time to process information and lots of encouragement to complete activities. Pupils enjoy this teaching and as a result look forward to the sessions and make good progress.
  • Pupils read regularly. They are expected to read at home at least three times a week and pupils say that they enjoy this. Pupils reading books are well matched to their needs and they make effective progress as a result of daily guided reading sessions. Reading books are providingchallenge, especially where pupils are required to comprehend, deduce and infer.
  • In the phonics lesson seen in Y1 the teacher uses terminology correctly and demonstrates that effective strategies are embedded systematically over time. Pupils are engaged and keen to share their knowledge of word-building for reading and segmenting for spelling and could apply their skills appropriately in reading and writing activities. The lesson was planned well so that misconceptions could be explained and new learning introduced at an appropriate pace. In another Y2 lesson pupils applied their phonic skills in writing, using ambitious vocabulary and phonetically plausible spellings with confidence.
  • Writing is taught well with pupils making good progress across school.This is particularly the case for grammar, punctuation and spelling that is a strong feature of lessons. However, in some year groups, there are fewer opportunities provided to write independently and at length. As a result some groups are not always being provided with sufficient time to apply their knowledge and skills and to explore their creativity through writing. In addition, handwriting and presentation is not always of a consistently high standard. (There are, however, some very strong examples in some classes which could provide standardisation models to be shared as good practice.)
  • Mathematics is taught effectively to all ability groups and pupils say they enjoy their learning in this subject. Pupils’ books show they have made good progress from the start of this year and they have responded well to the guidance provided by their teachers. There is consistent evidence that pupils are now showing the working out and are given opportunity to explore real mathematical problems. For example, activities related to perimeter and area in KS2 is explained by relating it to a playground space. Pupils are provided with a range of mathematical equipment and resources appropriate to their needs and this is ensuring they are motivated about excited about mathematics.One pupil said "I didn't know how to do word problems and now I can, I'm proud of this."
  • Pupils demonstrate excellent collaborative skills. They work well together in pairs and groups. For example, in Year 4, 5 and 6 effective use of talking partners is embedded to promote ideas and communication as well as scaffolding thinking. Pupils are confident to share their thoughts about each others work and they are very truthful.
  • Teachers ensure that the learning for each session is clearly understood by pupils. In the best lessons teachers work with pupils to generate criteria that will help them to know if they are successful in their learning. Increasingly, pupils are using in class evaluation to self and peer assess so that their consolidated learning and progress is more secure. This is helping pupils to make progress and to build solid foundations.
  • Teachers and teaching assistants are consistently providing clear instructions so that the pace of learning in lessons is appropriate to the needs of the pupils. This means that no learning time is lost and pupils value the time they have with adults. One pupil said "The teachers at this school are kind and they always have time to help you if you don't understand."
  • Pupils understand the marking strategy. It is evident in books and folders that pupils work is marked regularly and thoroughly. Pupils say they find teacher's comments helpful, when they read them. However, they say that they do not always take the time to read them and this is not consistent.
  • Teachers set homework, in line with the school's policy that is half-termly. Pupils say that they prefer to have homework set in this way (compared to the previous system) but they realise that they need to do some homework every week and not leave it too long. Pupils say that they enjoy the homework and can understand how it helps them in school. They also say they have good support at home. Parents are predominantly happy with the new approach to homework although two parents felt there was too much.
  • There is a consistency of practice across the ERF that supports the calm and purposeful environment. Expectation of achievement of the pupils is high, as a result pupils display positive learning behaviours. Learning activities are well paced, planned and adapted to the needs and abilities of pupils. This is a consistently strong feature across the school, teachers clearly know their pupils.
  • The work of all staff is valued. It is difficult at times to distinguish between the teachers and support staff roles, including apprentices. They work well together and the dialogue is focused positively on pupils and provision.

3. Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good and much is outstanding

Personal development and welfare

  • The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is good. Pupils talk about feeling safe and have no doubts about reporting any concerns to a teacher. Parents agree that their children are safe and appreciate and value the support they receive from the school, such as online safety and opportunity to talk to staff at the start and end of the day.
  • Relationships between pupils and staff are excellent. One pupil said "teachers are kind, they help us a lot." This is because staff know the pupils well and ensure that they respond to any issues appropriately. Parents of children in the ERF share how well children are supported and how accessible all staff are to support them with supporting their children.
  • The school recognises the importance of pupils’ welfare by ensuring that all policies are reviewed and kept up to date, including those relating to child protection. All staff working with pupils are checked to ensure they are suitable to carry out their roles and have completed the required safeguarding training. Staff respond quickly to implementing new legislation and in the best practice, note amendments at the front of policies. Effective systems are in place to check staff receive new information that must be implemented promptly.
  • Parents and pupils agree that bullying is very rare and when it does occur staff deal with it quickly and effectively. Pupils have a good understanding of bullying and the different forms it can take. Staff are vigilant in their day-to-day work, checking to make sure that any form of discrimination is spotted and dealt with immediately. This is a real strength consistently across the school. One parent described the school as "absolutely fantastic, they stuck exactly to the policy and dealt with the issue brilliantly." All other parents explained they have very little knowledge of bullying because it is so rare.
  • Pupils display positive attitudes to learning. When they are challenged with work that is most accurately matched to their ability, they show their best attitudes. These contribute greatly to the good progress they make in lessons, as well as to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
  • Current attendance, at 95.9%, is secure and improving as a result of the clear and effective systems in place. Parents recognise the importance of attending school and value the support from school.
  • Leaders work closely with an Education Welfare Officer to keep good attendance central to their improvement strategy. First day calls are consistently applied and if a child is absent for more than one day a courtesy call is made home. Good attendance is celebrated with pupils (for example, assemblies, certificates, badges, attendance tree) and visual displays around the school consistently reinforce messages of high expectations. For example, the 100% attendance award display on the windows where parents walk into school and in the entrance area of the school.
  • The headteacher is provided with a weekly report on attendance and analysis of groups indicates that attendance for disadvantaged pupils is improving. Leaders have recently introduced a new ‘Assertive Mentoring’ strategy that again shares and reinforces the importance of good attendance and punctuality with parents and pupils. The impact of this will be evaluated in coming months.
  • The percentage of Persistent Absentees (PA) is affected by an ERF individual with attendance of 17%. This is being closely monitored and managed. Currently, there are three pupils identified as PA. Leaders also monitor patterns that may lead to PA but this remains a priority area for the school.

Behaviour