Draycott Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, and thereby pupils’ outcomes, to consistently good by ensuring that:
  • all teachers use their knowledge of their pupils’ achievements, and especially those of the most able and the disadvantaged, to plan work that consistently meets needs and challenges them fully
  • subject leaders check that pupils across the school are moved on to their next task as soon as they demonstrate that they know, or can do something, well enough
  • pupils fully apply their phonic knowledge when they write
  • all teachers give pupils sufficient opportunities to write at length, including across the curriculum
  • teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support pupils where they need it most
  • pupils receive sufficient opportunities to plan, carry out and evaluate scientific investigations.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management so that:
  • leaders hold all teachers to account fully for the progress their children make
  • subject leaders support those colleagues who need further training so that they can judge precisely which pupils are working at the expectations for their age, and which are working at a greater depth of understanding
  • the pupil premium is used effectively to accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils so that their attainment is at least close to that of other pupils nationally
  • the funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used well in key stages 1 and 2 so that these pupils make good gains from their starting points. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders have not ensured that all teachers have sufficiently high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They do not challenge staff rigorously when teaching is not good enough and when pupils do not make sufficient progress.
• While leaders have identified correctly many of the aspects of weaker provision, they have not addressed these aspects quickly enough with robust and necessary action.
• Subject leaders have not played a sufficiently effective role in helping to improve the quality of teaching in the subjects for which they are responsible.
• Leaders recognise that the pupil premium funding has not been used sufficiently effectively to help accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils so that greater proportions achieve not only the expected standards but those of a greater depth. Before the inspection, leaders and the governing body had accepted that the differences in attainment between these pupils and others nationally are not diminishing quickly enough and had agreed to formally review the school’s provision.
• The additional funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is not spent well enough in key stages 1 and 2. School data shows that the progress of these pupils is not consistently good. The additional support these pupils receive is not based on a precise enough assessment of their needs. Support is not evaluated well enough to check it is helping these pupils to improve quickly.
• Leaders are spending the primary physical education and sports funding well. They have assessed the fitness needs of pupils and are using it to pay for a range of activities which are increasing pupils’ participation and enjoyment, including lunchtime fitness activities. Every pupil has at least one opportunity each year to access sports events and festivals at other schools and locations.
• Leaders have ensured the curriculum that pupils are taught is varied, balanced and interesting. Teachers have designed this through a series of ‘learning adventures’ such as ‘it’s alive!’ in Year 6. Staff have considered thoughtfully what knowledge they want pupils to learn in different year groups, building on this as pupils become older. For example, pupils in Reception and Year 1 learn about their own homes. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 learn about other homes around the world and how they are built. Pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 look at the impact of technology on homes since the Second World War. This helps pupils to see links in their learning and to remember more.
• The curriculum is enhanced by a range of extra-curricular clubs that pupils enjoy attending, and that give them opportunities to discover new interests and develop their skills. These include karate, taekwondo, Zumba, choir and art.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils have good opportunities to reflect on, for example, the wonder of the natural world in the conservation area. Children were keen to explain to inspectors how they had learned about the ‘amazing life cycle’ of a butterfly and what a chrysalis is. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 paint stones that they place each year at the local memorial to remember the men of Draycott who died during the wars. Staff develop pupils’ moral aspects well so they have a strong understanding of right and wrong. The school’s curriculum gives pupils a good understanding of other cultures and faiths. Pupils could speak confidently to inspectors about the differences and similarities between, for example, Islam and Christianity.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They are insistent that it is a good thing that everyone is different, and that they and others must respect those who have different views, appearance, languages, faiths or cultures. They keep the school rules well and can explain that they, like the law, exist to keep everyone safe and happy. Pupils say that they feel listened to in school and value the fact that teachers listen to them and that, for example, they can vote to elect members of the school council.
• Staff who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire gave consistently positive views of the school’s leadership and believe that it is an improving school. They feel proud to work at Draycott Primary.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is highly committed to the school, and to continuing to improve its own effectiveness. Governors consider their own training needs and appoint new governors wisely.
• Governors explained to inspectors how, until this academic year, leaders did not give them sufficient information for them to have a good understanding of pupils’ outcomes across the school. This year, leaders are giving them better information, which is improving the way governors hold them to account. However, governors are not highly effective in their roles. This is because, although they are receiving more data, it is not consistently precise. Governors recognise that it is important that some teachers receive additional training so that all teachers can assess accurately. This, governors say, will allow them to ask searching questions of leaders about the impact of planned actions upon the progress and attainment of specific groups of pupils.
• Governors visit the school regularly to meet leaders and to see the work pupils are doing. They monitor the outcomes of, for instance, disadvantaged pupils and regard a clear improvement in the rate of progress of these pupils to be a priority.
• The governing body checks well that leaders and staff keep pupils safe in school and that, for example, the single central register is up to date.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that they and staff keep pupils safe in school. There is a strong and visible culture of safeguarding, with notices and information on this aspect prominently displayed around the school. The school website provides parents and carers with good levels of information to help them keep their child safe at home.
• Staff are well trained in safeguarding. They demonstrate a good understanding of the wide variety of indicators that might suggest a child is being exploited or abused. They understand fully their absolute responsibility to do all they can to protect a pupil, and to report any concern briskly. School case files show that leaders do not hesitate to refer to and work with external agencies where this is needed.
• Parents who responded to Parent View unanimously believe that staff keep their children safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Pupils’ workbooks show that teachers do not consistently consider well enough what different groups of pupils know already when they give them new work to do. Some pupils receive tasks that challenge them too much, while others complete work that does not make them think sufficiently. This means that not enough lower-attaining pupils catch up rapidly, and that insufficient proportions of pupils attain a greater depth of understanding.
• The most recent work in pupils’ books shows that teachers are providing greater opportunities for pupils to reason mathematically and to solve problems. However, these are not yet impacting sufficiently on pupils’ progress because the tasks teachers give them are not consistently matched well to the needs of pupils.
• Teachers’ understanding of the expectations for pupils of different ages is improving, but it is not yet precise. Not all teachers know confidently what factors indicate whether a pupil is working at, for example, a greater depth of understanding.
• Teachers do not consistently move pupils on to new things once pupils understand things. Pupils repeat things unnecessarily. This slows their progress.
• Not all teachers expect pupils to complete sufficient pieces of extended writing. Pupils’ workbooks show this is the case across the curriculum. This means pupils’ stamina for writing is not developed well enough as pupils become older. In addition, their writing is too short to demonstrate all the writing skills they have learned.
• Teachers teach phonics effectively, but do not ensure that all pupils apply the phonic skills they have learned when they write.
• Teaching assistants are not consistently well deployed to help pupils make good progress. Some support pupils with tasks pupils can complete themselves rather than, for example, helping them to catch up or to extend their learning.
• Teachers are not planning sufficient opportunities for pupils to investigate scientifically.
• The good modelling of relationships by all staff enables pupils to become confident, positive and to take risks in their learning. Pupils are keen to give answers to questions that staff ask them, even if pupils are unsure. Teachers ensure that pupils pay attention and that they must work hard. Staff quickly notice any pupils who are not paying attention and ensure that they focus on their task again.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. They explain things well and if pupils misunderstand something, staff, including teaching assistants, notice this and help them to know the correct answer, and why.
• Classrooms are attractive, stimulating and make pupils want to learn more. Pupils are proud that teachers display their work for others to see.
• Teachers encourage pupils to become enquiring and inquisitive, particularly about the natural world. For example, teachers have worked with staff from the University of Nottingham to plan a range of activities about spiders. Pupils in Year 5 have carried out a number of first-hand observations of spiders in the school’s conservation area to discover patterns in the creatures’ behaviour over time. They have emailed these reports to university staff.
• Pupils are given homework that reinforces and extends their learning. Pupils get a range of homework challenges that are based around their learning adventure, and what they tell teachers they want to find out. For example, pupils in Year 4 told their teacher that they wanted to know about Viking homes. Pupils researched this aspect at home and made impressive three-dimensional models to bring in to show their teacher they understood.
• Staff are promoting reading for pleasure well. As a result of new books and the ‘reading challenge’, pupils are becoming keener readers who like to read at home.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Staff ensure that they teach pupils that making mistakes is a natural part of learning, as well as how to reflect on what they have recently found out in their work. As a result, pupils are unafraid to make mistakes and enjoy greatly any learning challenges they are given.
• Pupils support each other to learn. Without being prompted, they willingly help each other to understand. Inspectors saw repeated instances of this occurring across different year groups.
• Pupils are keen to stay healthy. They know that they should eat both fresh fruit and vegetables frequently, and to consume fatty or sweet foods only sparingly. They told inspectors how much they enjoy taking part in physical exercise, and that they are proud to take part in sporting events with other schools.
• Pupils who inspectors met told them that they feel safe in school. They say that both bullying and name-calling are rare, and adults deal with it promptly if it occurs.
• Pupils have a good understanding about how to stay safe. Staff teach them about, for instance, the risks from strangers, the need to take care when near roads, and about the dangers of deep water.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the potential dangers when using the internet and mobile phones. Staff tell them never to give their personal details online or agree to meet someone they do not know. Pupils understand that they must quickly show any image or picture that worries them to an adult whom they trust.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are well behaved during lessons. The pay attention, try their best and work hard. Any instances of pupils not paying attention are infrequent and are only momentary. Inspectors saw no instances whatsoever of pupils disrupting others.
• Pupils work neatly. On the very rare occasions where a pupil does not do this, a teacher quickly reminds them of the school expectation that every pupil must take care when they complete their work.
• Pupils are well behaved around the school. They help each other to keep the school rules. They keep the school clean and wear their uniforms with pride.
• Pupils’ absence, and the level of persistent absence, both climbed last year to above the national averages. Published data shows that a quarter of disadvantaged pupils were persistently absent from school. However, staff have worked successfully to reduce this considerably. Information provided by leaders for the current academic year indicates that persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils has reduced to close to the national average. School data also shows that the overall levels of absence and persistent absence have returned to their previous points of being below the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Historically, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected levels at the end of key stage 1 has been broadly in line with the national average. However, not enough of these pupils reach a greater depth of understanding in both reading and mathematics.
• Last year, in key stage 2, the proportions who attained the expected standard in writing rose to become in line with the national average. Mathematics also increased, though remained below the national average. However, attainment in reading declined further compared to the previous year. Although more pupils attained the higher standard in reading, the proportions attaining the combined standard remained below the national average and was actually lower than in 2016. Only around four in 10 pupils attained this last year.
• Pupils’ progress is not consistently good. For example, in 2016 the progress of Year 6 pupils in key stage 2 was below that of other schools nationally in both reading and mathematics. Last year it was below the national average in reading and mathematics.
• School information shows that not enough pupils in different groups are attaining well. Inspectors undertook, alongside leaders, a detailed scrutiny of current workbooks in different subjects from pupils of different ages and groups across the school. Leaders agreed that this confirmed that pupils’ progress is too variable.
• Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are too low. Last year, only 14% of pupils in key stage 2 met the combined standard of attainment. This meant that most left the school with levels of knowledge that were not high enough to ensure they were well prepared for secondary school. Workbooks from current disadvantaged pupils show that they do not consistently learn fast enough. Not enough of those who need to catch up do so, and almost none are attaining a greater depth of understanding. This is because staff do not expect them to attain this standard. The most able disadvantaged pupils, like other higher-attaining pupils, are not challenged enough.
• Though children who have SEN and/or disabilities get off to a good start in the early years, their progress is not consistent across key stages 1 and 2. Not enough pupils make good gains from their starting points.
• Pupils do not consistently make rapid progress in science. Teachers ensure that they learn facts well so that, for example, they can classify materials according to their properties. However, the curriculum does not give pupils sufficient opportunities to plan, conduct and record investigations.
• Pupils are taught phonics well. Inspectors heard a number of pupils read during the inspection. These pupils demonstrated good strategies to pronounce words they did not know.
• Pupils across the school demonstrate considerable creative and artistic abilities. Pupils’ writing books contain many original and interesting ideas. Displays on corridors and classrooms show a wide variety of carefully completed, attractive and skilled two- and three-dimensional art work.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Leaders’ and teachers’ roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined enough. Leaders were not able to explain who was responsible for monitoring the data on children’s achievements, or precisely what is being done to help children, including those who are disadvantaged, to catch up.
• Although provision is better organised and planned in the Nursery, staff in the Reception Year do not consistently plan for children’s next steps in learning, based on what different groups know or can do.
• Teachers’ assessment is not sufficiently precise. Teachers judge too many children to be entering the school with lower levels of skills than they actually have. Leaders were not able to supply robust evidence to inspectors that consistently justified the judgements made.
• The proportion of children who attained a good level of development fell to below the national average in 2017. Although leaders expect this to rise this year, the proportions who have attained the early learning goals in reading, writing and mathematics have been below the national average for three years. Too few children, and particularly the most able, exceed these goals.
• Leaders do not use the pupil premium well enough to support disadvantaged pupils in order that they make the progress they need to catch up.
• The proportions of children who have SEN and/or disabilities in a single year group in the early years is too small to report on without the risk of their identification. However, over time, leaders use the additional funding they receive well to meet the needs of these children. These children make good progress from their starting points.
• The learning environment in all classes is bright and interesting, and staff are friendly. As a result, children settle in well, feel safe and secure, and want to find out as much as possible. Inspectors saw children learning how to recognise numbers, roll dice and practise their star and pencil jumps.
• Staff teach children to behave well. Adults in all roles show them how to listen, share, to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ appropriately and to learn together. Children know school routines well and, for example, line up sensibly.
• Staff take note of parents’ views and information they give them about what their child can do at home. Communication is good. Parents whom inspectors received views from spoke very positively about the strong sense of partnership they have with staff in the early years.
• Though not enough children fulfil their potential, a majority of children overall are ready to begin Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112538 Derbyshire 10047613 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 263 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Kris Bingham Claire Evans 01332 872261 www.draycottprimary.co.uk headteacher@draycott.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 2–3 July 2014

Information about this school

• This is an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average. Most pupils are of a White British background.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed learning in all key stages of the school and in all classes. One of the observations took place accompanied by the headteacher. In total, 20 lessons, or parts of lessons, were observed. The inspectors also scrutinised many examples of pupils’ work.

• The inspection team held meetings with the senior leaders, subject leaders, representatives of the governing body and pupils. They analysed 27 responses on the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, looked at the free-text comments submitted by those parents, and spoke with parents at the beginning of the day. The inspectors also scrutinised the views of those who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff.
• The inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s development plan and self-evaluation, policies and records related to safeguarding, records of pupils’ behaviour, the school’s information about pupils’ outcomes and attendance, and records of meetings of the governing body. Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector Jackie Stirland Fiona Rigby

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector