Duke of Norfolk CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and improve rates of progress, particularly in mathematics, by:
  • ensuring that checks on pupils’ progress support pupils in making consistently good progress
  • providing pupils with tasks which consistently challenge them to make the best possible progress
  • providing pupils with increased opportunities to write at length in subjects across the curriculum.
• Increase the progress of children in the early years by:
  • ensuring that staff assess children consistently
  • ensuring that the staff use the information from assessments to plan activities that challenge children, particularly the most able, effectively, in order to develop their skills and understanding.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • improvement plans provide governors with clear criteria for checking on whether planned improvements have taken place and have had a positive impact or not
  • leaders receive the necessary training and support to carry out their roles effectively
  • governors improve their understanding of the progress that the pupils make, in order to hold leaders stringently to account for the achievement of all pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. 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. An external review of governance 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 do not have a secure enough understanding of pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, governors cannot currently hold the headteacher to account for the progress of pupils, including different groups of pupils, across the school.
• Leaders at all levels do not write concise enough development plans. Consequently, governors cannot hold leaders stringently to account for the actions taken in leaders’ areas of responsibility.
• Middle leaders have not received sufficient training and professional development in order to be able to carry out their responsibilities effectively. The headteacher does not check on the impact of their actions closely enough. Consequently, leaders cannot be sure if their plans and actions are making a difference to pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders and governors have not ensured that the pupil premium funding is allocated and monitored effectively. For example, they are unclear about the provision for the most able disadvantaged pupils and how the extra funding is accelerating their progress.
• Leaders do not use performance management effectively to hold teachers to account for the progress of pupils in their classes. As a result, teachers focus too heavily on the proportions of pupils who are working at age-related expectations.
• There are limited opportunities for teachers to develop professionally. Consequently, staff do not have up-to-date knowledge of recent educational developments.
• Leaders have ensured that there is a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in a wide range of subjects, including science, music and art. Pupils enjoy taking part in homework activities that help to deepen their knowledge and understanding of different topics. For example, models of Viking longboats are proudly on display outside the Years 5 and 6 classes.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils are knowledgeable about faiths and cultures that are different from their own. They have a good understanding of British values. Pupils are, therefore, well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• The leader responsible for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities knows each pupil’s needs well. Additional support programmes are matched well to pupils’ needs and monitored frequently to ensure that they are effective. The school has good links with outside agencies and there is a trained teaching assistant at the school, specialising in speech and language therapy. Consequently, these pupils are progressing well.
• The leader responsible for the physical education and sport funding has successfully provided pupils with a wide variety of sporting opportunities and after-school activities. For example, the Years 3 and 4 pupils are the current local gymnastics champions.
• Parents are strongly of the view that pupils are happy, safe and well looked after at Duke of Norfolk School. For example, one parent commented that ‘the school is a friendly, bright and warm place of learning’. The vast majority of parents who have expressed a view would recommend the school to another parent.

Governance of the school

• Governors have not held leaders fully to account for the progress of pupils. They have not challenged leaders effectively enough regarding the recent slow progress of pupils during their time in key stage 2.
• Governors have not been able to monitor adequately the impact of leaders’ school development plans. This is because the plans do not contain enough detail to enable governors to check on what is working and what is not. Consequently, governors do not have a clear overview of all aspects of the school’s work.
• The governing body has a good mix of skills and experience. Governors make visits to school in order to check on, for example, the provision for the pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. The visits are recorded formally and shared with other governors at meetings, thereby keeping them up to date with developments.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong safeguarding culture in the school. All necessary checks on adults are undertaken before they are allowed to work or to volunteer at the school.
• The headteacher has ensured that all staff have received the necessary safeguarding training, including on the ‘Prevent’ duty. Consequently, staff are aware of local issues that may expose pupils to the dangers of radicalisation or extremism.
• The system for staff to report any welfare concerns regarding a child is effective. The well-trained designated leads ensure that any pupil or family who requires extra support from an outside agency receives it promptly. Leaders understand the importance of keeping records in a good order.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers do not accurately measure or track the progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. They are not clear about how much progress individual pupils and groups of pupils are making over time. Consequently, the work given to pupils is not matched to their needs.
• Teachers do not always move pupils on to more challenging work quickly enough, particularly in mathematics. Consequently, from their various starting points, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• The quality of teaching across key stage 2 is inconsistent. For example, current assessment information provided by the school shows that pupils in Years 3 and 4 make slower progress than those pupils in Years 5 and 6. This is because pupils are not suitably challenged, especially in mathematics.
• Teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to write at length in subjects across the curriculum. Consequently, pupils’ skills in punctuation, grammar and spelling are not sufficiently well developed.
• Teaching assistants are used effectively to deepen pupils’ learning by asking challenging questions. They ensure that pupils have opportunities to complete some activities without adult supervision, thereby promoting the pupils’ independence.
• Phonics is taught well. Pupils have the opportunity daily to practise saying and writing different letter sounds. For example, pupils in the Year 1 class enjoyed the opportunity to explore the ‘air’ sound. They confidently and accurately wrote down the words chair and fair.
• Pupils enjoy reading and do so frequently. Pupils across the school have books at the appropriate level of challenge for their age and ability. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words. Pupils in Year 6 report that they can choose from a variety of books in the well-stocked library. Their favourite authors include Roald Dahl and Cressida Cowell.
• Teachers follow the school’s marking and feedback policy consistently across the curriculum. Consequently, pupils understand what they need to do to in order to improve.
• The learning environment is bright and stimulating throughout the school. The Years 5 and 6 classes, in particular, contain useful resources to help pupils learn. These include mathematical vocabulary, spelling rules and good examples of handwriting.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured. They are successful learners who understand the importance of resilience when they are faced with learning something new.
• Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. Pupils respond quickly to adults’ instructions. This ensures that lessons flow smoothly and without interruption.
• The school’s values of joy, respect, responsibility and honesty are known well to, and used by, pupils. These values are displayed proudly around the school and referred to frequently in whole-school assemblies.
• Pupils have a very good understanding of social diversity. For example, pupils write frequently to, and meet with, pupils from a multicultural, inner city school in Manchester. The school is working towards becoming ‘Stonewall Champions’. Consequently, pupils are developing their understanding of homophobic and transphobic bullying. As one pupil told an inspector, ‘We welcome anyone into this school.’ They are knowledgeable about faiths and cultures different from their own.
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe when online, on their bicycles and when crossing the road. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils enjoy the responsibility of being elected as school council and ‘eco-club’ members. Council members have recently been instrumental in raising funds for charities. The eco-club has gained Green Flag status for the school, in recognition of club members’ work to make the school more environmentally friendly.
• Pupils relish the opportunity to take part in school visits. Year 6 pupils spoke enthusiastically about a recent outdoor and adventurous residential visit to Robin Wood. Pupils in other year groups have recently visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Manchester Museum to support their learning about the Egyptians in a history topic.
• Pupils take part in a variety of extra school activities, including gymnastics, multi-sports, choir and Christian club.
• Parents value the early morning breakfast club. There are a good range of suitable and safe activities for pupils to complete, in addition to them enjoying a healthy breakfast. Consequently, the pupils feel ready to start their day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well in classrooms, corridors, at lunch and when playing outside at breaktimes. Pupils report that instances of poor behaviour and bullying are extremely rare.
• Pupils value assembly times, arriving in a sensible and orderly manner and settling quickly. They listen appreciatively to others, such as to a pupil playing the piano, and celebrate sensibly with other pupils who have achieved particularly well during the week.
• Pupils enjoy receiving ‘house points’ for working well and displaying the school’s values. At the end of every term, the winning house is rewarded with a non-uniform day. This motivates pupils to behave well and to become responsible citizens.
• Pupils are happy, polite and respectful of visitors. They wait in doorways and corridors, allowing adults to pass. They greet adults cheerily during the day.
• The systems to monitor the absence of pupils are strong and effective. Over recent years, rates of attendance have been above the national average. Rates of persistent absence have been below the national average. Any pupil whose attendance drops is identified quickly. These pupils and their families are given the required support to ensure that the pupils’ attendance improves.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In key stage 2, in 2016 and 2017, too few pupils made adequate progress in reading and writing. This included pupils who were disadvantaged and who had SEN and/or disabilities. Progress in reading declined in 2017.
• Inspection evidence, including work seen in pupils’ books, shows that too few disadvantaged pupils are currently making good progress from their various starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils are not challenged sufficiently in writing and mathematics. They are often given work that is too easy for them and are not moved on to challenging work quickly enough. Consequently, they do not make progress fast enough.
• Pupils make faster progress in Years 5 and 6. Assessment information provided by the school shows that large proportions of current pupils are working at age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 5 and 6. Lower proportions of pupils are working at age-related expectations in Years 3 and 4. Their progress is not as rapid as it should be.
• In 2017, the proportion of pupils leaving key stage 2 who achieved the expected standards in reading and writing was in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who achieved at the expected standard in mathematics was above the national average.
• In 2017, the proportion of pupils leaving key stage 1 who achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils leaving key stage 1 who achieved at a greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics was also in line with the national average.
• In 2016 and 2017, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was higher than the national average.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Adults do not assess children’s achievement precisely enough. Consequently, teachers do not plan for next steps in children’s learning accurately. Children, particularly the most able, do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Changes to the leadership of the early years have meant that the systems to identify children who are underachieving are not working well. Staff are not able to recognise the gaps in children’s knowledge and, therefore, cannot take action to tackle them.
• Observations of children’s learning show that children who are currently in the early years are not making consistently good progress.
• Children enter the early years with knowledge and skills that are broadly typical and, sometimes, above those typical for their age. In 2016 and 2017, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was above the national average. These children were therefore well prepared for life in Year 1.
• Children’s transition into the Reception classes is good. Parents and children have frequent opportunities to visit the school in the summer term. The early years leader visits children in their Nursery setting and Nursery staff visit the school. This ensures that children are well known to adults before they start and so they settle quickly.
• The early years has positive links with outside agencies who support children’s welfare, such as the multi-agency team from the local authority. As a result, children who require extra support receive it swiftly.
• Parents enjoy frequent contact with staff. This enables them to discuss any queries regarding their children’s education. Parents complete daily phonics sheets with their children to help develop early reading skills.
• Relationships between adults and children are positive. Well-established routines enable children to move sensibly between different activities. Children behave well and share resources sensibly and respectfully.
• Where the activities closely match children’s abilities, the children show sustained concentration. For example, a group of boys were particularly engrossed in recognising numbers to 10 on hand-held tablets.
• Safeguarding is effective and statutory duties are met. Staff have had appropriate safeguarding training and are aware of the procedures that are in place to report any welfare concerns they have about a child.
• Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were positive about their children’s education in the early years. One said, for example, ‘My child cried on Saturday, when she realised there was no school!’

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112868 Derbyshire 10036031 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 311 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Rebecca Silcock Ann Montgomery 01457 852 635 www.dukenorfolk.co.uk info@dukenorfolk.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11 12 December 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and who speak English as an additional language are much lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is lower than average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.
• In 2017, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed lessons in all classes, sometimes jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors examined a wide variety of pupils’ books from a range of subjects.
• Inspectors held a range of meetings with the headteacher, subject and other leaders, a group of governors including the chair of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors spoke with pupils in groups, in lessons and around the school, and listened to them reading. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and at breaktimes and lunch times.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including minutes of governing body meetings, current assessment information provided by the school, the school development plan and self-evaluation, and records relating to safeguarding.
• Inspectors talked with parents before school and examined 38 responses to Parent View. There were 0 and 14 responses to the Ofsted pupil and staff surveys respectively.

Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Dorothy Stenson Benetia Mounsey Lynda Florence

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector