Market Deeping Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in order to accelerate pupils’ progress by making sure that all teachers:
  • use assessment information effectively to ensure that teaching and activities are accurately matched to pupils’ abilities, including those who are disadvantaged and the most able pupils
  • have consistently high expectations of the quality and presentation of pupils’ work, and the accuracy of their spelling and punctuation in all subjects
  • teach pupils the skills and understanding they need in mathematics to develop their reasoning skills and become effective problem solvers.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership, management and governance to drive more rapid improvement by ensuring that:
  • leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance is rigorous and accurately identifies focused objectives for improvement improvement plans set challenging targets in relation to the progress of different groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged leaders further support and develop the effectiveness of middle leaders so that they are clear on their roles and responsibilities, and are equipped to accelerate pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility.
• Improve the effectiveness of governance by ensuring that the governing body:
  • improves its grasp of the progress of groups of pupils to more stringently hold leaders to account for the achievement of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged
  • more effectively holds the school to account for the use and impact of additional funding, such as the pupil premium and primary school sport funding. An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• The new headteacher is establishing a culture of drive and ambition to improve pupils’ attainment and progress. Leaders and the governing body have not, however, been quick enough to secure the improvements identified by the last inspection. They have not been accurate enough in evaluating the school’s performance and strategically identifying the key areas and actions needed to improve the school, or deciding which have the highest priority.
• School development planning does not identify focused targets and measures of success to gauge accurately the impact of actions to improve the quality of teaching and rates of pupils’ progress. Much information is available, but leaders do not use this as strategically as they should. As a result, some pupils do not make the progress they should.
• There have been many changes to staffing since the last inspection and the governing body have worked hard to recruit staff. Since his appointment in September 2017, the new headteacher has worked quickly to put a new leadership structure in place. New key stage leaders have been recently appointed and they are beginning to bring about improvements in their areas of responsibility. Leaders, other staff and governors met at the beginning the term to redefine the school’s core values. Staff are positive about changes made and a cohesive leadership team is developing. Staff speak of improved communications and an open culture. Leaders are clarifying roles and responsibilities. The development of the new leadership team is, however, still at an early stage and not yet as effective as it needs to be to drive more rapid school improvement.
• Leaders have provided staff with training to improve the quality of teaching and learning. This includes developing the accuracy of teachers’ assessment by working with other local schools, promoting pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and approaches to planning and teaching mathematics. It is too early for some of this work to have had significant impact. Staff training is not strategically planned and carefully linked to clearly defined targets for improvement.
• The coordinator for the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has a clear overview of provision. She is an effective champion for pupils and rapidly identifies when interventions are needed. The additional funding for these pupils is generally used effectively. Many parents are very positive about the support the school provides for pupils with additional needs or who need extra help. Leaders, however, do not have a sufficiently clear overview of the impact of provision on these pupils’ progress.
• Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils receive academic and pastoral support relevant to their needs. For some pupils, the pupil premium is used effectively to help them make strong progress. However, this is not consistent and too few disadvantaged pupils attain the higher levels. Leaders do not check the progress of these pupils rigorously enough.
• Leaders have reviewed the school’s curriculum in light of the mixed- and single-age classes to ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. Staff provide a range of enrichment activities, such as the recent science and art days, external visitors, and a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education well. Pupils have a very good understanding of British values and, overall, are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Their understanding of a range of different religions, however, is not as secure as it should be.
• Leaders use the additional funds provided through the primary physical educational and sport premium to good effect. In addition to providing teaching and coaching skills, pupils have increased access to sporting activities.

Governance of the school

• The governing body does not effectively evaluate the school’s performance to set the strategic direction of the school. Governors’ understanding of pupils’ progress and attainment is not as good as it needs to be to enable them to hold school leaders fully to account, including the impact of additional funding such as the pupil premium.
• Governors undertake regular visits. They write summary reports of their findings from, for example, meeting with subject leaders, looking at pupils’ work or evaluating the school’s website. They do not use their often astute findings, however, as effectively as they should to help drive school improvement.
• The governing body is forward looking. Governors have worked hard to provide a stable staffing structure and are supportive of the increasingly effective leadership team. They were part of school’s day in which staff and the governing body met to define the school’s values moving forward.
• Governors have a clear understanding of the processes for managing the performance of teachers. They have undertaken a range of training, including safeguarding training and safer recruitment.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and other staff are very positive role models and ensure that there is an effective culture of safeguarding and care. Parents who spoke with inspectors were confident that staff are committed to pupils’ well-being and safety. Many parents commented on the friendly atmosphere.
• Leaders ensure that statutory requirements are met. The school’s single central record and recruitment processes are thorough. The designated senior lead for safeguarding has received training and leaders are in the process of further refining systems for recording concerns raised and actions taken. Leaders make sure all staff are fully trained in keeping pupils safe, including awareness of the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty.
• Leaders respond to concerns raised promptly and are tenacious in securing the involvement of outside agencies where appropriate.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching and learning are not consistently good. Teachers do not consistently have high enough expectations of the abilities of different pupils. As a result, some pupils, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged, sometimes do not make the progress they should.
• Teachers do not use assessment information consistently well to match activities to pupils’ abilities or adapt teaching to enable pupils to make good progress. Teachers often give pupils the same activities or do not move them on to more challenging work quickly enough.
• Teachers do not consistently have high expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ spelling and punctuation in their work. The quality of presentation in different subjects is inconsistent. Sometimes, teachers do not deal with pupils’ misconceptions or ensure that errors are corrected. This slows pupils’ progress.
• In mathematics, teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils have frequent enough opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills. Pupils sometimes spend too long practising a skill they have already mastered, rather than progressing to more challenging work, for example by independently exploring problems. As a result, pupils, including the most able, do not consistently make the progress they should.
• Teachers generally have a secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. Where teaching is strongest, teachers make effective use of apparatus and visual imagery. Teachers and teaching assistants often use questioning effectively to take pupils’ learning forward.
• Teachers establish a positive environment for pupils to learn, which is rooted in mutual respect. Classroom routines are well organised. Pupils apply themselves diligently to tasks and work well together. Pupils behave well in lessons.
• Teaching assistants often provide effective support and intervention to help pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress in their learning.
• Teachers set homework in line with the school’s policy to consolidate pupils’ learning or prepare them for lessons. Online opportunities are used to support the involvement of parents in understanding pupils’ homework in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils speak positively about their school. Pupils and parents say the school is a friendly and safe place. Pupils are taught about road safety and, by the end of key stage 2, have a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils’ understanding is not as secure, however, in key stage 1.
• Pupils are self-confident and reflective. Pupils in Year 5 spoke of a charity project in which their school ‘house points’, awarded for good behaviour or work, were converted to funds to support the building of a school in Africa. Pupils in key stage 2 spoke of a project on the Victorians in which they had learned about street children. One pupil said, ‘It shows us how lucky we are. We should not take things for granted.’ Pupils show empathy and awareness of the importance of understanding the lives of others.
• Pupils say bullying sometimes occurs but that staff deal with any incidents promptly. Pupils are confident that staff quickly resolve any concerns they have. Leaders are working to develop even greater rigour in analysing potential trends and patterns and reporting more effectively to the governing body.
• Staff promote a culture and ethos of respect in the school which is reflected in the attitudes of pupils. Pupils have a good understanding of British values. They relate ideas of democracy, the rule of law and respect to their school lives. They spoke of laws as ‘school rules for the country’, or how they applied democratic principles when they voted for the much appreciated undersea school mural. They understand the importance of respecting others who have different backgrounds or beliefs to their own.
• Pupils told inspectors how they valued and enjoyed the roles of responsibility the school offers them, such as young leaders on the playground, membership of the school council and acting as house leaders.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils understand expectations of behaviour very well and are confident that staff will deal with instances of poor behaviour. Pupils’ conduct, inside and on the playground and at different times of the day, is good. Pupils are courteous and thoughtful towards each other, adults and visitors to the school.
• Some parents and pupils commented on poor behaviour during assemblies. Some instances of this were observed by inspectors. Leaders are aware of this and working to further improve standards of behaviour.
• Pupils in most classes are enthusiastic and apply themselves well to tasks set, even when work is not well matched to their abilities. Pupils work very well together.
• Pupils are proud of their school. However, this is not consistently reflected in their work. The presentation and pride pupils take in their work is inconsistent in different classes and subjects.
• Attendance is above the national average, and improved in 2017 compared to the previous year. It has been above the national average for the last two years. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils, however, is below the national average. Leaders are aware of this and are proactive in working with the small number of families whose children are persistently absent in order to improve attendance for these pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The rates of progress for groups of pupils are inconsistent. Pupils’ progress in key stage 2 is not yet good in reading, writing and mathematics. In mathematics, progress has been below the national average for the last two years. Too often, pupils, including the most able, do not make the progress they should.
• At the end of 2017, the proportion of children in the early years who attained a good level of development was above the national average. This is an improvement compared to the previous two years. The proportions of pupils meeting the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check exceeded the national averages for the last two years. The proportions of pupils reaching the standard expected for their age at the end of key stage 1 exceeded the national averages for reading, writing and mathematics. At the end of key stage 2, the proportions of pupils who attained the standard expected for their age exceeded the existing national averages for reading, writing and mathematics. While attainment is strong, this does not, however, represent good progress from the starting points for some groups of pupils.
• The quality of pupils’ work is inconsistent. Often, the quality of their writing is let down by incorrect spelling or inaccurate punctuation. In mathematics, work is sometimes too easy for pupils. There are too few instances of pupils, particularly the most able, being challenged to explain their mathematical thinking and reasoning.
• School information and other data show that the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils are inconsistent. Very few disadvantaged pupils achieve at greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2.
• Pupils learn phonics skills well. All pupils who inspectors read with had positive attitudes to reading and their books were generally well matched to their abilities. However, pupils still do not apply their phonics knowledge and understanding consistently well in their writing, including in early key stage 2.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities often make sound progress from their starting points. Staff quickly identify pupils who need to catch up and intervene to ensure that they are taught what they need.

Early years provision Good

• Children make a good start to their education in the early years. Most children enter the early years at levels of development that are typical or better for their age. As a result of good teaching, children of all abilities and backgrounds, including those that are disadvantaged, make good progress from their starting points. In 2017, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development improved compared to the previous year. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• The leader of the early years, who is also one of the class teachers, has a good understanding of early years practice. New systems to assess early the different areas of children’s learning help to identify the strengths in provision and areas for development. Improvement planning, however, is not as strategic as it could be in using this information to further improve provision.
• Teaching is good. Adults provide effective support for groups or individual children to extend their thinking. Occasionally, the most able are not challenged to make the progress they could.
• Parents are nearly unanimous in their praise about their children’s experiences in the early years. Some parents said that they felt communications could be more effective. The leader of the early years is aware of this and is considering carefully how this aspect can be improved.
• Leaders’ early identification of children’s needs, the improved approach to planning and more rigorous checks on children’s progress are helping children to make good progress from their starting points. Strong teaching and appropriate interventions quickly equip children with the learning skills they need to be able to access the early years curriculum.
• The leader of the early years has planned activities which capture children’s imaginations and enable them to explore and learn independently, both indoors and outdoors. Children have positive attitudes to learning and are confident. Children are active learners who independently access learning. Children were observed making a digital film of their work to build a castle. Children were enthusiastic and one explained, ‘Look at this photo I’ve taken. He was a knight yesterday … he’s a robot today!’
• Staff ensure that routines are quickly established and children settle quickly and engage positively with tasks provided. Behaviour is good. Children independently take advantage of opportunities for mark making and writing, including boys. They confidently use and apply their phonics knowledge in independent activities. Children are confident choosing, making decisions and explaining their reasons for doing so.
• The safety and well-being of children are well managed and the early years welfare arrangements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120398 Lincolnshire 10023244 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 Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 254 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Susan Bryars Mark Ratchford 01778 343654 www.mdcp.org.uk admin@marketdeeping.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 January 2013

Information about this school

• The headteacher took up post in September 2017. There have been a considerable number of staff changes since the previous inspection.
• Market Deeping Community Primary school is an average-sized primary school. The school plans to expand in size in 2018.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language are below the national averages.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• In 2017, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching in all year groups. Seventeen lessons were observed, some jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and spoke with them to evaluate the quality of their learning. They also examined the school’s most recent information on pupils’ achievement and progress and work in a sample of pupils’ books. Inspectors scrutinised a variety of documents relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, pupils’ attainment and progress, and staff performance. A range of plans for improvement was evaluated, as well as the school’s self-evaluation of its own performance and documents relating to the work of the governing body.
• Inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. They took account of the 49 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, senior and subject leaders, the coordinator for the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. Discussions explored a wide range of subjects, including safeguarding arrangements.

Inspection team

John Lawson, lead inspector Pete Strauss Rebecca King Caroline Evans Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector