Deanshanger Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and governance by ensuring that:
  • leaders’ plans for development are sufficiently precise so that governors can hold leaders to account and, in turn, senior leaders can hold staff to account for the impact of their actions on pupils’ progress
  • the skills of governors are sharpened so that they are able to hold leaders fully to account
  • pupils understand and can manage alleged incidents of bullying so that all concerned, including parents, feel that incidents are fairly and effectively dealt with
  • the information available to parents on the school’s website is up to date and complete.
• Improve the rate of progress that pupils make across key stage 2, particularly in reading and mathematics, by ensuring that: the best practice observed in some classes is shared effectively throughout the school teachers consistently make effective use of their knowledge of what pupils understand and can do to ensure that pupils of all abilities make the progress of which they are capable teachers provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their mathematical reasoning skills teachers insist on the highest standards of presentation in pupils’ books 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 and managers have not fully addressed the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. At that time, inspectors asked leaders to improve achievement in mathematics so that it was above national averages, but pupils’ progress across key stage 2 in this subject has been significantly below national averages for three years.
• The school’s plans for improvement do not fully support the necessary work of leaders and governors in holding staff to account for the impact of developments in the areas for which they are responsible.
• At the start of the inspection, some parts of the school’s evaluation of the work that it does were too generous. This means that leaders and governors did not have a completely accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.
• The leader with responsibility for mathematics is new to the post. He is quickly gaining an understanding of the strengths and areas that require improvement in this subject. The leader of English has introduced several improvements to the teaching of writing over the last year. Outcomes for pupils in writing improved by the end of 2016. She knows that improvements now need to be made in the teaching of reading, particularly across key stage 2, and she has already begun to put plans in place.
• The leader with responsibility for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensures that this group of pupils receive the support they need to be able to access learning in class. She ensures that pupils receive additional support if they need it. There is scope for her to use the school’s assessment systems more effectively to develop a clearer overview of the progress that this group of pupils makes as a whole over time.
• The vast majority of parents who responded to the online survey, Parent View, or who spoke with the inspector during the inspection were keen to praise the improvements that the headteacher has made to the school since she took up her post. A very few raised concerns about communication.
• The management of the performance of teachers is undertaken in line with statutory requirements. The headteacher reports on the performance of teachers to governors. They are prepared to refuse a pay rise if they feel it is not deserved.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils’ books and displays around the school show that pupils learn about a wide range of subjects. Pupils learn about a range of religions and cultures. Homework is used well to encourage pupils to continue their learning outside lessons.
• The additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used well. The headteacher considers the needs of individual pupils and she meets with some parents to discuss how best their children’s needs can be met. The impact of this funding is monitored during termly meetings with staff to discuss the progress that pupils are making.
• The additional government funding for primary physical education and sport is used to good effect to improve teachers’ skills in teaching physical education and to provide a wide range of sporting opportunities for pupils, such as orienteering, tag rugby and goalball.
• Leaders provide effective support for newly qualified teachers. Teachers who are new to the profession are well supported to develop their skills and to ensure that they are familiar with the school’s policies, such as those relating to keeping pupils safe.
• Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Eye-catching displays show, for example, the opportunities pupils have to reflect during Armistice Day. Pupils can learn to play a musical instrument, study artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, and visit the theatre. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 were celebrating their achievements during an assembly to which their parents were invited. Pupils performed confidently, demonstrating their drumming skills. Certificates were presented in recognition of achievements, allowing pupils to have a sense of pride and of belonging to a community.
• Leaders ensure that pupils are developing an understanding of British values. Pupils learn about responsibility and democracy through voting for school councillors or being prefects. Pupils regularly demonstrate respect for each other as they work together sensibly in class, and school rules help them to understand about the rule of law.
• The local authority was, until July 2016, providing a higher level of support for the school as it had previously judged the school to require it.

Governance of the school

• Governors acknowledge that prior to the appointment of the current headteacher, there was a great deal of work to do to improve the quality of education at the school. They know that there had been a fall in standards and in the progress that pupils make, particularly in Years 3 to 6. This indicates that during that time, governors presided over a decline.
• There have been some changes to governance since the last inspection. Governors take a great interest in the life of the school. However, they have not consistently asked sharp enough questions, for example about the progress pupils make, to ensure that they challenge leaders well.
• Governors are ambitious for pupils to do well. They are keen to improve their skills and knowledge so that they can fully support the headteacher to bring about further improvements to provision and standards at the school.
• Governors are knowledgeable about safeguarding. They receive training and check on safeguarding practices in school to ensure that they are being implemented in line with school policies.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Safeguarding is a high priority at Deanshanger Primary School. Recent changes to the way pupils come into school in the morning have tightened the procedure. This ensures that staff know who is coming on to the school site.
• All the appropriate vetting checks take place when a new member of staff joins the school.
• Staff and governors receive training so that they know how to raise a concern about a pupil’s welfare, should one arise. Visitors receive a leaflet as they sign in to the school site, emphasising the importance of keeping the pupils safe.
• The headteacher’s record-keeping is methodical and secure. She has forged effective links with external services to ensure that pupils can receive support if they need it. The school’s learning mentor provides effective support for several pupils in school.
• Pupils say that they are taught how to keep themselves safe, for example when they are using the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers’ use of assessment to ensure that pupils make the best progress from their starting points is variable across classes and lessons. Teachers do not consistently step in quickly when pupils are ready to move on to more difficult work. When this happens, progress for these pupils slows.
• Leaders have implemented a whole-school assessment system to track the progress that pupils make. During the inspection, leaders were unsure of some aspects of this system.
• The quality of teaching is variable across the school. Pupils’ books and observations in lessons show that teachers do not reliably expect enough of pupils, in particular the most able.
• Teachers regularly give all pupils the same work to do, regardless of the level of skills and understanding they have already reached. While the more able pupils are expected to complete the more difficult aspects, they often have to complete the easier work first and so they do not always get on to the more difficult tasks. When this happens, their progress is impeded.
• Pupils’ books also show that teachers ensure pupils have the opportunity to write across a range of subjects. However, the expectations that teachers have for the presentation of pupils’ work are variable. Sometimes expectations are not high enough.
• In mathematics, learning is most effective when teachers challenge pupils to use their mathematical understanding to think more deeply. For example, in one lesson the teacher asked, ‘Will that method work for two decimal places? And if you’ve done that try three decimal places.’ The teacher systematically checked to ensure all the pupils understood.
• Pupils who are at the early stages of reading use their knowledge of phonics to help them understand the text. As pupils become more confident, they read with expression and can talk about the types of books that they enjoy. Leaders recognise that there is work to do to improve the more complex and refined skills in the most able readers.
• Learning support assistants support pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, well. They ensure that pupils can access the learning well.
• Teachers and learning support assistants make effective use of questioning to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. They encourage pupils to use a wide range of vocabulary.
• Teachers plan lessons that capture the imagination of pupils. For example, in two classes, pupils arrived at their classroom to find their rainforest work had been damaged. This had been set up by the teachers. It successfully encouraged the pupils to use their imagination during their writing lesson.
• Teachers across the school provide a range of resources for pupils to use to improve their writing, such as cards with a range of adjectives or conjunctions (words that join sentences) to choose from. Pupils use these well to improve their sentences.

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 self-confident and keen learners. They participate in discussions with their peers during lessons enthusiastically. Pupils thoughtfully ensure that their classmates are not left without a partner to work with.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, for example when they are using modern technology. Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to learn about a range of aspects of safety, such as fire safety, and the importance of using seatbelts.
• Displays around school show that pupils learn about the importance of healthy eating and taking exercise.
• Pupils enjoy the responsibilities they are encouraged to take around school, for example as school councillors, prefects or music monitors. They appreciate that this helps to prepare them for secondary school.
• While most pupils take pride in their work, the presentation of work in their books is variable.
• The headteacher has implemented anti-bullying strategies since her arrival. The anti-bullying committee consists of pupils, staff and governors. The pupil representatives wear badges so that their peers can find them easily and a box is available so that pupils can leave a note if they are worried. Friendship benches on the playgrounds are well used. All pupils who spoke with inspectors said they could speak with an adult or let the anti-bullying committee know if they had any concerns.
• Pupils say that behaviour has improved and the incidence of bullying has reduced considerably since the arrival of the headteacher. However, pupils believe that a few of their peers do not fully understand the difference between bullying and other inappropriate behaviour. Similarly, while the majority of parents had no concerns, a significant minority felt that the school could communicate with them better when incidents occur. The headteacher is keen to improve this situation.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school, including at breaktimes. At the end of breaktime, pupils come back into lessons calmly and without fuss.
• Pupils are polite and courteous. When teachers provide opportunities for pupils to work in pairs or small groups, they do so willingly and sensibly.
• By the end of 2016, attendance was broadly in line with the national average for primary schools. This was slightly lower than the previous year. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities was also slightly lower than that seen nationally. The headteacher is aware of the small number of pupils this affects. She has put in place strategies to improve the situation.

Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

• Current pupils are making progress but this is sometimes limited, particularly for the most able pupils, as teachers’ expectations of what they can achieve from their starting points are variable.
• Over recent years, the progress that pupils have been making across Years 3 to 6 has been below that seen nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In 2016, all pupils achieved the expected standard in writing and more achieved the expected standard in reading and mathematics than seen nationally. However, the progress that these pupils had made from their starting points was much less than that seen nationally in reading and mathematics. In writing, pupils made broadly similar progress to their peers in other schools.
• By the end of 2016 the proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving the expected standard in reading and mathematics compared favourably with other pupils nationally. The proportion reaching the expected standard in mathematics was about the same as seen for other pupils nationally. Pupils’ books show that disadvantaged pupils are currently doing as well as their peers. This would indicate that the difference in attainment between these pupils and others is diminishing. However, in 2016, no disadvantaged pupils reached the higher standards in any of these subjects.
• Published information shows that the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check is generally in line with, or above, that of pupils nationally.
• Published information shows that by the end of Year 2, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard for their age in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with that seen nationally and far more pupils achieved the higher standard than do nationally.
• Published information shows that the progress that pupils made across key stage 2 in writing improved in 2016 so that it is now in line with the national average. This is an improvement on the previous year.

Early years provision

• Most children enter the early years with skills, knowledge and understanding that would typically be seen in children of their age. Most children make good progress during their time in the Reception classes. By the time they were ready to start Year 1, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development in 2016 was above the national average. This is an improvement from the previous inspection.

Good

• The leader of the early years is new to post. She already has a clear understanding of the strengths and aspects of provision she would like to improve further. Her plans for improvement are not sufficiently precise.
• Over the past two years, the headteacher, along with the early years staff, has brought about improvements to the learning environment and to the quality of teaching and learning in the early years. These have been embedded and the new leader is using these improvements as a springboard for further developments.
• The learning environment, both indoors and out, is bright and stimulating. There is a wide range of opportunities for children to develop their skills. Staff provide a range of resources to encourage children to have a go and be independent in their learning, while gently supporting them if they need it.
• The leader has successfully involved parents and the pre-school settings in children’s learning and assessments. She uses the assessments well to promote learning.
• The quality of teaching across both classes is good. Teachers plan learning to suit the needs of the children and to engage their interests. For example, during the inspection children were excited to be learning about teddy bears.
• Children are safe and happy in the early years setting. The staff follow the school’s safeguarding policies. Teachers have established clear routines and procedures to keep children safe. Children show that they are familiar with the routines and expectations as they respond quickly and sensibly to the instructions they are given.

School details

Unique reference number 121813 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 10002842 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed 409 The governing body Stephanie Hibberd Rachel Rice 01908 268 920 www.deanshangerprimary.co.uk/ bursar@deanshanger.northants-ecl.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 May 2012

Information about this school

• The school does not meet statutory requirements on the publication of information about pupils’ outcomes, links to the Department for Education performance tables and the use of the primary sport premium on its website.
• The school is larger than the average primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who are entitled to the pupil premium funding is well below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The school met the government’s floor standard in 2015, the latest year for which this information is published. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, leaders with responsibility for the early years, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those responsible for English and mathematics.
• Inspectors also met with three members of the board of governors, including the chair, pupil representatives of the anti-bullying committee and a group of five pupils.
• Inspectors also spoke with a representative of the local authority on the telephone and spoke informally with pupils during breaktime, lunchtime and lessons. An inspector attended the class assembly.
• Inspectors observed learning in 24 lessons and scrutinised a range of pupils’ books.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school including that relating to safeguarding, the school self-evaluation and school improvement plans.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s assessment and tracking system with leaders.
• Inspectors considered the 94 responses to the parents’ online survey, Parent View, and spoke with parents at the school. The 21 responses to the staff online survey and 117 responses to the pupils’ online survey were also considered.

Inspection team

Di Mullan, lead inspector Karen Lewis Heidi Malliff Graham Marshall

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector