King Edward Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by ensuring that:
  • senior leaders and governors measure the effectiveness of the actions they take to accelerate pupils’ progress
  • senior leaders tailor teachers’ professional development and training so that they are targeted to the needs of individual teachers and place a higher emphasis on raising pupils’ standards
  • senior leaders develop the school’s assessment systems so that leaders, at all levels, can analyse pupils’ progress and attainment more effectively and quickly identify any additional support or changes in teaching methods that may be required
  • senior leaders and governors evaluate the impact of the school’s pupil premium funding across the school and adapt its use, where necessary, to accelerate the achievement of disadvantaged pupils
  • senior leaders provide support and training for the leaders who manage the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and ensure that all teaching assistants have the right skills to provide high-quality support.
• Improve the quality of teaching so all pupils make good or better progress, by ensuring that teachers consistently:
  • provide pupils with opportunities to apply their skills and demonstrate their understanding
  • plan activities that are accurately matched to the needs and abilities of different pupils, support those who need additional help and challenge others to work harder
  • provide opportunities for pupils to improve their inference skills in reading and develop reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics
  • make effective use of additional adult support.
• Improve pupils’ attendance by developing effective ways of ensuring that pupils attend more regularly and that any improvements are sustained.
• Improve the early years provision by ensuring that:
  • all adults provide high-quality and targeted phonics teaching, especially for the lower-attaining children and children who speak English as an additional language
  • adults provide children with more opportunities to solve problems and develop their reasoning skills in mathematics. An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Senior leaders and governors have not ensured that teaching is consistently good. The quality of teaching is improving and pupils are now achieving higher standards than they were. Inconsistencies remain in teaching and in pupils’ progress. Leaders have taken action following the school’s previous ‘requires improvement’ judgement. Many of the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection have been successfully tackled but some improvements are being hindered by the continued changes to staffing.
• Leaders’ and governors’ checks on the effectiveness of their work are not rigorous enough. Senior leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The school improvement plan accurately identifies key areas for improvement. However, leaders and governors do not measure the difference their actions make on improving pupils’ progress well enough.
• Improvements in the quality of teaching are not yet widespread enough to remove the remaining inconsistencies in pupils’ achievement. Leaders have created a system to check the quality of teaching, but it does not focus sufficiently well on raising standards for pupils. The professional development teachers receive is not targeted enough to help individual teachers improve. Teachers’ performance targets, in some cases, are not linked well enough to pupils’ progress. Leaders and governors are therefore awarding pay increases when teaching has not had sufficient impact on accelerating pupils’ progress.
• The school’s assessment system is not providing leaders with the information they need to make their work more effective. Leaders do not know how well pupils from different starting points are doing. Their assessment information does not provide them with enough detail to know if some pupils may need additional support. Not all teachers use the school’s feedback policy consistently and, at times, teachers’ responses to pupils’ work are presented in different forms.
• Funding is not used well enough to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders in this area are new to their roles and do not yet have all the skills necessary to provide a high-quality provision for these pupils. Their checks on the performance of these pupils are not sufficiently well established to know if additional support is helping pupils make faster progress.
• Over time, the impact of the school’s pupil premium funding has been variable. Disadvantaged pupils are now making faster progress than before, but it is not yet consistently good.
• Leaders, at all levels, play a valuable role in improving their respective areas of responsibility. All staff form part of a subject team and share responsibility for improvements in their allocated subject areas. Subject leaders have a good understanding of their roles and are committed to, and enthusiastic about, improving their effectiveness. They are actively involved in checking the work of their teams and providing support. Their checks, however, do not measure how effective this work is in raising pupils’ standards.
• The curriculum has a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour and supports pupils in making good progress. Each of the curriculum topics includes opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively and ensures that pupils develop a good understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils learn about world religions and respect the beliefs of others. Assemblies are also used to promote key values.
• Leaders make appropriate use of the school’s physical education and sport premium funding. This has led to the introduction of numerous sports clubs and increased pupils’ access to competitive events.
• Leaders benefit from collaboration with other schools and from being a member of a teaching alliance partnership. The local authority also provides the school with effective support. Leaders support newly qualified teachers well and they are appreciative of the support they receive.
• Senior leaders work hard to provide parents with information about their children’s learning. They provide a range of opportunities for parents to learn about the curriculum and engage in school life. The vast majority of parents are supportive of the school’s work.

Governance of the school

• Governors do not challenge leaders well enough about pupils’ achievement. Members of the governing body are committed to the school and bring a suitable range of skills and experience to their respective roles. Their understanding of the school’s effectiveness is strengthened through relevant training but they do not use their knowledge and skills well enough to ensure that all pupils make good progress.
• Governors ask questions of senior leaders but these are not searching enough or meticulously followed up when improvements are not forthcoming. Information presented to the governing body about pupils’ progress is sound when reflecting on historical pupil achievement but is not as thorough when considering pupils currently in the school.
• Governors have not paid enough attention to ensuring that the quality of teaching is good enough for all pupils to make good progress from their various starting points. They do not use the management of teachers’ performance to ensure that pupils’ progress is more rapid. Governors gather information first hand through visits to the school and through informal discussions with pupils, parents and staff. They have a sound understanding of safeguarding.
• The governing body does not ensure that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils or for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used effectively to accelerate progress for these groups of pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Checks to ensure the suitability of staff and volunteers have been carried out correctly. Key policies and procedures are firmly in place and are understood by all staff and robustly followed to ensure the safety of pupils. Staff are trained effectively so that they understand the correct procedures to follow and know who to speak to should they have a concern for the safety or well-being of pupils. Staff are diligent in their daily practice.
• Groups of pupils who spoke with inspectors said that they feel safe in the school and that they know staff care for them. Staff are accessible to pupils who may wish to raise a concern. The curriculum contributes to raising pupils’ awareness of safe practices, such as e-safety.
• Leaders work well with parents, local authority officers and other agencies to make sure that children are kept safe. Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the school’s own surveys, and those who were spoken with during the inspection, agreed that their children are safe and well cared for.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is improving but it is not yet consistently good in all classes. Leaders’ efforts to improve the quality of teaching have been hampered by continued changes to staffing.
• Some teachers do not plan work which is matched precisely enough to pupils’ needs. Teachers do not adapt activities sufficiently well to help pupils understand what they are doing. The most able pupils are not routinely provided with work which challenges them. For example, in Year 3 English, all pupils were doing the same task, with no additional support or challenge available, when developing their sentence writing skills. Sometimes, however, pupils make faster progress where work is better matched to their abilities.
• Pupils are not provided with sufficient opportunities to apply the skills they are taught. At times, pupils’ learning is overly dependent on adult support and pupils do not demonstrate understanding of the skill they are learning.
• Teaching assistants do not consistently provide a high level of support when working with different groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Sometimes, resources are not used successfully to stimulate and structure pupils’ understanding. For example, in Year 1 mathematics, resources were not used effectively and pupils were passive in their learning about the different properties of various shapes. Some teaching assistants, however, are skilled in leading interventions and provide clear explanations and approaches which help pupils understand their learning.
• Teachers use their subject knowledge with varying degrees of success. For example, some teachers do not ask questions which make pupils think harder. Nor do they tackle pupils’ mistakes, especially spelling errors and incorrect mental arithmetic. Some teachers, however, use their good subject knowledge to great effect by asking questions which encourage pupils to think more deeply and build upon their understanding. In guided reading, for example, the teacher used skilful questioning to assess pupils’ knowledge, direct harder questions to more-able pupils and encourage pupils to develop their understanding.
• Teachers’ use of problem solving in mathematics is not sufficiently well developed and pupils’ understanding of mathematical reasoning is biased towards arithmetic. For example, in Year 6 mathematics, pupils’ work on identifying missing numbers did not develop their reasoning skills sufficiently well.
• Teachers’ approach to guided reading is not consistently effective. Some reading book discussions do not deepen pupils’ inference and comprehension skills while others promote high-quality, targeted conversations. Teachers do not routinely provide pupils who speak English as an additional language with reading tasks that support effectively the development of their English language skills.
• Phonics teaching has improved. Pupils who read to the inspectors did so with enthusiasm. They used their phonics skills to blend words and self-correct mistakes in their reading. However, at times, teachers’ phonics knowledge is less secure and misconceptions in pupils’ understanding occur. Pupils’ understanding of the stories they were reading was not well developed.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ handwriting and presentation are typically high and writing skills are well developed. Pupils are confident when using complex subject vocabulary. For example, in Year 2, pupils’ understanding of technical vocabulary was being effectively developed during their sentence writing. Teachers also take opportunities to develop and extend pupils’ writing skills, and reinforce the correct use of grammar. This is done in a range of different subjects, including religious education and art.
• Pupils’ attitudes towards their learning are typically positive. They are keen and enthusiastic learners. Learning, however, is hindered when pupils are absent and gaps in pupils’ knowledge are left unfilled.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Senior leaders place a high emphasis on supporting the emotional well-being of all pupils. Pupils are confident, respectful and welcoming. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying and racism. Incidents are extremely rare. Pupils cooperate and work well together.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development equips them to be caring and responsible citizens. Pupils understand right and wrong. Religious education is woven into the curriculum and engagement with the local church helps to promote Christian values. Assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to learn about different morals and values and to be reflective. Social development is a priority and pupils have a good understanding of anti-social behaviour and a sense of fair play. Pupils also benefit from learning about different cultures.
• Pupils’ understanding of British values is well developed and is built into the curriculum. Democracy is understood and opinions are valued. Pupils are encouraged to express their points of view and hold their own referendums.
• Pupils enjoy the curriculum, their lessons and being part of the school. They benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular activities and opportunities to work with other schools. Pupils particularly enjoy the choir. The school council is proactive and is very positive in how it influences improvements in the school.
• Pupils are safe and happy. They have a good understanding of how to be healthy and keep fit. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are enthusiastic about their sporting clubs. Attendance in the activities offered is high. Parents were positive about the efforts of the school to provide a safe, caring and supportive environment for their children.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Leaders have introduced a robust behaviour policy and behaviour has improved. Pupils’ conduct during lessons and at social times is now typically good.
• Pupils who spoke with the inspectors said how behaviour had improved. The school’s behaviour records indicate that the number of incidents of poor behaviour is falling. Fixed-term exclusions have also reduced. At times, however, pupils are slow to start tasks and sometimes low-level disruption occurs. In lessons where work is closely matched to pupils’ needs and interests, low-level disruption is rare, but when the work is either too hard or too easy, pupils become a little restless.
• Leaders’ actions to tackle the number of pupils who do not attend school are not bringing about sustained improvements. Pupils’ rates of attendance are below national averages and are showing little sign of improving. Leaders’ work with families whose children are persistently absent, however, has been more successful and the number of pupils who are persistently absent has fallen.
• Parents who spoke with inspectors during the inspection or responded to the surveys expressed positive views about pupils’ behaviour.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The school’s assessment system, recent national tests and pupils’ work indicate that not enough pupils make good progress in reading and mathematics. Pupils’ progress in writing has improved and is now good in key stage 2. Historically, pupils have not been well prepared for the transition to secondary school, but this is improving.
• Improved phonics teaching has led to a greater number of pupils passing the phonics screening check this year, but results are still below previous national standards.
• In 2016, attainment in key stage 1 was below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s assessment information, and early 2017 results, indicate that standards will be similar for pupils currently in Year 1 and Year 2. The progress pupils make in key stage 1, however, is improving and is now more rapid than it has previously been. Pupils’ progress in reading in Year 1 remains slow. The number of pupils in key stage 1 reaching a greater depth in their learning is rising.
• In 2016, pupils in Year 6 made slower progress in key stage 2 than the national average in reading and mathematics. In writing, however, they made good progress. The school’s assessment system information, and early 2017 results, suggest that, overall, pupils are making faster progress than they have in previous years. However, while some pupils are now making good progress, others are not making the progress they should. The faster progress can also be seen in other year groups in key stage 2 but still varies too much in different subjects. Progress in reading remains slower than in writing and in mathematics.
• Attainment at the end of key stage 2, in 2016, was below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Indications from the school’s assessment system, and early 2017 results, are that more pupils have achieved age-related expectations than in previous years in reading, writing and mathematics. This pattern of improvement can be seen in other year groups but varies too much in different subjects. The number of pupils achieving higher standards is rising and moving rapidly towards national expectations.
• Historically, disadvantaged pupils have not made the same progress as other pupils in the school. The school’s assessment system indicates that disadvantaged pupils currently in the school are now making similar progress to others in the school in some, but not all, year groups. An increased number of disadvantaged pupils are reaching the previously set national expected standards.
• Historically, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have made good progress. Leaders, however, do not track this group of pupils sufficiently well to know what progress they are making. Equally, leaders’ tracking does not take account of pupils’ progress and attainment from their different starting points. The most able pupils do not consistently make the progress they should.
• Leaders track the progress of different groups of pupils, including by gender. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are also tracked. Current assessment information indicates that there are differences in how quickly these different groups make progress, but there is no identifiable trend of underachievement in any particular subject.

Early years provision Good

• A high proportion of children join the school with skills that are below those typical for their age. This is particularly noticeable in the areas of communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and mathematics. An increasing number of children join the school with little or no English and some children join the Reception Year with no pre-school experience. Children make good progress in the early years and are well prepared for their entry into Year 1.
• The early years provision is competently led. The early years leader has an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and uses this to target improvement with rigour and ambition.
• The learning environment provides purposeful and stimulating learning opportunities both indoors and outdoors. Children engage in active learning, problem solving and role-play activities. For example, children were motivated in their play when predicting and working out how to redirect water along a series of pipes and tubes.
• Leaders use children’s interests to design the curriculum, as in their recent theme ‘superheroes’. They provide children with creative activities which address their learning needs and overcome the barriers which some children face. This is especially true for boys and children who speak English as an additional language. Boy-friendly provisions, such as the ‘tinkering table’, are effective in engaging boys and sustaining their play.
• Adults work effectively together and make accurate use of assessments to identify gaps in children’s skills and development. A responsiveness to meeting children’s needs is at the heart of the effective teaching in the early years. Adults routinely have conversations with the children, listen to them carefully and encourage them to talk. Children develop good listening and speaking skills.
• Adults are kind and attentive to the needs of each child. Children’s behaviour in the early years is good and they are encouraged to take turns and cooperate with each other. Team games provide effective avenues to improve social and emotional development. The ‘forest school’ has a positive impact on boys’ engagement and learning.
• Parents contribute to their children’s learning using the school’s electronic assessment system. They are able to share their children’s home achievements and support their children’s learning journeys. Parents read with their children at school and leaders ensure that vocabulary homework, for example, is available in other languages to assist those parents who need this additional support.
• Although the vast majority of children make good progress, they are not yet reaching age-related expectations in each of the learning goals. Disadvantaged children make good progress in their reading and writing and their progress in other learning areas is improving. Boys’ progress, which was slow in 2016, is improving, especially in writing.
• Teachers provide children with a variety of activities to develop their writing skills. Number skills are more effectively developed than they have been in previous years. However, children are not provided with enough opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics.
• Phonics teaching is inconsistent. Sometimes, children are not fully engaged and adults do not use resources well enough to structure children’s learning. This is especially true for children who speak English as an additional language and for the lower-attaining children.
• Adults are vigilant in their supervision of children, ensuring that the school’s high expectations for keeping children safe are upheld in the early years provision. Safeguarding is effective and statutory duties are met.

School details

Unique reference number 133274 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 10031166 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 477 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Martin Tate Sue Bridges Telephone number 01623 472215 Website Email address www.kingedwardprimary.co.uk office7@kingedward.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 30 June 2015

Information about this school

• King Edward Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• There has continued to be a high turnover of staff since the last inspection, including senior leaders.
• Most pupils are White British. The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is small but increasing. The school has a higher proportion of boys than most schools.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is also well below average.
• In 2016, the school did not meet the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• A breakfast club, available to the pupils who attend King Edward, is provided by a different registered provider.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 20 lessons. Some of this learning was observed jointly with a senior leader.
• Discussions took place with school staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• The inspectors met with two groups of pupils and talked with pupils informally. Inspectors observed playtime and lunchtime, and listened to pupils in Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5 reading.
• The 23 responses to a survey completed by staff and the 67 responses submitted by parents to Ofsted’s online survey (Parent View), including 25 free-text responses, were taken into account. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s own surveys and spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day.
• Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a broad range of evidence, including: the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses; planning and monitoring documentation; the work in pupils’ books; records relating to attendance and behaviour, and the school’s own information on pupils’ current attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The school’s child protection and safeguarding procedures were scrutinised. A review of the school’s website was made to confirm it met the requirements on the publication of required information.

Inspection team

Vondra Mays, lead inspector Dorothy Stenson Liz Moore Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector