Stanhope Primary and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning and thereby outcomes for all pupils by ensuring that:
  • all teachers use their knowledge of pupils’ prior learning to plan effective teaching and learning for all pupils
  • all staff have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • the most able pupils are consistently provided with work that is sufficiently challenging
  • all staff use questioning effectively so that misconceptions are addressed and pupils are given opportunities to deepen their knowledge.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • all leaders rigorously monitor the quality of teaching and learning and provide appropriate guidance where needed
  • all leaders check to ensure that actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning have the desired impact
  • leaders systematically evaluate the impact of the use of additional funding to help them to plan effectively to support pupils to make the best rates of progress.
  • governors fully understand their responsibilities in holding leaders to account for improvement in the school. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management should be improved. 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

• The headteacher has brought fresh ambition to the school. She has raised expectations following a period of decline in pupils’ outcomes. She has galvanised the whole staff team to move the school forward. She is providing clear leadership as the school increases in size. The headteacher has a clearly articulated vision for a highly inclusive school based on tolerance and respect.
• Leadership is over-reliant on the headteacher. A new leadership structure is in place to secure subject and phase leadership roles. New leaders have identified improvement priorities. They have organised additional professional development around reading, for example, but it is too soon to see the full impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders’ evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning is sometimes overgenerous. Some subject leaders have monitored the quality of teaching, but they have not always returned to check that improvements have been carried out. There is not sufficient rigour or urgency in the system of monitoring to ensure that improvement is rapid.
• There has been a period of staffing instability as the school has grown rapidly. Leaders have put plans in place to support teachers but have not always checked how effective they have been. Staff value the opportunities to watch each other teach, but leaders do not always monitor the impact of this or other forms of professional development.
• In some parts of the school the use of the pupil premium is well targeted, monitored and evaluated effectively. However, this is not consistent throughout the school. Leaders do not systematically evaluate the impact of how the money is spent, nor use such information to inform further planning. There is a lack of urgency to spread the good practice which is evident in some parts of the school.
• Leaders now systematically identify and track pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator is putting into place strategies to support the most vulnerable pupils. Her guidance for teachers is beginning to improve their teaching of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• The school’s curriculum effectively promotes fundamental British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Events such as ‘culture week’ ensure that pupils develop tolerance and respect. Elections for the school parliament help pupils to understand the importance of voting and democracy.
• Well-planned personal, social and health education teaches pupils how to look after themselves and lead healthy lives. Pupils play a part in shaping the curriculum through identifying what they already know and what they would like to find out. Teachers use this to shape the direction of the curriculum.
• Effective use of the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium has led to improved resources such as the development of activity areas with all-weather surfacing. These are available during breaktimes, lunchtimes and during PE lessons. As a result, pupils are more engaged in physical activity during the school day.
• Overwhelmingly, parents and carers believe that the school is well led and managed. Those who spoke with inspectors recognise the many positive changes brought about by the headteacher.
• The local authority has identified that additional support for the teaching of reading is needed. However, this programme is at an early stage of implementation.

Governance of the school

• Governors recognise the improvements that the headteacher has brought about over the past 12 months. They now receive more information about how the school is performing. However, they are still over-reliant on the headteacher’s analysis. As a result, their self-evaluation of the school’s effectiveness is overgenerous.
• Governors have reorganised their roles and responsibilities, but these are recent developments. The focus has now moved to school improvement.
• Governors are not fully involved in monitoring the impact of additional funding being spent or of improvements to teaching and learning. Plans are in place for governors to monitor this more effectively but it is too early to see the impact of this.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Pupils say that they feel safe at school. They are taught how to keep themselves safe online through not disclosing important information about themselves. They understand the importance of reporting to adults any messages that make them feel uncomfortable.
• School staff are all trained in safeguarding and this has been kept up to date. Staff know how to record their concerns using the school’s systems and how to escalate these concerns if they do not feel that they are being addressed.
• Leaders follow systems to keep pupils safe and work closely with external agencies. They are persistent in seeking support for the most vulnerable pupils.
• Recruitment checks on all staff and volunteers are thorough. Safer recruitment checks are undertaken, and records are kept accurately.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

• Not all teaching and learning is consistently good.

Requires improvement

• Teachers do not systematically use their knowledge of what pupils know to plan the next stages of learning. As a result, not all teaching matches the pupils’ needs and pupils do not make the best possible progress
• Questioning is not always used effectively by the teachers, either to challenge the most able or to identify misconceptions and help pupils to correct their errors.
• There are insufficient opportunities for the most able pupils to undertake activities that are suitably challenging. Too often, the most able pupils complete work that they already understand before they can move onto work which deepens their thinking. Expectations of these pupils are too low.
• Some interventions are well matched to what pupils need to do to consolidate their learning or to make more rapid gains. However, this is not consistent.
• Teachers have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve in phonics. Some phonics teaching is very effective. Teachers use a variety of strategies to help pupils to learn the sounds and blend them together. Feedback from the teachers helps pupils to read and write words using their phonic knowledge. However, sometimes insufficient attention is given to those pupils who still need to consolidate some sounds and so not all pupils make the best rates of progress in whole-class lessons.
• Teachers make links between the classroom topics and the texts which the pupils are reading. Pupils can read fluently. However, their comprehension skills are not being developed sufficiently well. As a result, not all pupils make the best possible rate of progress in reading.
• Most teaching in mathematics is purposeful and is well matched to the pupils’ learning needs. Teachers effectively model mathematical concepts and support learning with apparatus so that pupils can understand addition better. Pupils are articulate in their reasoning and can clearly explain how they have solved problems. Pupils are enthusiastic about mathematics and are keen to learn.
• Teachers have made connections between subjects which make learning relevant to pupils. For example, pupils used their knowledge about the planets to create realistic pictures using a variety of media based on the space photography that they had seen. They enjoyed their research to answer the question, ‘Is the sun a planet?’ Other pupils used their knowledge of materials to create a model boat similar to one used by Christopher Columbus. The pupils’ understanding of the historical period helped them to make better choices about the shape that they were aiming for.
• There is a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. A comprehensive programme of residential visits is planned for all key stage 2 year groups, including a trip to France. Teachers attempt to enrich the pupils’ learning through relevant experiences such as a visit to the National Space Centre.
• Pupils enjoy the ‘creative homework’ and examples are displayed in the school’s entrance hall. Some parents who spoke with inspectors commented on the renewed enthusiasm their children have in sharing their home learning and reading. Pupils understand that their homework helps them to consolidate their skills and prepare for life at secondary school.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are very proud of the school environment and take care of it. Older pupils enjoy taking responsibility for younger ones and they listen to each other’s views with sensitivity.
• The headteacher has been successful in creating an environment where each pupil is valued as an individual. Parents and carers value the care that she displays for the whole school community. The school provides appropriate and well-tailored support to help pupils build their self-esteem and to work well within daily classroom routines.
• Pupils are becoming resilient learners. They have positive attitudes towards improving their work and are keen to learn. The school plans rewards for pupils who have shown increased motivation – such as the opportunity to meet an assistance dog.
• Staff plan activities which increase pupil’s self-confidence, such as residential visits. They target some activities such as ‘Wake and Shake’ to help pupils have a more successful start to the day.
• Pupils are very aware of the difference between right and wrong. Staff help pupils to resolve problems in ‘sort out circles’ and pupils say that this approach helps them to live happily alongside each other. They say that bullying is rare, but that when it does occur, they know that the teachers sort it out.
• Leaders monitor incidents of poor behaviour closely. They seek additional support where necessary so that the needs of the pupil can be better met.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The headteacher has high expectations of courteous behaviour. Adults in the school consistently model this to pupils and so pupils are polite to each other and to visitors.
• Leaders have acted with determination to ensure that pupils attend schools regularly. They have clarified the school’s policies so that parents understand their responsibilities to ensure that pupils attend school each day. Improvements are rewarded and celebrated, and declining attendance is identified quickly.
• The headteacher has worked with the families to provide support and advice. She has challenged poor attendance and has also worked effectively with other agencies where necessary.
• Attendance for disadvantaged pupils has risen and persistence absence has declined sharply and is now below the national average.
• The school works very effectively with a provider of alternative provision. There is regular, high-quality communication and effective target-setting. This has had a positive impact on improving attendance and developing pupils’ self-confidence and awareness of the needs of others.

Outcomes for pupils

• Pupils do not make good progress across the school.

Requires improvement

• Some disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their starting points and in some year groups they are attaining as well as their peers. However, this is not the case for all disadvantaged pupils, and in some classes the gap is too wide.
• The most able pupils do not make consistently strong progress throughout the school. By the end of key stage 2, very few pupils have achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics. No disadvantaged pupil has achieved the combined higher standard at the end of key stage 2 in the last three years.
• The proportion of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has been below the national average for the last two years.
• The proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 1 achieving the expected standard is broadly in line with the national average. However, too few disadvantaged pupils attain the expected standard.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check has risen in 2018 and now exceeds the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving the standard has increased but is not yet at the national average.
• The school’s assessment information shows that progress for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is strengthening and some of these pupils are making better progress than their peers.
• Pupils’ books show that some make strong progress in subjects such as history. However, pupils do not consistently use their English skills well in other subjects.
• The school’s monitoring of data shows that pupils’ stamina and fitness have increased over the past two years.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership in early years is insightful and ambitious for children to make a flying start to their education. The leader has worked effectively with staff to improve the quality of learning throughout the early years. She has high expectations of what the children can achieve.
• The provision has grown since the last inspection, both in the age range and in the number of children admitted. Leaders have planned a high-quality curriculum for the youngest children. This meets the needs of all children and reflects their stage of development.
• Children’s personal development is at the heart of the curriculum. From an early age, children learn to listen to each other and to share. Adults intervene to help children to solve problems and play and work happily together.
• The youngest children learn how to become independent in dressing themselves. They choose activities with guidance. They enjoy familiar songs and routines such as snack-time. Adults model speaking in longer sentences and use questioning to engage children in describing what they are doing.
• Adults in the nursery class build on this strong language development. High-quality questioning challenges children to extend their vocabulary. Staff have high expectations of the children as they explore mark-making. Children begin to hold their pencils correctly. They explore the sounds of musical instruments and listen carefully to hear the differences between them. Children are well prepared for their transition into the Reception Year.
• Children in the Reception Year make a strong start to their learning. Staff provided effective support to children during sessions so that they learned to write signs for a shop, for example. Children counted out animals for their farm accurately and enjoyed building an aeroplane with crates to take them to Spain. They were quickly learning to hear different phonic sounds and blend them together.
• Outcomes for children have significantly improved. The proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year was above the national average in 2018. These children are very well prepared to continue to learn well in Year 1.
• Adults carefully monitor the progress of disadvantaged children. They plan how they can help them to make the best possible progress, such as through interventions which support their speech and language development. Staff check regularly whether this is working and review their plans. As a result, these children make strong progress to catch up with their peers by the end of foundation stage.
• Children who have SEN and/or disabilities are quickly identified. Adults work well with outside agencies to provide effective additional support for children who need it.
• Communication with parents and carers is highly effective. Parents praised the speed with which their children settle into all of the classes in early years. They said that the staff are welcoming and approachable. Parents praised the amount of progress that their children make.

School details

Unique reference number 122715 Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council Inspection number 10053148 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 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 358 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Dill Vowles Mairi Calderwood 01159 553440 www.stanhopeprimary.co.uk head@stanhope.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17–18 June 2014

Information about this school

• Since the last inspection, the school has grown to become a two-form entry school. It now admits two-year-olds to the early years provision.
• The school is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.
• The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is broadly in line with the national average.
• The school works with Forest School alternative provision, which is registered with the local authority.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed learning in 25 classes, most observations jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. Inspectors heard readers from key stages 1 and 2 and spoke with groups of pupils.
• Inspectors spoke with leaders in the school and scrutinised the school’s own assessment information.
• Inspectors spoke with parents and carers taking their children to school and took account of the 118 responses expressed on Parent View.
• Inspectors spoke with staff and took account of the views expressed on the staff survey.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents which the school provided, such as minutes of the governors’ meetings and development plans. The lead inspector spoke with governors and a representative of the local authority.

Inspection team

Hazel Henson, lead inspector Caroline Evans Liz Moore

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector