Sutton-On-Trent Primary and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • all staff consistently demonstrate the highest expectations of what all pupils can achieve by providing them with tasks that are challenging and build appropriately on their starting points, especially in mathematics
  • teachers learn from the most effective practice seen in the school and across the collaboration
  • differences in progress and attainment between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils are further diminished.
• Improve outcomes by:
  • ensuring that more of the most able pupils across the school, including those who are disadvantaged, are working at greater depth in all subjects
  • increasing opportunities for pupils to embed their mathematical reasoning skills, by applying their knowledge to a wider variety of problem-solving activities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school has made rapid improvements since the previous inspection. The areas identified for development have been addressed effectively. School development planning is detailed and accurate, with regular evaluations helping to ensure that the identified priorities have continuing focus. The capacity of the school leadership to continue to make further improvements is strong.
• The executive headteacher and the head of school work very effectively together and have created an ambitious culture in the school. This has helped to raise the aspirations of staff and pupils.
• Parents speak very highly of the impact made by the changes of leadership since the previous inspection. One parent summed this up by saying, ‘the new leaders have given the school a breath of fresh air.’
• The school has been strengthened by the formation of a collaboration with another local primary school. The leadership team is shared across the two schools and staff take part in joint development and planning opportunities. This approach has enabled leaders at all levels to have greater objectivity, with moderation activities helping to raise expectations and standards. The collaboration is proving to be mutually beneficial for both schools.
• Senior leaders are ably supported by the middle leadership team members, both in the school and across the collaboration. The middle leaders show a good understanding of their respective roles. They prepare detailed and specific action plans, which enhance the school development plan.
• Leaders’ arrangements for managing the performance of staff are effective. Teachers and support staff are given clear targets to improve their practice. These targets are appropriate and linked closely to school development planning. Senior leaders are tenacious in their approach to addressing any inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning.
• The leadership of SEN and/or disabilities is effective. These pupils are supported well and are making positive progress from their individual starting points.
• The school uses its relatively small allocation of pupil premium funding well. Leaders use many creative solutions to provide focused interventions, including regular and timely sessions being led by well-qualified support staff and volunteers from the local community. As a result, disadvantaged pupils currently are making at least as good progress as their peers.
• Staff are very positive about the school. They value the support they receive from senior leaders and the school’s commitment to ongoing professional development.
• The local authority provides regular, effective support to the school. This has involved monthly visits since the previous inspection, with close monitoring and detailed advice being given to help secure improvements.
• Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils are supported well to prepare for life in modern Britain. There are regular whole-school initiatives, where older pupils take responsibilities and help support their younger peers. These include weekly assemblies which focus on issues such as e-safety, empathy and anti-bullying.
• The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum. There are clear links between subjects and a focus on developing key skills across broad topics.
• Some inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching and learning, particularly the levels of challenge provided, although leaders are fully aware of these. They are working purposefully to embed a culture with the highest expectations and offer systematic support and challenge to teachers. Leaders recognise the need for staff to learn from each other and show a commitment to ensuring that the best practice across the collaboration is emulated.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development needs are generally met well. There are many opportunities to learn about other faiths, cultures and traditions. Pupils are not always helped to develop their experiences and understanding of spirituality in assemblies and whole-school activities.
• The primary physical education (PE) and sport premium is being spent effectively. The funding is partly used to employ specialist sports coaches, extending available resources and supporting pupils in undertaking competitive sports with other schools. There is currently limited emphasis on measuring the impact of these initiatives.

Governance of the school

• Governors have played an energetic and significant part in ensuring that the improvements made since the previous inspection have been brisk. They show a detailed understanding of the strengths and areas for development. Governors undertake very regular visits to the school and carry out many monitoring activities, with the findings being systematically reported to the full governing body. Further actions are then generated from these reports.
• Members of the governing body have a wide variety of skills, including financial and education experience. These specialisms are used very well to provide expertise in the various committees.
• Governors receive detailed information from senior leaders about the additional funding received for pupil premium, SEN and/or disabilities and physical education. They have a secure knowledge of how this funding is helping to improve the provision for pupils.
• Governors appreciate the support and guidance offered by the local authority and have shown commitment to their changing roles since the formation of the collaboration.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The senior leaders share the designated lead responsibility, which they take very seriously. The robust and thorough safeguarding processes are well documented.
• Staff members understand their responsibilities with respect to safeguarding. They receive regular training and know the processes required to report any concern.
• Leaders ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed when recruiting new staff. The school’s records meet requirements.
• The safeguarding governor takes her responsibilities very seriously. She meets regularly with senior leaders and supports them well in fulfilling their duties.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching, learning and assessment have improved since the previous inspection and are now good.
• Teachers plan a range of interesting and cohesive lessons. These engage pupils’ interests and help to ensure that they generally make good progress from their starting points. Success criteria are planned for each learning objective and are referred to during lessons to help structure the learning.
• Where learning is most effective, teachers use questioning effectively to both check pupils’ understanding and to make them think more deeply. This was demonstrated particularly well in a thought-provoking discussion during analysis of a classic poem in upper key stage 2. Pupils were encouraged to consider the rich language and to reflect on their empathy with the characters and setting.
• Other adults, in classes and in small intervention groups, make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities. They work effectively to help pupils understand what they need to do and to encourage individuals to complete the work they have been set.
• The school has introduced an effective assessment system which is understood by all staff and governors. This is helping staff to closely track the progress of each pupil and to help ensure that they make expected or better progress.
• The work in pupils’ books shows a consistent approach to presentation, and to feedback, which is in line with the school’s policy. However, pupils do not always respond to the feedback given.
• Leaders and teachers have given appropriate focus to improving the quality of teaching and learning in mathematics. This has shown benefits in the quality of work completed and the progress made. However, there is still room to provide further opportunities for pupils to develop their reasoning skills across the mathematics curriculum.
• Teachers generally demonstrate high expectations of the pupils during lessons. Where this happens, the pupils show high levels of engagement and rise to the challenges set. However, this is not yet consistently apparent in all classes.
• Inconsistencies in the levels of challenge provided to pupils were seen in a minority of lessons. This means that sometimes pupils are repeating work that they can already do, so they do not always make as much progress as they are capable of. This is particularly evident for some of the most able pupils who are sometimes given tasks that are too easy.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils feel well cared for and relationships with adults and other pupils are warm and friendly. Pupils show a well-embedded respect for the views of each other and they listen carefully to adults and to other pupils.
• Pupils display very positive attitudes towards the school and their learning. They take pride in their school and in their work, which is displayed across the school. A favourite time of the week is the ‘Shining Time’ assembly when pupils enjoy celebrating their own and each other’s successes.
• Pupils know how to keep safe from a variety of risks to their safety, both in school and in the wider world. They show a good awareness of anti-bullying initiatives. Pupils recognise that any instances of bullying are extremely rare and they know what to do should there be an incident. Pupils are taught how to use the internet safely.
• Parents and carers who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, or who spoke to the inspector, are very positive about the support and care that their children receive. They are confident that their children are happy and safe at school. One parent described the ‘nurturing and fun learning environment’.
• Pupils say that staff listen to them and will consider their views. Pupils would like even more opportunities to voice their ideas in more formal and documented forums.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They generally behave well in lessons and show self-discipline at social times such as in the lunch hall or on the playground. Pupils understand the school’s system for rewards and sanctions.
• As a result of the clear expectations of staff, pupils move around the school sensibly and the atmosphere in school is calm and friendly.
• Pupils wear their uniforms smartly and help to keep their school and classrooms clean and tidy.
• The attendance of pupils is higher than the average for schools nationally, which reflects pupils’ positive attitudes to school life. They are punctual for school and for lessons. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has risen slightly in recent months, partly due to the illness of a small number of pupils. This trend has been identified by leaders, who are working proactively to reduce the proportion.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils at Sutton-on-Trent are improving rapidly. There have been noticeable improvements in the achievement of children in early years, and pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 since the previous inspection. In general, pupils are now attaining better than pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, they are being prepared well for the next stage of their education.
• The attainment and progress of Year 6 pupils in 2017 showed considerable improvements on the outcomes in recent years. The majority of pupils made at least the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics. Furthermore, the proportion of pupils who attained the expected level was at least in line with that for schools nationally.
• Key stage 1 pupils achieved higher levels than nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportions of pupils who attained the higher standard were again better than national averages.
• The results of the phonics screening check in Year 1 were well above those of pupils nationally. This reflects the quality of teaching of early reading experienced by pupils.
• The school tracks the progress of individual pupils carefully in all year groups across the school. The targets set for pupils are now aspirational and are reflected in the high proportions of pupils currently making expected or better progress in all year groups.
• The progress made by pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is now generally good from their starting points. The specific needs of each pupil are focused on well to help them move on quickly.
• The proportion of key stage 2 pupils who attained greater depth scores in 2017 was lower than the national average. This was particularly apparent in mathematics, where no pupils achieved the higher standard. This resulted in no pupils attaining the combined reading, writing and mathematics measure at a greater depth.
• The attainment and progress made by disadvantaged pupils in key stage 2 were low in 2017 when compared with those of other pupils in the school and nationally. However, there were improvements apparent since the 2016 outcomes. A similar picture was seen with those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, although case studies show that these were the same pupils who had multiple vulnerabilities. The school is aware of the discrepancy and is now providing greater support and intervention to help diminish the differences for these pupils. Current analysis indicates that disadvantaged pupils are now progressing at least as well as their peers.
• Pupils do not always achieve the best possible outcomes during lessons, particularly in mathematics. This is because the highest levels of challenge are not always applied, which would help pupils to extend their understanding and reasoning skills across the curriculum.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership and management of early years are good. The leader has a thorough and accurate knowledge of the needs of each child individually. As a result, the children thrive in the early years provision and are well prepared for their move to Year 1.
• Children enter the school at levels similar to those typically found in children of the same age. They make good or better progress during their time in early years, and the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development is above the average for schools nationally. This proportion has risen noticeably in recent years.
• The small number of disadvantaged children receive targeted and individualised support.
• There are warm relationships apparent between the adults and children, with humour and reference to real life being introduced effectively during discussions. For instance, in one session, the children were being encouraged to think of their key skills when using the class shop. The teacher skilfully included references to phonic knowledge through list-making and the importance of number knowledge when spending money.
• The school has introduced Nursery provision since the previous inspection. This initiative has helped fulfil an identified need in the local community and has been greatly appreciated by parents.
• The Nursery children are integrated well with the children in Reception Year. They access many similar activities at an appropriate level and are supported very well by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable practitioner.
• Staff take good care of the children and make sure that they are kept safe at all times. The children behave well and cooperate positively with adults and their peers.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Close links between home and school help the children to settle in school and to quickly grow in confidence.

School details

Unique reference number 122678 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 10041565 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Community 3 to 11 Mixed 110 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Rebecca Jackson Jennet Lane 01636 821286 www.suttonontrentschool.co.uk head@sutton-on-trent.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 3–4 February 2016

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Children are taught in four mixed-age classes, comprising Nursery and Reception Years, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A small minority of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is similar to 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

• The inspection was undertaken by one inspector for two days.
• During the inspection, teaching and learning were observed in every class. This included carrying out joint observations with the executive headteacher and the head of school.
• The inspector listened to pupils reading and talked with them about their reading and about their school.
• The inspector looked at a wide range of work in pupils’ books, in and out of lessons.
• Meetings were held with members of the senior leadership team, middle and subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the chair of the governing body and other governors. A telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.
• The inspector took into account the 18 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and spoke with parents at the start of the school day.
• Analysis of the three responses to the staff survey was made.
• The inspector reviewed a range of documentation including: the school’s self-evaluation summary; the school development plan; leaders’ monitoring and reports on the quality of teaching and learning; assessment information; minutes of governing body meetings; and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

Inspection team

Yvonne Watts, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector