Wyton on the Hill Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in writing across the school and in mathematics in key stage 2, to further improve outcomes for pupils, by:
  • making better use of the opportunities within the curriculum for pupils to consolidate and build on their writing and mathematical skills
  • ensuring that lessons move on quickly enough to fully engage pupils so that they make consistently good progress
  • continuing to refine interventions to ensure good progress for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
  • continuing to share the effective practice within the school to improve other teachers’ skills.
• Strengthen leadership further, by:
  • ensuring that leaders build on the use of new assessment systems, by precisely checking the progress of all groups of pupils across the school, especially the disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
  • improving the evaluation of the school’s work by robustly measuring the impact of actions taken and producing next steps to enable further school improvement.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, governors, school leaders and staff are all committed to school improvement. They have been especially successful in developing teaching and learning, pupils’ attitudes to learning and the early years provision. The school has a good capacity to improve further.
• The headteacher accurately identifies what makes teaching effective and what needs to be improved. Feedback to staff is thoughtful and well considered. This provides a firm foundation for future improvement to teaching and learning.
• Systems for checking the performance of staff are thorough and effective. The school’s training programme is well targeted to meet the needs of teachers and support staff to improve teaching and learning. Newly qualified teachers are supported well.
• Middle leaders are beginning to play their part in supporting the development of good teaching and learning. Leaders and staff are beginning to share good practice within the school to support others.
• Leaders and teachers have a detailed understanding about the attainment of pupils and how well they have acquired new skills. However, they do not systematically check how well groups of pupils are progressing from their various starting points. For example, some disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities show stronger progress from work in books than school data indicates.
• Despite their limited use of performance information about the progress of groups of pupils, leaders have an accurate view of the school and know what has to be done to strengthen its overall effectiveness. Since the previous inspection, leaders have ensured that the proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of the early years foundation stage and pupils’ knowledge of and skills in phonics in key stage 1 have improved significantly.
• Leaders are aware of weaknesses in pupils’ outcomes for writing across the school and in mathematics in key stage 2. They are addressing these through raising teachers’ expectations and providing relevant training for staff. However, it is too soon to evaluate recent changes implemented by subject leaders.
• The special educational needs/inclusion leader and the experienced pastoral team provide appropriate care and effective learning support for new arrivals to fill in gaps in their learning. They have correctly implemented new ways to support the progress of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special needs and/or disabilities. These new strategies are ensuring that the pupil premium is spent effectively to support pupils’ learning and well-being.
• The wide range of subjects in the school’s revised curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ learning and their personal development, behaviour and welfare. Challenging work is now suitably adapted to meet the needs of all groups of pupils, including the most able. There is a good range of interesting activities and visits. Although the overarching curriculum is broad and balanced, pupils get few opportunities to apply their writing and mathematical skills in subjects other than English and mathematics.
• The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is strong. Pupils socialise well, and are tolerant and respectful to others. Pupils are developing a good understanding of democracy, current affairs and citizenship.
• The primary school physical education and sport funding is used well to increase the number of pupils participating in sporting activities on a regular basis and to improve the expertise of staff and pupils.
• Leaders and governors know how well the school is doing so that school development plans address appropriate issues. However, the impact of actions taken or the required next steps to improve the school further are not clear.
• Parents are extremely positive about the school. Parental responses from Parent View and from those who spoke to inspectors indicate that the vast majority would recommend the school to others.
• The local authority has worked well with leaders to support school improvement in all areas, especially in the early years.

Governance of the school

• Governors are ambitious for the school. They are knowledgeable and proud of their school.
• Governors know about the school’s strengths and weaknesses from very detailed headteacher reports. They ask pertinent questions about this information to ensure that leaders are doing enough to make the school even better. Additionally, they regularly review the school improvement plan which contains appropriate actions for improvement. However, evaluation is not always effective in establishing the impact of actions taken.
• Governors know that additional funding, including that for sport and disadvantaged pupils, is used well. They have a strong understanding about the link between teachers’ performance and pay. Any underperformance is tackled effectively. Governors ensure that their responsibilities are fulfilled well.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. High-quality systems ensure that pupils, including the most vulnerable, are safe and protected from harm. Staff are well trained and vigilant. Appropriate checks are made on new staff and recorded on a central register. The safety of pupils is a high priority across the school.
• Staff know pupils well and are quick to report any concerns they have about children in the school. These concerns are acted upon quickly and appropriate referrals are made to relevant agencies.
• Strong pastoral support of pupils is reflective of a culture of care and concern for pupils in the school. The many new arrivals throughout the school year are introduced well to school routines so that they settle in quickly and confidently.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is now good. Teachers, including in the early years, have high expectations and provide tasks that interest pupils. They model the values of respect and tolerance well and expect pupils to work together collaboratively.
• Where teaching is most effective, tasks are pitched at an appropriate standard to challenge all groups of pupils, including the most able pupils. Interesting tasks build on pupils’ prior knowledge to extend their understanding. This enables most pupils to make good progress from their starting points.
• Teachers use their good subject knowledge and effective questioning to develop pupils’ thinking. They use a good range of resources to motivate pupils and to support their learning. Occasionally, when learning slows down, a few pupils become distracted which impacts on their progress.
• The teaching of phonics is effective in the early years and key stage 1. Pupils of all ability groups enjoy reading and apply their reading skills across other aspects of their learning. The most able pupils read with fluency and comprehension. Pupils in the early stages of reading use their knowledge of phonics effectively to read new words.
• A recent change to the way individual pupils are helped enables teaching assistants to provide better support for pupils to help them catch up when they have gaps in their learning, especially for the high number of new arrivals. Current disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with targeted support, enabling them to learn well.
• Regular, effective feedback by teachers in pupils’ books follows the school’s policy to further support pupils’ learning.
• Pupils, particularly in Years 5 and 6, are able to discuss and write about their learning in some depth. These pupils make links between the skills they learn in different subjects. Year 6 pupils developed geographical vocabulary and scientific understanding when discussing and recording work about Charles Darwin, and plant and animal adaption. Year 5 pupils reviewed and recorded their strong and weak team-building skills with a physical education specialist and class teacher after an exciting team-building session. However, across the school there are few opportunities for pupils to apply their writing skills in other subjects.
• Teaching in mathematics emphasises the accurate use and understanding of basic skills and vocabulary. Pupils are able to explain their understanding of mathematical concepts confidently. Pupils in Year 4 built on their prior knowledge to enthusiastically form ‘factor’ bugs, based on their knowledge of multiplication tables. However, pupils have few opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to real-life concepts in subjects other than mathematics. Recent staff training for the delivery of new mathematical strategies has not yet been fully developed or had time to improve pupils’ outcomes.
• Artwork across the school is strong because of the expertise of a teaching assistant. Work varies from evaluating artists such as Picasso and Matisse to artwork based on the pupils’ current interests in Minecraft.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The strong ethos of respect and care for pupils is evident in all aspects of school life.
• Pupils usually play and work collaboratively together.
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and they feel safe in school. Pupils know who to speak to if they have any concerns. They understand the different forms of bullying and know how to keep themselves safe on the internet. School records show that bullying is rare and when it occurs staff deal with incidents effectively.
• Pupils are proud of their school. They willingly take on posts of responsibility. For example, they enjoy being peer mediators and sports leaders. Other pupils respect these roles.
• Staff provide effective pastoral care so that pupils feel confident and happy in school.
• The vast majority of parents who spoke to inspectors and responded to Parent View were very positive about the support their children receive in school and are confident that their children are happy and safe.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and show their enjoyment while they are at school. Pupils are polite, courteous and welcoming to visitors.
• The vast majority of pupils behave well in class and around the school. However, occasionally a few pupils lose concentration in class when they are not fully engaged in their learning. Generally, pupils are keen to learn and want to succeed.
• Pupils who have more difficulty managing their own behaviour are supported well. Adults help them to develop strategies sensitively and all staff take responsibility for supporting pupils to be part of the class.
• Pupils get on well together. They conduct themselves well because of the good relationships that exist between staff and pupils.
• Attendance is rising and is above the national average. Early learning sessions and the breakfast club are helping to improve pupils’ punctuality.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Evidence gathered during the inspection, including the observation of teaching, work in pupils’ books and discussions with pupils, indicates that, overall, current pupils are making good progress from their starting points in a variety of subjects.
• There has been a significant increase in the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check and attaining a good level of development at the end of Reception. This is due to improvements in teaching and learning in the early years and key stage 1.
• In 2016, by the end of Year 2 the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was similar to national figures for reading and mathematics but below those for writing. The school’s 2017 predictions indicate that writing results should improve.
• By the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in reading and writing was similar to the national figures but below the national figure for mathematics. The 2017 predictions indicate improvements in all three subjects, especially for mathematics. The high number of pupils who arrive during the school year can have an impact on test results.
• Pupils’ progress results from key stage 1 to key stage 2 are similar to the national picture in reading, slightly below for writing and significantly below for mathematics. However, pupils’ progress across the school as evidenced in books and through monitoring of teaching and learning is stronger.
• There are few disadvantaged pupils in each year group. Their progress varies across year groups and subjects but the new focused support is enabling pupils to make similar progress to their classmates.
• The most able pupils are usually challenged well. The proportion of pupils attaining the new high standard in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national figures at the end of Year 6 in 2016. Books show that the most able pupils are now making good progress.
• The support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is improving. The work in current books shows that these pupils are now making appropriate progress from their different starting points due to more focused support. However, presently, this is not obvious from the school’s new assessment system.
• The improvement in teaching and learning across the school supports pupils to move to the next stage of their education.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision, leadership, teaching and learning, and outcomes have improved considerably since the previous inspection. This is largely due to the new teacher, who is also the early years leader, and effective support from the local authority.
• Most children enter the early years with skills and abilities that are below those typical for their age, but skills and knowledge vary year on year. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has improved consistently for the last three years to rise above the national average.
• The teacher, together with other adults, assesses children’s needs accurately and plans activities designed to closely meet their learning requirements. The teacher models effective practice for the other adults. Her skilful questioning helps children to explain their learning. Consequently, children make good progress from their various starting points.
• The early years classroom is a calm and purposeful learning environment. Both the inside and outside areas support stimulating play and learning activities, to help children develop their understanding and skills. This was seen when the children had to remove a tool from a block of ice for their alien friend to build a spaceship. Carefully, wearing safety goggles, they used plastic and wooden hammers, rough and smooth materials, and salt to support their task. Adults used questioning well to extend pupils’ speaking and listening skills, and scientific vocabulary. Pupils could discuss which resources worked the best. Some talked about ice melting into water.
• The children’s behaviour is good and they follow class routines well. They are able to work independently and with each other. They organise their time well and respond well to instructions.
• The children have many stimulating opportunities to extend their literacy and numeracy skills through a space theme. While some children focused on individual letter sounds, others used their knowledge of phonics to spell real and ‘alien’ words. Children enjoyed counting out cubes to make towers and putting the correct number of beads on an alien bracelet.
• Additional funding is used effectively to build up the confidence of the vulnerable pupils, including high-quality support from a specialist learning mentor.
• Children are well prepared for Year 1. The early years leader has just become the key stage 1 leader to further support teaching and learning, and outcomes of pupils across the two key stages.
• Adults work closely with parents and encourage them to help their children build on their learning at home.
• Children are safe and happy because of the secure welfare and safeguarding procedures that exist in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 110703 Cambridgeshire 10019593 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 179 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Carolyn Daines Jo Phillips 01480 452032 www.wytonprimaryschool.org.uk head@wyton.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 December 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and the number of pupils who speak English as an additional language are well below the national average.
• Early years provision is full time for children in the Reception Year.
• There have been a number of new appointments to teaching and leadership posts since the previous inspection.
• A high proportion of pupils join and leave the school part way through their primary education.
• The school met the government’s floor standards for 2015. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 15 lessons and attended an assembly. Seven observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.
• The inspectors held meetings with governors, a representative of the local authority and school staff.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including teachers’ planning, the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, records of behaviour and safety, the monitoring of teaching and management of teachers’ performance, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding documents.
• A discussion was held with a group of pupils, as well as informal conversations with pupils during lessons and at breaktimes. The inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about books they enjoy.
• The inspectors took account of 30 responses to Parent View and spoke with parents informally at the beginning of the school day. The questionnaires completed by five members of staff were also considered.

Inspection team

Julie Harrison, lead inspector Marek Krzanicki Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector