Surrey Street Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • using assessment information well to plan learning that enables all groups of pupils, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged, to make good or better progress across the curriculum
  • providing pupils with good opportunities to apply their writing skills and demonstrate what they can do.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that systems for monitoring the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are robust in order to improve the rate of school improvement
  • equipping middle leaders with skills and knowledge to enable them to make a strong contribution to improving pupils’ outcomes
  • governors providing effective support and challenge focused on improving pupils’ outcomes. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may 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

• Since the previous inspection, leaders, including governors, have not ensured that pupils make good enough progress from their different starting points. The headteacher is taking effective action to bring about improvements; however, pupils’ progress is not yet good.
• The headteacher has ensured that the large number of pupils who entered the school mid-year have settled quickly. While the immediate needs of the pupils have been well met by the school staff, progress in reading, writing and mathematics for many pupils has not been rapid enough.
• Leaders’ monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not rigorous enough. They have not ensured that teachers routinely plan learning that matches pupils’ interests and capabilities. As a result, many pupils do not make good progress from their different starting points.
• Subject leaders, several of whom are new to their role, have not had sufficient impact on improving pupils’ outcomes. While the leaders routinely monitor pupils’ work, they acknowledge that they need to be more focused on the progress different groups of pupils make.
• The school has not received effective support from the local authority. Recent visits by the local authority have not precisely highlighted important areas of concern or identified how the school can improve. As a result of this, school improvement has not been as swift as it could be.
• While leaders have ensured that disadvantaged pupils are supported well with their social and emotional needs, pupil premium funding has not been used to ensure it is having enough of an impact on their academic achievement.
• Leaders use the physical education and sport premium funding for primary schools effectively. Pupils regularly participate in inter-class competitions. The school provides a range of after-school clubs throughout the week. High proportions of pupils participate in clubs after school and outside of school.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social aspects of learning well. Assemblies celebrate pupils’ achievements and are happy affairs. Pupils enter the school hall calmly and participate in the singing enthusiastically and with pride. Assembly themes link with the curriculum and the values of the school. Pupils take their responsibilities as house captains seriously: for example, they come into school early to distribute milk and fruit to the classes.
• The school offers a broad and rich curriculum. Pupils have opportunities to apply different skills across a range of subjects. For example, pupils re-create Roman mosaics in art and research and write about the differences between their town and a village as part of their geography fieldwork.
• In music, pupils learn the skills to play keyboards, cello and ukulele as well as having the opportunity to have private tuition in a range of instruments. The curriculum for other subjects, such as science and history, is equally well covered.
• Leaders use the funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities well. For example, the school’s ‘Flamingo’ provision is a nurturing and well-resourced environment for pupils with significant and complex needs. Leaders have accurately identified those pupils new to the school who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, the pupils are already accessing their learning readily and demonstrating positive learning behaviours.
• Staff are proud to work at the school. An overwhelming majority of staff believe the school has improved since the current headteacher took up the post. Newly qualified teachers speak highly about the leadership team and their teacher mentors. There is a strong sense of unity among all staff and a shared determination to do the very best for pupils at the school.
• Leaders have ensured that parents are fully supported and are able to engage positively with the school so that the needs of pupils are best met. The school’s ‘family room’ offers a range of workshops and information sessions for all parents. Parents new to English are able to attend courses that support their acquisition of the language as well as learning new skills, for example by attending the ‘cake decorating and numeracy’ workshop. Parents are able to bring pupils’ younger siblings while learning and interacting in a supportive environment.

Governance of the school

• Governors do not have sufficient understanding of pupils’ academic performance. Their understanding has been hindered by leaders’ reports that are not sufficiently clear and concise. Governors acknowledge that they need further support and guidance so that they can support senior leaders effectively and challenge leaders about their work to improve pupils’ academic outcomes.
• Governors have supported the school in establishing effective behaviour systems and securing safeguarding systems as a priority. They recognise the challenges the school has faced, particularly over this last year, and have provided good support to facilitate changes in senior leadership arrangements.
• Although governors talk confidently about the pupil premium funding and the support for disadvantaged pupils, their understanding about the impact of funding on pupils’ academic progress is less clear.
• The governing body is keen to develop its practice. Governors have monitored their own performance, and engaged with training to improve their skills. Governors are ambitious for the school and determined to work even more closely with senior leaders to continue to bring about improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities with regard to safeguarding pupils and child protection.
• The governing body ensures the school carries out appropriate checks on adults appointed to work at the school. Leaders ensure that staff undertake regular training so that their knowledge of child protection procedures is up to date.
• Procedures for ensuring good attendance are rigorous and pupils’ non-attendance is followed up immediately. Attendance is currently in line with the national average.
• The school’s processes for child protection are effective. Monitoring systems are robust and the school provides excellent pastoral care for vulnerable pupils and families. As a result, pupils’ readiness for learning has improved. Pupils say they feel safe at school. All parents who responded to questionnaires agree that pupils are safe at school, as do all staff who responded.
• Pupils know how to stay safe in and around school and when using the internet. Pupils are clear that they have someone to speak to if they are unhappy. They know the well-being team are always around to help and support if pupils have concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers do not take enough account of what pupils can already do and therefore do not plan learning which is sufficiently challenging. As a result, pupils’ progress is not rapid enough in some classes.
• In mathematics lessons, teachers encourage pupils to select their own level of challenge. However, often these activities do not sufficiently challenge pupils from the start or do not provide opportunities for pupils to work at a deeper level in order to reach the higher standards.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and typically their teaching of writing skills is effective. However, in the older year groups there are too few opportunities for pupils to write for a sustained period. As a result, pupils do not have the chances to demonstrate what they can do well to achieve at the higher standard of writing.
• Recent changes have helped pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to make good progress. For example, small-group support focuses on pupils’ individual needs and ensures that the provision is improving. The school’s well-being team provide effective support, especially for pupils who find school challenging; for example, cooking activities and motivational programmes raise pupils’ self-esteem and build confidence.
• As a result of teachers’ skilful planning and delivery of phonics sessions, pupils make good progress. Current school information, observations of lessons and listening to pupils read demonstrates that pupils are developing good strategies to help them to read fluently. Pupils who need to catch up and meet age-related expectations are supported well, particularly pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• Pupils have opportunities to carry out experiments and investigations in science, and different age groups learn about a range of countries and continents. The teaching of physical education is effective and the school teams achieve well.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders have placed a high priority on developing pupils’ confidence and social development. Pupils new to the school say they are very happy and settled quickly when they arrived.
• The well-being team ensures that pupils, in particular those who are vulnerable, get the support they need to be able to learn in class. Parents are happy with the support the school provides. One parent commented, ‘The support available for children with additional needs is second to none.’
• Pupils learn about friendships and learn how to make new pupils feel welcome. They can explain why rules are important and how to make others feel valued. Consequently, pupils are being very well prepared to be good citizens.
• Pupils appreciate the work of adults who support them. They know they can talk to any member of staff if they have concerns.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and courteous and move sensibly around the large buildings. They hold doors open for adults and each other and participate well in lessons.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Leaders have set high expectations of behaviour for all pupils, who respond well.
• Leaders have ensured that there are effective strategies in place to secure good behaviour in and outside of lessons.
• Pupils told inspectors that ‘learning is fun’. As a result, there is little or no low-level disruption in lessons and incidents of poor behaviour have decreased.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• At the end of key stages 1 and 2, pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics were below national averages at the end of 2016. Pupils currently in school are now making better, but not consistently good, progress across the curriculum, including in English and mathematics.
• The pupil premium funding has not previously been used effectively enough. Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, did not make the progress of which they were capable in 2016. Those currently in school are now making better, but not consistently good, progress. The improvement is because of the more precise support they now receive. However, leaders are aware that the pupils’ progress needs to be further accelerated.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities did not make good progress by the end of key stage 2 in 2016. There are now good systems to identify pupils’ needs and make changes to their provision. More pupils across the school are now on track to make the progress they should.
• The most able pupils are not achieving as well as they should. This includes the most able disadvantaged pupils. Too few are reaching the higher standards at the end of both key stage 1 and key stage 2. In many lessons pupils are not given work that allows them to make good progress from their different starting points.
• The proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Years 1 and 2 was below the national average. A large majority of the pupils who did not achieve were at the early stages of English acquisition. Focused, additional support has ensured that they are now making better progress. Phonics outcomes are improving and more pupils are on track to meet the expected standard at the end of Years 1 and 2.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is well led. There is a skilled and knowledgeable team who know the children very well.
• Children have a good start to their full-time education. The early years is a safe and welcoming environment with resources to support the learning needs of the children. Children are happy and confident learners, and able to access resources freely and independently. They engage enthusiastically in lessons and learn to share and develop good social skills.
• Leaders are skilful in their planning of activities to support the diverse make-up of children who come and go, and the high proportion of children new to the country, many who speak English as an additional language. Almost half the children that enter Reception have no previous school experience.
• Leaders plan activities with a strong focus on developing personal, social and emotional skills; because of this, children settle very quickly, are ready and eager to learn and as a result make good progress from their varying starting points.
• The proportion of all children achieving a good level of development was below national averages in 2016 but this has been rising over the last three years and is on track to improve further by the end of this academic year.
• In 2016, children achieved broadly in line with national figures in reading and mathematics, although children achieved below the national average in writing. The structured approach to writing is providing more opportunities to practise writing, particularly in phonics sessions. As a result, writing is improving.
• Children make good progress in communication and language skills. Staff use questioning effectively to promote a positive language learning environment. Attainment was below national expectations at the end of 2016; however, this has improved over the last three years.
• The teaching of phonics is good. There is a consistent approach across all three classes and the progress children make is evident. Children start their learning at the right level so that the progress they make is maximised. Children enjoy activities which allow them to apply their phonics skills.
• Assessment of the progress children make is robust. Teachers plan learning based on the needs of the children. Leaders have responded well to the early assessments, which identified a need to ensure that there are more opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. ‘Welly Wednesday’ is aimed at promoting language development in the outside environment.
• Parents are invited into school to, for example, build dens with their children in a language-rich setting. Children, particularly those with limited outdoor space at home, enjoy the activities and consequently make good progress in speaking, listening and communication and language from their different starting points.
• The most able children and disadvantaged children make good progress from their different starting points. Some exceeded national averages in reading, writing and mathematics in 2016. The proportion of disadvantaged children who achieved a good level of development was also above the national average.
• Transition is effective into key stage 1 and close links between teaching staff ensure that children in Reception are being well prepared for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 109571 Luton 10022968 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 545 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Penny Jones Linda Adams 01582 748810 www.surreystreetprimary.com admin@surreystreetprimary.net Date of previous inspection 28–29 January, 11 February 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Surrey Street Primary School is larger than the average primary school.
• There has been a new headteacher and deputy headteacher since the previous inspection.
• Most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is higher than the national average.
• The number of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• Pupil numbers have increased since the previous inspection. There are currently three classes per year group for Reception to Year 5. There are two Year 6 classes.
• Many pupils arrive part-way through their primary education. An above-average proportion of pupils join or leave the school part-way through their primary education. Since September 2016, 116 pupils have entered the school and 77 pupils left.
• Many new members of staff have joined the school since the previous inspection due to the increase in the number of classes.
• The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed teaching and learning across all year groups.
• Some observations of learning were carried out jointly with school leaders.
• Meetings were held with governors, a representative from the local authority, senior leaders and middle leaders.
• The inspection team observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ work, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, and records of behaviour and safety.
• Inspectors scrutinised the monitoring of teaching and the management of teachers’ performance, minutes of governing body meetings and the school’s website.
• Discussions were held with a group of pupils and informal conversations took place during lesson times and in the playground.
• Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils were examined, including mandatory checks made regarding the recruitment of new staff.
• The inspection team listened to pupils read and talked to them about the books they enjoy.
• Inspectors took account of 35 responses to the online parental questionnaire, Parent View, and 10 text responses from parents. Additionally, inspectors spoke with parents informally at the end of the school day.
• The questionnaires completed by 49 members of staff and 26 pupils were considered.

Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Liz Chaplin Sandra Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector