Eaton Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • continuing to develop the role of leaders of foundation subjects so that they have a significant impact on pupils’ achievement in subjects other than English and mathematics
  • ensuring that leaders of English and mathematics use all available information to hold teachers to account for the progress made by different groups of pupils
  • ensuring that there are effective transition arrangements in place for children from Reception to key stage 1, so that pupils’ progress continues to reflect the high standards seen in the early years.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that teachers use their knowledge of pupils’ starting points to move pupils’ learning on quickly so that all pupils make as much progress as they can
  • providing pupils with more opportunities to apply and practise their writing skills in longer writing tasks.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has successfully established a collaborative culture among leaders and teachers focused on raising standards and improving outcomes for all pupils. Leaders and teachers have high expectations that have contributed to improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Governors and academy trustees are knowledgeable and skilful. They provide a strong balance of challenge and support to ensure that leaders’ actions are making the difference intended to pupils’ achievements.
• Leaders’ plans to raise pupils’ achievement have identified clear priorities which are focusing on improving the quality of teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. These have ensured that most pupils across the school reach the standards expected at the end of each stage of learning.
• Leaders’ systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are robust. Senior leaders have regular meetings with teachers to check on the progress pupils are making in reading, writing and mathematics. These meetings identify pupils who are at risk of underachieving. Support programmes enable pupils to make the progress they should. Consequently, most pupils make good progress from their starting points.
• The leader for inclusion has been in place since September. She has a wealth of experience and is already making a significant difference to improving the quality of teaching and learning for pupils who are vulnerable, particularly those who have SEN and/or disabilities. SEN funding ensures that pupils receive the necessary support to achieve as well as they can. In her role, she has ensured that pupils’ needs are identified promptly and support is precise and focused. One parent praised the support provided and commented, ‘His progress has been amazing since attending here and staff understand his disability well, but still set high expectations’. Consequently, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points over time.
• Effective use of pupil premium funding ensures that disadvantaged pupils are supported to make good progress from their different starting points. An additional experienced teacher and highly skilled support staff teach pupils, in smaller groups, to ensure that these pupils make the best progress they can. Pupils’ work shows that, in most cases, pupils make progress in line with other pupils nationally.
• New staff are very well supported in their roles and to develop their teaching practice. Newly qualified teachers say they value the support they receive. As a result, they thrive and are enthusiastic about the profession. They are exceptionally reflective and resilient and praise the support they receive from leaders, teachers and from the trust’s central development team.
• Leaders use additional sport funding effectively. The school is able to offer a wide range of extra-curricular sporting activities. Consequently, pupils’ participation in sporting activities and competitions has increased.
• The majority of parents and carers are positive about school leadership and agreed their children are taught well and make good progress. One parent commented: ‘This is an excellent school and I could not be happier that my son attends it. He has absolutely thrived since joining last year and is extremely content, well taught and is making great progress.’ The majority of pupils would recommend Eaton Primary to other parents.
• The school offers a broad curriculum which inspires pupils to want to learn. Topics across the curriculum link to termly trips that deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding further. Parents value the wide range of activities. One parent commented: ‘The staff at Eaton work hard to plan engaging topics, wonderful trips and events which really enrich the curriculum for the pupils. Homework is always linked to their current learning and includes a range of choices.’
• The school’s curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Displays around the school of pupils’ work demonstrate powerful learning opportunities. Assemblies allow pupils time to reflect on what they are thankful for and express the qualities of friendship. Pupils learn and write about different religions and are able to discuss the impact of fair trade on people’s lives. The elected school council gives pupils the experience of democracy and the school behaviour system encourages pupils to reflect on consequences of poor behaviour. As a result, pupils have many opportunities to become good citizens in modern Britain and are well prepared for their next stages in learning.
• Although a few parents raised concerns about the low level of engagement between the school and parents on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, those who spoke with inspectors were very positive about the level of interaction. For example, they told inspectors that they valued the ‘welcome Wednesday’ which takes place across the school. They said that they were very pleased to be able to come into the classroom and work with their children each week. They also commented that the writing workshops for parents were useful and gave them ideas on how to support their children at home.
• The school organises a variety of clubs that appeal to a range of pupils’ interests across all age groups and that develop their learning further. Cookery and arts and crafts are among the clubs offered to the infants while the older pupils are provided with opportunities such as engineering, where they learn how to build working kit cars.
• Subject leaders of English and mathematics are highly motivated and enthusiastic. Through their monitoring activities, they have ensured that there is consistency in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in English and mathematics. However, they do not yet use all the information available about pupils’ learning precisely enough to hold teachers to account for the progress made by significant different groups of pupils.
• New leaders of subjects other than English and mathematics routinely monitor the quality of teaching and learning of their subjects. The trust is providing support to help middle leadership develop their roles further so that their actions have an improved impact on raising standards in subjects such as geography and history.

Governance of the school

• The School Advisory and Improvement Group (SAIG) brings to the school a range of professional skills, knowledge and experience from diverse backgrounds which members use effectively in their roles. SAIG members attend appropriate training, including on safeguarding and radicalisation, to improve their role. The SAIG provides challenge and support to school leaders to support school improvement, particularly in improving the quality of teaching and learning. School leaders value the input from the SAIG and the trust.
• The academy trust has provided effective support to the school that has contributed to improvements in teaching, learning and assessment. This has been particularly evident in English and mathematics, where the support of consultants has ensured that assessment is accurate and that teachers have the knowledge and skills needed to increase pupils’ rates of progress.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on those appointed to work at the school, which are monitored regularly by the headteacher and the SAIG member responsible for safeguarding.
• Leaders ensure that staff undertake regular training so that their knowledge of child protection procedures is up to date. Staff, including midday supervisors, are able to explain the steps to take if they have concerns about pupils in the school. Records of actions demonstrate that the safeguarding lead deals with pupils’ concerns in a timely fashion, ensuring that there is a safeguarding culture throughout the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have effectively ensured that there is a strong focus on quality-first teaching. All teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge in the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders have established a consistent approach to teaching across all year groups, which ensures that the majority of pupils achieve well.
• Teachers ensure that lessons are fully inclusive. Pupils engage well and are keen to learn. Teachers positively encourage pupils to share their learning with others. As a result, current pupils are making good and better progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school.
• Leaders have had a strong focus on improving the teaching of mathematics. Pupils have a good understanding of calculation and are able to apply their skills to a variety of tasks. Pupils have regular opportunities to practise skills in reasoning and problem solving. Pupils demonstrate that they can confidently approach mathematical tasks in a systematic manner.
• Leaders and teachers have developed resilience among pupils. Pupils are extremely proficient at checking and editing their work regularly. They were able to show inspectors how they check their answers to mathematical problems by using an inverse operation. Pupils’ work in writing showed many examples of pupils editing and improving their own work over time. Pupils are very reflective and aware of what they need to do to improve in their learning.
• Classroom environments are stimulating and interactive. Working walls provide aids for learning and pupils refer to them during lessons. In mathematics, for example, pupils were able to use the working-wall display, which sets out the steps for finding percentages of an amount, to help them solve the problems they were working on.
• In many lessons, teachers deepen learning by making links with other subjects. For example, in a Year 3 mathematics lesson on interpreting graphs, the activity was linked to a science context involving the different lengths of a shadow over time. In addition, the strong focus on communication and language required pupils to articulate clearly what they had deduced, starting their sentence with ‘I conjecture’ and using ‘because’ to justify their answer.
• The inclusion leader has effectively supported teachers to develop fully inclusive lessons. Teachers have ensured that the most vulnerable pupils are encouraged and are confident to participate in whole-class learning, and teachers provide appropriate support to pupils as and when they need it. Through nurturing activities and precise individual support, pupils develop resilience and self-esteem. As a result, vulnerable pupils, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities, those who speak English as an additional language and pupils who are disadvantaged, are ready to learn and, consequently, make good and better progress from their different starting points.
• The most able pupils achieve well. Teachers and additional adults provide effective challenge so that a high proportion of pupils attain at the higher standards at the end of key stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. However, teachers and leaders acknowledge that, in some lessons, teachers do not move pupils’ learning on when pupils are ready.
• Reading is taught well across the school. A variety of books are available for pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of the topics being studied further. Teachers plan activities to inspire pupils, particularly boys, to read. For example, in a guided-reading session, carefully chosen books at different ability levels on Ancient Egypt, supporting their history topic, engaged and enthused all boys regardless of where they were in their learning. As a result, a higher than average proportion of pupils reach the expected and higher standards of attainment at the end of key stages 1 and 2.
• Displays and pupils’ work show that subjects such as science, geography and history are taught regularly across the school. A pupil in Year 1 was able to point out Scotland on a map and describe the typical Scottish weather. Science books in Year 6 show that they have many opportunities to carry out experiments and conduct fair tests. Pupils learn music and dance and are taught to speak Spanish. Leaders of these subjects are in the early stages of developing systems to assess pupils’ progress. Consequently, progress is not yet measured effectively enough to ensure that pupils do as well as they do in English and mathematics.
• Teachers have focused on developing pupils’ writing skills through a shared-writing approach. This approach has enabled pupils to develop their understanding and application of grammar, punctuation and spelling and, consequently, achieve well in the end of key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test. However, pupils’ work showed that they do not have enough opportunities to use and apply these skills in longer writing tasks independently.
• Pupils’ writing in key stage 1 does not consistently demonstrate the high level of expectation seen in other year groups. Although pupils achieve well in writing at the end of Year 2, leaders are aware that a more focused approach by teachers, particularly in Year 1, is needed to ensure that pupils make better progress in writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The school teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. Pupils say they feel safe and they behave sensibly in and around the school. Despite the few concerns indicated by parents who responded to Ofsted’s online free-text facility, inspectors found supervision at breaktimes to be effective. In addition, an overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, said their children are happy at school, and agreed that pupils feel safe and are well looked after at Eaton Primary.
• Leaders and teachers ensure that the well-being of pupils is a high priority. Pastoral care and early identification of pupils’ specific needs ensure that vulnerable pupils are well provided for. One parent praised the excellent support given to her child who had joined the school mid-year. She has been very impressed with the attention to her child’s specific needs and the provision for her well-being.
• Leaders monitor attendance closely. Pupils said they enjoy coming to school and learning. Overall, pupils’ attendance is above the national average and attendance for vulnerable pupils is in line with the national average.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils demonstrate good attitudes to learning and engage well in lessons.
• Playtime and lunchtime behaviour is good. Pupils behave respectfully towards their peers and adults. Pupils are polite and hold doors open for other pupils, adults and visitors.
• Where pupils’ behaviour is related to specific social and emotional needs, the school quickly puts support in place to help them improve their behaviour and get ready for learning. This includes working closely with pupils, families and a range of outside agencies to provide the best support for individual pupils.
• Records indicate that incidents of serious poor behaviour, including bullying, are rare. Pupils confirmed this and told inspectors they know what to do if they have concerns or worries.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Historically, pupils attain broadly in line with national expectations across both key stages in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2017, pupils achieved well in reading, writing and mathematics within key stage 1, with a high proportion reaching the higher standards of attainment by the end of Year 2. Evidence suggests that leaders’ actions are improving outcomes for current pupils.
• Outcomes in mathematics exceeded the national averages in key stage 1 in 2017 at both the expected standard and greater depth. Pupils in key stage 2 achieved broadly in line with the national average and a high proportion achieved at the higher standards.
• Pupils’ achievement in the phonics screening check was above that seen nationally in 2017. Outcomes in end of key stage tests in reading have been above national expectations at the end of key stage 1 for the last two years at both the expected standard and at greater depth. Pupils’ outcomes for reading improved in key stage 2 in 2017, exceeding national averages at the expected and higher standards.
• Pupils’ work shows that vulnerable pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, those who speak English as an additional language and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, make good and better progress from their starting points. Expectations are high and support is precise. These children are monitored closely and their progress is recorded and assessed regularly so that they make as much progress as they can.
• In 2016 and 2017, the most able pupils generally achieved well and reached the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics at key stages 1 and 2. However, leaders acknowledge that, at times, these pupils could be moved on quicker so that even more pupils make better progress and reach the higher standards of attainment.
• Although attainment in writing exceeded the national average at key stage 2 in 2017, some pupils did not make the progress that was expected from the end of Year 2 to the end of Year 6. This dip in writing progress is being addressed by leaders and teachers so that current pupils are making good and better progress in writing.
• Grammar, punctuation and spelling are taught well across the school. In 2017, pupils’ achievement exceeded the national average and the average spelling mark was also above the national average in end of key stage tests. Although pupils apply their skills in writing well, leaders acknowledge that more opportunities are needed for pupils to practise writing at length in order to ensure that more pupils make good and better progress and achieve at the higher standards.

Early years provision Good

• The enthusiastic, effective leadership team ensures that children develop the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to prepare them well for learning in Year 1. As a result, a high proportion of children achieve a good level of development at the end of Reception.
• The new early years leader works effectively with the experienced teacher. Leaders have a very clear understanding of the strengths and areas where the provision can be improved further. Leaders are ambitious for the children and ensure that planning is individualised so that more children are making good progress and reach a good level of development by the end of the academic year. As a result, current children are making good and better progress in most areas of learning.
• Leaders have effectively focused on diminishing the gender gap by raising the engagement of boys, particularly in communication and language. In addition, leaders’ assessment of children on entry highlighted that, typically, boys’ writing was not strong. A range of language prompts and variety of writing activities engage and encourage boys. Two boys enthusiastically wanted to tell inspectors about a story sequence using the prompt ‘whatever next’ while referring to a set of pictures displayed on the wall. Examples of boys’ writing seen by inspectors demonstrated that more boys are on track to reach the expected standard. However, this remains a priority for leaders.
• The 2016 attainment information indicated that girls did not achieve as well as boys in the areas of learning that lead to a good level of development when they leave Reception. However, 2017 attainment information, current assessment information and observations of girls’ learning, indicates that girls are currently making good and better progress in areas of learning, including reading, writing and number.
• Children apply their phonics skills well in writing. Inspectors observed children writing phonetically correct sentences, using capital letters and full stops. One boy was labelling a model he had made and was observed thoughtfully sounding out words using his phonics knowledge.
• Adults provide positive role models along with clear routines and high expectations that ensure that children are safe and are able to work independently at an activity for a sustained period of time. Adult-led activities provide experiences that children can choose to develop further by themselves. For example, adults ensure that children have regular opportunities to cook in the well-resourced kitchen area. Inspectors observed two boys intently focusing on a meal they were preparing with plastic fruit. They were keen to share the meal with inspectors, explaining what they were making.
• Children are encouraged to think carefully when responding to questions and are taught to justify their thinking. This is achieved through consistent teaching of language which encourages pupils to think deeper. For example, children are encouraged to extend their thinking with ‘so we…’ which helps them consider the next steps in their learning for themselves. As a result, children are able to demonstrate a thoughtful response to their answers.
• Children have access to a range of computing resources, helping to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Two boys were keen to share the mobile phone and camera resources with inspectors. Two other boys explored the simple steps of programming and worked sensibly and purposefully with remote-controlled devices.
• Leaders routinely assess pupils’ learning during lessons and over time. The school’s system for recording and sharing children’s progress with parents has enabled leaders to gain a detailed picture of what individual children can do. Adults carry out thorough observations to ascertain children’s needs and interests and plan activities accordingly. Skilful questioning from adults encourages children to think at a deeper level about what they are learning. Consequently, children in the early years are happy, self-assured independent learners.
• Leaders have ensured that all relevant risk assessments are in place and that all staff have undertaken the necessary training to ensure that children’s statutory welfare, safeguarding and safety needs are met fully.
• Expectations of what children are able to do in all areas of learning are high. The early years leader has clear action plans for improving and developing transition arrangements so that the high expectations, particularly in writing, seen in the early years is continued and maintained in Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141357 Norfolk 10041742 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 Academy 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 414 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Sandi Batley Allan Lowe 01603 502454 www.eaton.norfolk.sch.uk head@eaton.norfolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school is part of the Evolution Academy Trust.
• This is an above average-sized primary school.
• The headteacher has been in post since 2015.
• The proportions of pupils who speak English as an additional language or who are of minority ethnic heritage are below the national averages.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the school receives additional funding through the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is average.
• The school meets the current government floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed teaching and learning across all year groups.
• The lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the vice chair of SAIG, the chief executive of the academy trust and school staff, including senior and middle leaders.
• The inspection team observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ work, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, curriculum planning, and records of behaviour and safety. They also scrutinised information on the monitoring of teaching and the management of teachers’ performance, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding documents, including mandatory checks made on the recruitment of new staff, and the school’s website.
• Discussions were held with pupils from the school council and informal conversations took place during lesson times.
• The inspection team listened to pupils read and talked to them about the books they enjoy.
• The inspector took account of the 74 responses to the online parental questionnaire, Parent View, and the 72 free-text responses. Inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day.

Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Lyn Beale Sandra Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector