Winterbourne Nursery and Infants' School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the impact of leadership and management on raising the achievement of all pupils through key stage 1 by:
  • improving the consistency of good teaching in Years 1 and 2 improving the rigour of monitoring, evaluation and action planning to act swiftly where weaknesses are identified improving the monitoring of the progress made by different pupil groups to identify where early intervention is needed, and the impact of intervention taking place
  • reviewing the management and monitoring of intervention programmes to ensure that everybody is clear on their responsibility and accountability in ensuring that disadvantaged and low-achieving pupils make rapid progress.
• Improve the curriculum in key stage 1 by:
  • reviewing the planning and structure of topic themes to ensure that all pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum
  • ensuring that pupils have a depth of learning in all subjects that enables them to make good progress and achieve well.
• Improve the consistency of good teaching across key stage 1 by:
  • ensuring that teachers assess pupils accurately and use assessment consistently well to plan work that is appropriately challenging and meeting pupils’ needs
  • raising the consistency of challenge and support to bring about more rapid improvement for those pupils who are disadvantaged or falling behind the achievement of their peers.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• The quality of leadership and management requires improvement. This was the case when the school was last inspected in November 2015 and is still the case today.
• The headteacher and senior leaders implemented a number of actions following the last inspection and, during a monitoring visit in 2016, there were signs of improvement taking place. Children’s progress through early years was improving. The leadership team had taken good steps to introduce new systems to monitor the progress made by different pupils through the school. Progress in improving achievement has continued in early years. Elsewhere, however, leadership is not moving quickly enough to improve pupils’ achievement and progress. Too many pupils, particularly boys, are not reaching the expected standards by the end of Year 2.
• Leadership is inconsistent across the school. Good leadership in early years is bringing about significant improvement in the quality of provision and the achievement of pupils. Effective leadership of the enhanced provision for pupils who have autistic spectrum disorder ensures good support for pupils, and that effective links are maintained with parents and external agencies.
• Leaders across the school successfully manage the safety and care of all pupils. They set high expectations for promoting positive behaviour and a culture where pupils value and respect each other.
• Leaders check on the progress of different pupils and meet with teachers to discuss the needs of pupils who are falling behind. However, this is not leading to the improvements needed for pupils to make rapid progress, and leaders lack a coherent view as to why this is the case.
• Leaders are aware of inconsistences in the quality of teaching, but actions to improve the level of challenge in some classes have not been effective or monitored closely enough. The performance management of teachers and support staff is not rigorous or consistent. Although some staff are set targets and objectives, these are not always sufficiently challenging. Leaders monitor teaching and learning, but notes made by leaders at the time seldom focus upon the impact of teaching on the learning taking place. Leaders do not routinely discuss actions to improve the level of challenge, or accelerate the progress that pupils are making.
• Although the school has employed a good team of learning support assistants to intervene and work with pupils who are not making progress, their deployment, management, and the monitoring of their work is not coordinated well. Leaders do not evaluate the impact of these interventions effectively. It is therefore difficult for leaders to know whether the support is as effective as it needs to be. Leadership of provision for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs has only recently begun to track the progress that pupils make. It has not ensured that teachers appropriately plan work that meets pupils’ needs and ensures good progress.
• The early years curriculum is well planned. It provides children with a rich and broad curriculum that promotes their personal and social development. It gives children a wide range of opportunities to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as developing their interest in technology and the arts.
• The curriculum across the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development well. Themes that encourage pupils to understand different cultures and religions are carefully chosen. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility and work together.
• The curriculum through Years 1 and 2 prioritises literacy and mathematics and uses children’s literature as a focus for learning. Topics sometimes use art, music or history to stimulate pupils’ writing. However, they do not often provide pupils with the depth and progression in some subjects to ensure that they achieve well. Pupils make good progress in science. However, topics give insufficient attention to progress in skills and knowledge in art, music, design, history and geography. Leaders have not looked closely enough at the impact this has on the depth and range of knowledge pupils are learning across these subjects, or on the progress that pupils make. The emphasis on literacy and organisation of topic work in some classes leads to some pupils spending long periods of the day on writing activities. Good provision for physical development is supported well through additional physical education and sport funding.
• Leaders provide a good range of professional development for teaching and support staff. Good support is provided for teachers new to the profession.

Governance of the school

• Governors have responded well to the last inspection report. They have established a committee to monitor the impact of actions taken to improve the school. They analyse data and ask the right questions to understand why achievement is as it is, and what the school leaders are doing to improve progress. They seek external support when they need it and recognise the school’s current strengths and weaknesses.
• Governors have a strategic view of where they want the school to be in the future and have made some significant decisions to manage finances and to reduce costs. They have worked successfully with the local authority to ensure effective transition in the leadership of the school with the impending retirement of the current headteacher and changes in leadership of early years. They review the use of additional funding to ensure that it is spent appropriately. They keep policies under review and ensure that all statutory policies, including those for keeping pupils safe, are in place.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. A comprehensive policy is in place and kept under regular review. Staff are well trained and vigilant in following the school’s safeguarding procedures, and in both identifying and reporting any concerns. A team of senior leaders works together well to discuss possible referrals and ensure that a safeguarding leader is always on site to deal with any issue that arises.
• The school makes careful checks on all adults, including governors and volunteers coming to work in the school. Recruitment is thorough, with very careful checking of references and qualifications. Appropriate records on safeguarding training are kept and gaps in staff information are picked up and followed through diligently.
• The school site is safe, well maintained and well supervised. Entrances to the school are secure and pupils feel safe and well looked after. Children are encouraged and supported in keeping safe and in playing safely from the moment they enter the nursery. They very quickly become aware of how to keep themselves safe at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching and learning is inconsistent across the school. These inconsistencies, along with a lack of rigour in challenging weaknesses, and ensuring that assessment is both accurate and used well, affect the progress that pupils make.

• Where teaching is better, for example in early years, children make progress step by step and achieve well overall. Through Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and learning is too variable, with pupils in some classes progressing faster than in others.
• Teaching and learning in early years are effective in developing children’s independence and concentration. Good subject knowledge, particularly in Nursery, ensures that work helps children to make good progress across the curriculum. Phonics is taught well, with children becoming aware of letter sounds. They have many opportunities to use and reinforce their knowledge in early reading and writing. Children leave early years with confidence and a good level of knowledge. They are well prepared and keen to learn when they transfer to Year 1.
• Teaching in Years 1 and 2 does not always build on pupils’ prior knowledge. Teachers do not always use assessment well to plan work that is appropriately challenging so that pupils can make rapid progress. In Year 1, pupils were observed in one class adding numbers up to 100 using number lines and grids to support them, and in another Year 1 class, pupils were matching simple numbers and adding numbers up to 10. This work lacked challenge and support. Pupils were not building on the knowledge they already had. In some classes, teachers give pupils the freedom to choose their work from a selection of activities without the challenge or support they need to make the activity worthwhile. Consequently, pupils do not always learn or make sufficient progress.
• Teachers set high expectations for the quality of presentation. This shows improvement since the last inspection, with greater consistency in teachers’ expectations for the quality of presentation in topic work. Teachers also set high expectations for the way in which pupils behave and work together in lessons. In some classes in Years 1 and 2, teachers provide a good role model for using language, with teachers and support assistants modelling sentences well and encouraging pupils to talk and ask questions. Fewer opportunities are created for pupils to talk with each other, to share and discuss ideas, and to reinforce their language skills.
• Although teachers have meetings with senior leaders to identify pupils who need to make more rapid progress, this does not always lead to actions that successfully improve achievement. Teachers’ own assessment of pupils is not always accurate. In the spring of 2017, Year 2 teachers assessed and predicted pupils’ progress and achievement for the end of Year 2. These were inaccurate and significantly above the actual results that pupils achieved.
• The teaching of phonics has improved, with pupils making good progress in the phonic knowledge they need to become successful readers and writers. Pupils use this knowledge well and many write independently and spell accurately by the end of Year 2.
• Teaching and learning assistants provide valuable to support to groups of pupils under the direction of the class teacher. They have good relationships with pupils and support pupils well with the activities that have been planned for them.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are encouraged to listen and to respect the contributions from each other. Teachers are very keen to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and respectfully by each other. In one lesson observed, when a pupil offered a wildly inaccurate answer to a question, the teacher quickly intervened when a small number of pupils giggled at the response. She reminded pupils how they should support each other. Pupils immediately responded in a supportive and positive way. This approach to encouraging pupils to be inclusive and supportive of each other is consistent across the school. It reflects the values of the school and establishes positive attitudes and mutual respect between pupils.
• Pupils have good cultural knowledge and understanding. The environment and curriculum encourage pupils to learn about different cultures and to challenge stereotypes. Displays around the school reflect cultural diversity. Pupils confidently talk about their own culture and what they have learned at school. Very young pupils are encouraged to be independent. They learn how to share and work together. They take responsibility for looking after their classroom and putting resources away when they have finished with them. This develops well through the school, with older pupils taking great pride in their work and caring for the school environment.
• Pupils feel safe and happy within the school. They do not consider bullying or bad behaviour to be a concern. They feel well looked after by their teachers.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. From the early days in Nursery, teachers reinforce good behaviour and this sets positive expectations for the way pupils work and care for each other.

• Positive reinforcement of good behaviour and good role models work well. Pupils in all classes come into lessons ready to learn. They know the school’s routines and expectations. They follow these well. Pupils are polite and move around school safely. In the playground, pupils share play equipment and play well together. In the few instances where pupils become distracted in lessons, it is often where the work they have been asked to do is unclear or they are not sufficiently challenged or supported.
• Pupils have good relationships with each other and with their teachers. Several speak positively about how their teachers care for them. Pupils are eager to please and they respond very well to their teachers. There is a sense of calm across the school, with teachers encouraging pupils to listen, to respect each other, and to move around school safely.
• Attendance has been below average for several years. The school monitors absence well. The school’s attendance officer and family support worker keep a close eye on patterns of poor attendance. They make contact with parents and intervene with letters and reminders when appropriate. External educational welfare support helps in following through persistent absentees. This is working well in reducing absence with some families. Attendance is still too low, however. The whole-school approach to promoting and encouraging good attendance and punctuality is limited in its impact.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Where progress in children’s achievement is improving year on year in early years, it has faltered across the rest of the school. Still too many pupils are leaving the school at the end of Year 2 without the skills they need to be successful when they move into key stage 2. Significant differences exist between the achievement of girls and boys, and between pupils taught in different classes.
• Year on year, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of early years has increased. In 2016, the proportion was above the national average for children of a similar age. In 2017, the proportion has risen further. This improvement is not reflected in outcomes at the end of Year 2. In 2016, teachers assessed pupils’ achievement at the end of Year 2 as being similar to that of pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2017, the proportion of pupils achieving the expectations set nationally for Year 2 pupils fell sharply. This fall was a surprise to the school.
• Girls generally achieve better than boys. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making progress. Their progress, however, is not fast enough in order to close the gap that exists between their progress and that of other pupils. By the end of Year 2, the gap between disadvantaged and other pupils is still too wide, particularly in reading and writing.
• Pupils who have attended Nursery often make better progress overall through the school. This reflects the rapid progress many make through early years, and the good preparation they receive for key stage 1.
• Children make good progress in phonics through early years. When they enter Year 1, many have a good knowledge of letter sounds and use this well to write their stories and ideas. Good progress continues through Years 1 and 2, with many pupils using their phonics to read accurately and write independently by the end of Year 2. The progress pupils make in phonics has improved since the last inspection. By the end of Year 2, the gap between disadvantaged and other pupils in phonics has narrowed.
• Pupils write neatly and accurately. Work is well presented across subjects. Care and attention are given to handwriting and pupils are developing a good style of handwriting. This is an improvement since the last inspection, with greater consistency in the level of care taken in presenting work.
• Pupils read accurately and fluently by the end of Year 2. They read from a good range of books that are interesting and well matched to their needs. Pupils show good understanding of the books they read, asking questions and explaining what they have read. They value the regular opportunities teachers provide for them to read to an adult in school and they regularly take their books home.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is well led and managed. Since the last inspection, leaders have successfully prioritised improving the consistency of teaching and learning. This has improved the continuity of learning and progress from Nursery classes through into the Reception Year. Greater effort is given to observing children and intervening with new challenges that help develop children’s concentration and their thinking. This has successfully led to year-on-year improvement in the achievement and progress made by children. As pupils enter Year 1, they are very well prepared and eager to learn. They are independent and have positive attitudes. They settle quickly and respond well to the challenges provided.
• Where the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year was above average in 2016, in 2017, the proportion has risen further. This reflects ongoing improvement in provision and a greater focus upon children’s learning. Children are prepared well in the attitudes and skills they need to be successful learners. The teaching of phonics has continued to ensure that increasing numbers of children confidently recognise sounds and begin to apply this knowledge to their reading and writing. Children’s ‘learning journey’ books show effective and accurate assessment of what children can do. The progress children make is carefully checked. Teachers use assessment well to plan the next steps and ideas that will keep the momentum of rapid progress.
• Adults provide good support to children. Many children are learning English for the first time. In outdoor play, adults help and guide children well, interacting to support language and increase confidence. Adults provide good individual support to the small number of children from the enhanced learning unit when joining in with outdoor play activities in the Nursery provision. Adults know the needs of this small group of children well. They provide a good balance between directing and supporting, along with the freedom children need to explore on their own.
• Governors and the headteacher have handled recent changes in the leadership of early years well. A good handover has taken place and the interim leader has a secure understanding of the priorities to continue to improve consistency across classes in the Reception Year and to improve provision further.
• Links with parents are good, with workshops and advice for parents to help their children settle and to support their learning at home. This approach provides a good model to strengthen parental involvement through Years 1 and 2. Safeguarding is effective and staff work diligently to ensure that the environment is safe and secure. From very early in Nursery, children learn how to behave and to keep themselves safe in school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101746 Croydon 10036367 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Nursery and infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 477 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Vivienne Cogbill Mr Tony Ahmet 0208 689 7684

www.winterbournenurseryandinfants.co.uk office@winterbourne-inf.croydon.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection 17–18 November 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is a large infant and nursery school with enhanced learning provision for a small group of children in the early years who have autistic spectrum disorder.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.
• The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The school has fewer pupils eligible for free school meals than other schools.
• The headteacher is retiring, with the new headteacher taking up post from the 18 September 2017. A handover process was taking place at the time of the inspection.
• The early years leader left the school at the end of the summer term and an interim leader seconded from another school is leading the early years for four days a week until the end of December.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils learning in lessons through a series of learning walks and observations alongside the school’s senior leaders. They looked at work in books in lessons and also through a sample of work from the previous year. They observed pupils in the playground and dining hall and also as they walked around the school. Time was spent in the nursery observing children in both indoor and outdoor activities, which also included some pupils from the enhanced learning unit for children who have autistic spectrum disorder. Inspectors listened to pupils read their work in lessons and a group of pupils in Year 2 read to an inspector.

• Meetings were held with school leaders, two governors, a representative of the local authority and both staff and an external welfare officer involved in monitoring attendance. A group of pupils were interviewed.
• Among the documents scrutinised were improvement plans, minutes from governing body meetings and records relating to pupils’ progress. Inspectors also scrutinised documents about pupils’ attendance and behaviour. They reviewed monitoring reports and performance management records. A range of documentation was reviewed showing how the school keeps pupils safe.
• The views of parents were taken into account by analysing 15 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also spoke informally to parents during the inspection.

Inspection team

Paul Wagstaff, lead inspector Teresa Davies Julian Grenier

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Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector