Winlaton West Lane Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• See that leaders take action to improve the quality of teaching further so that all pupils reach the highest standards of which they are capable, by:
  • ensuring that all pupils are set consistently challenging tasks to extend their learning and progress, especially for the most able pupils
  • further developing the monitoring of pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics, so that all subjects are monitored as rigorously, for individuals and groups of pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has been unwavering in her determination to secure a good standard of education for pupils in the school. The senior team and governing body have worked successfully to eliminate underperformance, improve the quality of teaching and accelerate the pace of progress pupils make in their learning. Areas that required improvement at the time of the previous inspection have been addressed effectively. Leaders rightly identify that the effective monitoring of pupils’ progress in English and mathematics needs to be implemented across all subjects.
• Senior leaders have an accurate view of what the school does well because of ongoing, detailed evaluation of the school’s performance. Leaders have clear priorities for areas that require further improvement and are relentless in their pursuit of excellence, communicating a sense of drive and urgency to continue to move forward quickly.
• The good communication that exists between all staff helps to sustain a positive culture of accountability and a willingness to develop professionally. Leaders monitor and manage teachers’ performance carefully. Teachers are set challenging targets linked to school improvement priorities and to improving aspects of their teaching where needed.
• Leaders use the additional pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils and funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities well to secure pupils’ progress and to develop their emotional welfare. These groups of pupils are closely monitored so that additional support can be provided when necessary. Well-trained teaching assistants work closely under the direction of teachers to provide additional and specialised support in lessons, to individuals and groups of pupils. Through this carefully targeted support, differences in achievement are now diminishing.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium is used well to increase staff expertise in the teaching of PE. Specialist coaches work alongside staff and the school has provided many additional opportunities to develop pupils’ sporting skills.
• The curriculum is extended and enhanced through numerous after-school clubs and educational visits. These help pupils to develop good social skills, for example in taking turns and listening to each other. During the inspection pupils were particularly enthusiastic about a school trip to Sunderland Museum to find out about rainforests. Pupils told inspectors what they had already learned and that they were interested in ‘finding out if it rains all of the time’.
• A large majority of parents and carers responding to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, say that the school is well led and managed. Most of the staff responding to the staff questionnaire agree with them.
• The school benefits from strong support from local authority professionals. Support has assisted senior leaders and governors in establishing a more rigorous monitoring and evaluation system as well as in carrying out training in line with the school improvement plan priorities.
• Procedures to check the quality of teaching are effective and involve middle leaders as well as the senior leadership team. All leaders are skilful in ensuring that their analysis and interpretation of information about pupils’ progress leads to actions that address any areas of concern.
• Links with parents are very positive. Parents appreciate that the school gives all children an equal opportunity to succeed and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Nearly all parents who completed the online questionnaire would recommend the school to another parent and considered that their child was happy in the school.

Governance of the school

• Governance has been transformed since the last inspection. Some new governors have been appointed, which has broadened and strengthened the skill set of the governing body. Governors are highly professional and clear about their role. They are dedicated to the school’s improvement. They now have a very clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This is gained from accurate reports, attendance at meetings and their own first-hand experience in monitoring school performance alongside senior leaders.
• Governors provide both challenge and support to the school. They are rigorous in their examination of the school’s performance data and regularly ask questions regarding the progress of different groups of pupils in different classes. Governors are adept at helping to set priorities for the school and holding senior leaders to account for the quality of teaching and learning.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff are trained regularly in necessary aspects of safeguarding. The school knows its pupils very well and detailed records are kept about all safeguarding issues. Checks on adults who work with pupils are carried out and recorded appropriately. A clear culture of high-quality practice exists across the school.
• Leaders keep pupils safe in the school environment and on educational visits. Risk assessments are secure and robust.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good and has improved since the previous inspection. Improvements have come about through a strong commitment to training teachers and offering them professional development opportunities. This is enthusing teachers and helping them to make improvements in their practice. As a result, teachers now meet most pupils’ needs well.
• Teachers check pupils’ understanding accurately, through a range of strategies. This leads to well-planned activities and contributes to the good progress that most pupils are making.
• Teaching assistants and teachers work closely together to ensure that pupils receive timely support. Pupils who are part of additional support programmes make good progress and develop their social and emotional skills successfully. Teachers use questioning effectively to check pupils’ understanding, and also give pupils a chance to express their opinions and to respond to the views of others.
• Teachers share good practice and learn from one another. They assess work carefully and identify appropriate next steps for pupils in their learning. Regular checks on pupils’ understanding help teachers to quickly identify misconceptions. This means that the issues are addressed quickly, so that these misconceptions do not persist. However, at times teachers do not challenge the most able pupils sufficiently to enable them to make the rapid progress they should.
• The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. There is strong support for pupils individually and their needs are well understood by both leaders and teachers. In class they are able to join in the main class learning and, if necessary, they are given quality individual support by adults.
• In the past, weaknesses in the teaching of handwriting meant that pupils did not develop a sufficiently consistent handwriting style to enable them to produce high-quality written work. Leaders have established a whole-school approach to teaching handwriting which is helping pupils to develop a more even handwriting style. However, there are still some variations in teachers’ expectations of pupils’ handwriting and in the quality of pupils’ work. Leaders are taking action to address this variation.
• Reading skills are extended successfully as pupils move through school. Teachers now make sure that pupils have a good understanding of what they read. Pupils are encouraged to explore different texts, often linked to the topic they are studying, and this helps to develop a love of reading.

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 safe and those spoken with reported that they feel safe and can explain why. They believe that they are well cared for and that there are always adults to help them in the classroom or around the school. Pupils have regular opportunities in lessons and in assemblies to learn about how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including road safety, bike safety and using the internet safely. There is also training available for parents on the safe use of the internet. Parents also agree with this and believe that their children are happy and safe.
• Leaders ensure that pupils prepare well for life in modern Britain. Pupils have a good awareness of the need for rules in school and laws in the country. They know how laws are passed. Pupils understand that there are a range of different cultures and religions within Britain and they are respectful and tolerant of the different choices people make.
• Most pupils are self-motivated and have positive attitudes in lessons. They are keen to share their achievements. They are proud of their school and show respect for each other and their teachers. Pupils report that their school is much better now, with ‘fun’ learning opportunities, and it is a place where teachers listen to their views.
• Pupils take pride in their own appearance. They usually present their work well. In some cases, this means that pupils have significantly improved their presentation.
• Clear routines mean that pupils move between activities in class quickly and calmly. Pupils walk around school, to assemblies or to the dining hall sensibly and purposefully. This means that learning time is not wasted by a slow response to teachers’ instructions or expectations.

Behaviour

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Achievement has improved since the previous inspection and evidence gathered during this inspection shows that pupils currently in key stage 1 are making good progress. Pupils in Year 1 have achieved very highly in the national phonics screening check in recent years, although there was a dip in 2016.
• There were differences between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and their peers in some year groups last year. However, by end of key stage 2, disadvantaged pupils made more progress than their peers in writing, enabling them to catch up. Leaders have rightly identified this as a priority for improvement and are taking steps to ensure that all disadvantaged pupils make the progress they should.
• Pupils’ achievement is good and improvements in teaching are leading to pupils making better progress throughout the school. The school’s own information shows that current pupils are making good progress, including in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress in pupils’ books and in lessons confirms this.
• Teachers are quick to identify any pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Teachers then make effective provision for them, either within the class, in small groups, or individually. By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for secondary school, both in terms of their achievement and in their knowledge of how to be a successful learner.
• Leaders are committed to ensuring that the progress of disadvantaged pupils is in line with that of their peers nationally. The school’s current assessment information and pupils’ work seen during the inspection indicates that disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their different starting points. Records indicate that the difference between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally is also diminishing.
• At times teachers do not challenge the most able pupils sufficiently to make the rapid progress that they should.

Early years provision Good

• Good leadership and management of the early years has ensured that good quality of teaching and provision leads to positive outcomes for children by the end of Reception. Consequently, children are well prepared for their transition into key stage 1.
• In the early years, staff, children and parents enjoy highly positive relationships and effectively share information about what children can and cannot do. Through this, children quickly become confident learners with a positive attitude to school. During the inspection, children worked happily together. For example, when building a telescope children took turns and discussed ways of making it together.
• Children in the early years get off to a good start. Many enter Nursery with skills and abilities which are below expectations typical of children of their age. They settle quickly into class routines and are keen and eager to learn and explore the environment around them. Building on this start, all groups of children go on to make good progress, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The work and activities teachers provide sparks the children’s imagination and enjoyment.
• Children quickly learn the essential social and emotional skills. They are able to share, take turns, concentrate and apply themselves to tasks. In the Reception class they show good levels of maturity and can concentrate for relatively long periods of time. This underpins their strong progress in all areas of learning.
• Children behave well and are safe in the early years provision. They understand the rules, routines and expectations of adults from the start. This helps them to feel safe and to know how to behave, ensuring a calm environment where learning time is not wasted.
• Leaders ensure that the statutory welfare requirements for the early years provision are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 108346 Gateshead 10031963 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 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 412 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mr William Purvis Mrs Caroline Tetley Telephone number 01914 142557 Website Email address

www.winlatonwestlane.org.uk/ school@wwlcp.school

Date of previous inspection 6–7 May 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is larger than the average primary school.
• The vast majority of pupils who attend are of White British heritage. There are a below-average proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is similar to the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receiving support is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which 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 pupils in 32 lessons, of which one was a joint observation with the headteacher. The inspectors also heard pupils read and looked at pupils’ work in their books and on display.
• Meetings and discussions were held with the headteacher, middle leaders, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.
• The inspectors met with a group of pupils, observed playtime and lunchtime, and talked with pupils and staff around the school.
• The inspectors examined a range of school documents, including information on pupils’ progress across the school, development plans, minutes of governing body meetings and checks on the quality of teaching. They also examined the school records relating to behaviour, safety and attendance.
• The inspectors took account of 100 responses received from Parent View. In addition, inspectors spoke with parents in the playground at the start of the school day and considered several letters from parents.

Inspection team

Geoffrey Seagrove, lead inspector Heather Mensah Julie McDowell

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector