West Park Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality and consistency of teaching by:
  • ensuring that initiatives to improve teaching further are applied consistently in every year group so that pupils make stronger progress in their learning, especially in key stage 2
  • further developing pupils’ skills in explaining and justifying their thinking in mathematical reasoning activities.
• Improve the quality of teaching in the early years by:
  • ensuring that children have regular opportunities to explore, investigate, learn and play independently in the outdoor learning environment.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The skilled, determined and dedicated headteacher has been unwavering in her ambition to eradicate all aspects of underperformance and ensure a good and improving standard of education for pupils in this school. She embodies the whole-school ethos to provide an environment in which pupils can grow as individuals and thrive. She has followed up rigorously on the next steps suggested at the last inspection report in January 2018.
• The headteacher’s ambition to improve all aspects of school life so that pupils excel is shared by leaders, teachers, teaching assistants, highly skilled governors and officers from the trust. Together they form a formidable team.
• The headteacher has skilfully distributed leadership responsibility across the whole school team, each leader confidently picking up the reins for their area or subject. As a consequence, the absence of senior leaders over the recent past has had a very limited effect on the quality of education in school. Indeed, pupils have continued to achieve well and have maintained their confident approach to learning.
• The school development plan is purposeful and rooted in accurate self-evaluation because leaders know the school inside out. It is indicative of astute and passionate leadership. Targets are clear and measurable. Progress against these targets is updated regularly with evidence included. This allows governors to hold senior leaders to account and provide both challenge and support.
• Systems and procedures to evaluate the quality of teaching are incisive and detailed, especially in English and mathematics. The termly cycle of review for teachers involves leaders at all levels, and a range of activities that include lesson observations, discussion with pupils and analysis of work in books. Extra support for teachers is offered when needed. Leaders are working hard to ensure that the quality of teaching improves further so that it is of a consistently high standard.
• The school’s curriculum is rich and balanced and reviewed regularly to ensure that it meets pupils’ needs and interests. The views of pupils are valued highly in this and other aspects of school life. Work is under way to introduce an approach closely linked to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Teachers plan and teach subject-specific skills across all areas of the curriculum. Pupils’ progress against these age-related subject-specific skills is now regularly assessed. Systems to assess what pupils know and understand in each subject are being further developed.
• Good use is made of a range of visits out of school, leaders being keen to use the many resources available in the local area. These include visiting a bird sanctuary, the beach and rock pools, links with local businesses, a nearby power station and the site of the first place in England to be bombed during the First World War. Pupils speak enthusiastically about visits, such as to a nearby botanical garden. The school provides a range of after-school clubs that further enhance pupils’ access to the wider curriculum. These include the choir, archery and a range of sports clubs including dodgeball and handball.
• Leaders manage pupil premium spending effectively to provide targeted support for all disadvantaged pupils. Leaders and teachers know the needs of their pupils well. Termly progress reviews enable an in-depth analysis of any possible barriers to learning for those pupils who are at risk of falling behind, including for disadvantaged pupils. Appropriately challenging targets are set for disadvantaged pupils, and as a result, the small number of disadvantaged pupils in school achieve well.
• Effective leadership has resulted in good-quality provision for the small number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Their needs are identified early and their good progress, sometimes in small steps, is tracked accurately. The school supports these pupils well. This support is monitored very effectively by the leader of SEND. She undertakes regular scrutiny of pupils’ individual education plans and the effect of actions on pupils’ progress. Consequently, the SEND funding is used effectively by leaders.
• The innovative use of the primary school physical education and sport funding has had a substantial effect on pupils’ health and well-being. The sterling work undertaken by the school’s sports coach has enabled the school to participate in up to 60 competitive sports events, with the number of pupils joining after-school sports clubs rising to 130 in the summer. Links are made to local sports clubs to provide sporting activities in school, but also to provide access to sport for pupils outside of school. These include rugby, football, netball, cricket and golf. Investment in equipment has enabled pupils to access other minority sports such as table tennis, handball and dodgeball.

Governance of the school

• The school benefits from a highly skilled, dedicated and proactive governing body. Governors make it their business to know about the work of the school. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are able to articulate current priorities. They are rightly proud of the school’s efforts to ensure the all-round development of pupils, and of the excellent standards of behaviour seen in school. They accurately identify the happiness and respect of pupils for each other as key strengths in the school.
• Governors bring a range of appropriate professional skills and experience to the school that enhance their effect on school improvement. Following a self-review of governor effectiveness, governors are now linked to key aspects of the school development plan. This allows them to participate in effective discussions with leaders about success against key improvement actions, bringing challenge while remaining supportive.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All policies, procedures and records are of good quality, up to date and maintained well by the school administrator. Staff and governors are fully trained in all aspects of child protection and safeguarding. The culture of keeping pupils safe and putting them at the heart of the inclusive, friendly school community is evident. The school promotes pupils’ personal, social and emotional development extremely well, and pupils show high levels of respect for each other and their school. One parent accurately stated that: ‘There is a lovely caring atmosphere about the school. Staff are very welcoming.’
• Staff are quick to identify, report and record any concerns, no matter how small. All concerns recorded on the extensive and detailed online system are followed through effectively by the headteacher. Pupils state that they feel very safe in school, and any disputes are quickly sorted out by staff. They are taught about the different sorts of bullying, including homophobic bullying, and are knowledgeable about racism and keeping themselves safe outside school, including when online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have been rigorous and dogged in their work to improve continually the quality of teaching. Teachers are supported well through the provision of good-quality professional development opportunities. This year, some teachers are benefiting from the opportunity to teach in a different key stage of school. The quality of teaching overall is at least good in each key stage, but some variations remain in its quality across the school.
• Lessons are usually lively and interesting, capturing pupils’ imagination. For example, in the Year 2 class, pupils were enthralled by a short animation about a girl who floated away on bubbles to begin an adventure. This enthusiasm was supported by the teacher’s challenging questions to develop their imagination further and was translated into high-quality writing to describe the next part of the story.
• Teachers use their good subject knowledge to structure learning effectively. For example, most pupils in a Year 6 class were able to find the floor area from a house plan, using their skills and knowledge of subdividing a complex shape into regular shapes.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and stick closely to the school’s behaviour policy. Relationships are excellent. Pupils’ very positive attitudes in lessons support their learning well. They benefit from informative and exciting displays around the school, including the hall, where there are, for example, aide-memoires displaying key information for learning in mathematics, reading and writing. A range of other work, including impressive art and science work, is also on display.
• In mathematics, basic skills of number and mental calculation, as well as other aspects of the mathematics curriculum, are taught and consolidated regularly. For example, pupils in Year 4 were able to correctly identify different triangles by knowing their properties. They could explain to each other if a triangle was an isosceles, scalene or equilateral triangle.
• Pupils are becoming more adept in their ability to solve two-step word problems. However, the reasoning skills of some pupils are in the early stages of development. Not all pupils are able to explain independently their methods or thinking, or to justify and prove the accuracy of their answers.
• As a result of the rigorous and systematic teaching of phonics, children get off to a fast start in their reading. Adults are skilled in teaching well-structured reading lessons throughout the school, pitched well according to pupils’ reading skills. Pupils who read to an inspector were confident and fluent, reading with expression and obvious enjoyment of the text. The most able readers had a wide vocabulary and strong inference skills. One Year 4 pupil, for example, impressively explained the meaning of ‘destitute’ when reading to an inspector.
• Teachers are skilled at teaching a range of lessons that cover the whole-school curriculum. For example, in Year 3, pupils enthusiastically played number bingo in French. Pupils in Year 4 were investigating soil permeability in science, and Year 6 pupils were finding the 23 countries in North America using an atlas.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent and most are very keen to succeed and to produce their very best work. Pupils grow in confidence during their time in school, acquiring an assured and resilient approach to learning. Pupils say that they love school and thrive in the well-ordered and positive school environment. Displays are of good quality, bright and attractive and support learning well. The school works diligently to ensure that pupils’ physical and emotional well-being are valued and developed.
• Pupils spoken with said that they feel extremely safe in school, a view echoed by virtually all 270 parents and carers while completing Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire. Pupils talked confidently about work they had completed on e-safety, fire safety and regular fire alarm drills, road safety and the dangers of fireworks. They are extremely well informed about the different forms of bullying, including that caused by racism, sexism or homophobia. Pupils show high levels of respect and care for each other, valuing their classmates’ opinions and working cooperatively in lessons.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness and development are excellent. The promotion of cultural and religious diversity and tolerance is clearly seen in school. Pupils shared with an inspector their enjoyment in learning about Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity. Pupils spoke confidently about their school values, which included respect, determination, community, honesty and being kind. Pupils clearly epitomise these values.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils enjoy coming to this school, as can be seen in their high levels of attendance. The pupils are enthusiastic to learn and the vast majority work conscientiously. Their excellent attitudes in class have a hugely positive effect on their success in learning. Behaviour systems are known and understood by pupils and consistently implemented by teachers. The very few incidents of misbehaviour are swiftly and deftly addressed.
• Ninety-nine per cent of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were in agreement that behaviour was good in school. The good relationships that are nurtured ensure that pupils conduct themselves very well in lessons and around school so that any instances of low-level disruption are extremely rare. Pupils are exceptionally polite and have very good manners, holding doors open for adults and visitors with a cheery ‘You’re welcome’ after being thanked. Playtimes are harmonious occasions where pupils play happily together in the well-equipped playgrounds. No one is left out, younger pupils often playing with older pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In all key stages, current pupils are making consistently strong progress in English and mathematics. Most current pupils in every year group are on track to reach standards expected or above for their age by the end of the year.
• After a good start to learning in the early years, pupils continue to make strong progress in Years 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. In provisional data for 2018, standards of attainment in Year 2 continue to be high and above the national average in 2017. Standards of attainment by the end of Year 6 in 2018, as seen in provisional data, are above those found nationally in 2017 in reading and writing, and are in line in mathematics.
• Pupils make a good start in their early reading skills. In recent years, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 has been consistently above average. In 2018, every pupil reached the expected standard.
• For the last two years pupils have made much weaker progress across key stage 2 in reading and mathematics compared to the strong progress they made in 2016. Provisional data for 2018 shows that pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics is below that of other pupils nationally with similar starting points in the previous year. Current pupils are making better progress in reading.
• The most able pupils in school make good progress in their learning as teachers usually provide appropriately challenging work. Provisional data for 2018 shows that the proportion who were working at a greater depth in their learning was in line with that found nationally in 2017. As a result of the effective and strategic use of the pupil premium funding, disadvantaged pupils achieve well. Current disadvantaged pupils in each year group are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The school is quick to identify any pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Effective leadership and high-quality provision for pupils with SEND ensures that most of these pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. Activities are carefully matched to their individual needs and abilities and skilfully taught, including by teaching assistants.

Early years provision Good

• Children enjoy the good-quality indoor learning opportunities provided for them and they learn and play happily together. They are eager to explore and investigate and are happy to share. The children display good behaviour; for example, in a phonics session children listened carefully, responded appropriately and took turns to answer. Leaders are skilled in developing areas of provision, based on an accurate assessment of children’s stages of development, and usually maximise learning opportunities for all.
• The vast majority of children start in the early years with skills and knowledge which are broadly typical for their age. As a result of careful observations, choice of activities, good teaching and probing questioning, most children make good progress and are well prepared to start Year 1. In 2017, the proportion of children who reached a good level of development was just above that found nationally and the proportion has gradually risen year on year. Provisional data for 2018 shows that this proportion has risen again from the previous year.
• Adults observe children carefully and skilfully build upon their interests. They support children’s learning through prompts and skilful questioning. They work alongside children during imaginative and creative play sessions. In Nursery, a group of children took a food order from an inspector, describing what the food would be like and naming a price. They later returned to serve the ‘food’.
• Leaders have ensured that there are many opportunities for children to develop and practise their mark making, writing and understanding of number. Teacher-led activities both inside and outside are carefully planned to both challenge and inspire children. Children clearly enjoyed working outside with an adult to match conkers to written numbers. Children’s phonic knowledge and early reading skills are developed well in the Reception class so that they are well prepared to move into Year 1.
• Children are keen to explore, investigate and follow their own interests during child-initiated activities in the indoor learning environment. One group of Reception children worked in the role-play area, bringing a sick animal to the vet and suggesting possible cures for the ailment.
• Children are beginning to explore the outdoor classroom, a new exciting and varied space with huge potential. While outside children are engaged in purposeful, fun activities, opportunities to independently access the outdoor learning environment are limited for Reception children. Further work is needed to ensure that children are able to investigate, explore and play independently when outside.
• The early years leader leads an effective and skilled team of adults who share the same passion and desire to see young children thrive. She has a clear understanding of the strengths in the early years and has identified key areas for improvement, based on an effective analysis of the school’s detailed and informative assessment system.
• Safeguarding practices are extremely effective. Children are taught how to manage risks from an early age and the very effective safeguarding culture that permeates the school is equally apparent in the early years. There are no material breaches of legal welfare requirements; children are safe and well supported.

School details

Unique reference number 141717 Local authority Hartlepool Borough Inspection number 10053769 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 converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 331 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Ray Priestman Amanda Hall 01429 282 090 www.westpark.hartlepool.sch.uk headteacher@westparkschool.org.uk Date of previous inspection 9 January 2018

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The school is part of the AdAstra Academy trust.
• The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for support from the pupil premium is well below average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is well below average.
• The school’s part-time provision for Nursery children operates in the morning and afternoon. Reception children attend on a full-time basis.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons, including those observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, an inspector listened to some pupils from Years 1, 3, 4 and 5 read. Inspectors reviewed a sample of pupils’ work alongside the headteacher and senior leaders.
• Inspectors held meetings with governors, the headteacher and the chief executive officer and school improvement officer from AdAstra Trust. They also met with other school leaders, including subject leaders and members of the teaching staff. Inspectors met the school office manager and held a meeting with a group of pupils.
• Inspectors viewed a range of documents, including information relating to pupils’ achievements over time, the school’s data on recent and current progress of pupils, and the school’s view on how well it is doing. Inspectors also reviewed the school development plan, documents relating to safeguarding and records of behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors took account of the 270 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Parent View, and in addition the school’s website was scrutinised. The inspection was quality assured by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

Inspection team

Phil Scott, lead inspector Angela Whistler Zoe Carr

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector