Wallop Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching by ensuring that:
  • learning tasks are more consistently matched to meet all pupils’ needs
  • older pupils have more opportunities to extend and deepen their learning.
• Improve the leadership of the curriculum by ensuring that:
  • all subjects are effectively led and developed
  • pupils have the opportunity to excel in the full range of subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has continued to lead the school’s rapid improvement, which was identified at the previous inspection. In collaboration with the deputy headteacher, he has focused sharply on improvements that make most difference to pupils’ enjoyment of school, their learning and their achievement.
• Leaders and governors know their school very well and use this information to identify precise actions to drive improvements. They review the school’s work critically and consistently seek ways in which it can develop for the benefit of pupils.
• Leaders make accurate judgements about the quality of teaching and learning and their impact on pupils’ progress. Where any aspect of teaching requires guidance or support, these are swiftly put in place and carefully monitored to secure improvements. Leaders recognise the importance of developing a skilful teaching staff and they provide regular opportunities for further training. New teachers are partnered by those who are more experienced, which helps them develop their practice.
• Senior leaders rigorously check that all pupils make good progress. They have high expectations and are determined to build upon the school’s recently improved standards of achievement. The inclusion leader has an effective overview of the progress of, and provision for, all pupils who have additional needs, including those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Leaders regularly review the progress of all disadvantaged pupils to ensure that they make the progress of which they are capable.
• The inclusion leader skilfully gives advice to teachers about useful support strategies that will meet the needs of individual pupils. She also provides more general support to teachers to ensure that their classroom environment is adapted to support pupils who may have a particular need.
• The school provides a very wide range of extra-curricular activities, which many pupils attend and appreciate. They talk enthusiastically about their achievements in these, such as the choir, taekwondo and the many inter-school sporting competitions.
• Parents’ views of the school are positive. One parent was typical of many who spoke to inspectors, saying: ‘As soon as you walk into school there is welcoming and happy feel. Staff know each and every child by name which shows the family-like, caring nature of the school.’ Similarly, all staff are proud to work at the school and feel supported in their work. They endorse leaders’ ambitions and recognise how important it is that pupils achieve well.
• Following the previous inspection, local authority advisers continued to support the school. Leaders have used their input to improve teaching and learning. External support is no longer required because the school now has the expertise to improve itself. Teachers and leaders work collaboratively with others in the locality to share good classroom practice.
• The school prepares pupils effectively for life beyond the school, for example through visits and visitors within the local community and region.
• Leaders have recently begun to turn their attention to the wider curriculum. They have made a strong start to developing some subjects, such as science, where pupils enjoy the opportunity for first-hand enquiry. Most subjects are taught through engaging topics that pupils enjoy. These topics are effectively linked with pupils’ learning in reading, writing and mathematics. For example, high-quality writing resulted from the recent Roman soldier’s visit to the school.
• Currently, many subjects within the curriculum help pupils to apply their reading and writing skills. However, subject leaders do not sufficiently promote the skills that are specific to their subject. Consequently, the opportunities for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development lack richness and depth. Pupils do not have enough opportunity to reach high standards in every subject. A few parents who spoke to inspectors felt that the wider curriculum subjects should be more significant by capturing pupils’ interests and imagination. Older pupils told inspectors they would like more opportunity to research for themselves. ,

Governance of the school

• Governors provide a strong steer to the school’s work and bring expertise from beyond the school into their highly skilled team. Efficiently led by the chair of governors, they know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well from their frequent visits and questioning approach. They ask for, and receive, high-quality information from the headteacher and use this systematically to check on the school’s performance.
• Individual governors are not afraid to challenge, give their views and make suggestions. They have high ambitions for the school and are rightly proud that pupils’ achievement has markedly improved during recent years. Governors are aware that the school now needs to develop pupils’ enjoyment and achievement across the wider curriculum, where leaders’ actions are much more recent.
• Governors understand their strategic role well, holding the headteacher to account for the impact of improvement actions on pupils’ outcomes. They maintain an effective oversight of additional funding, especially the effective use of the premium for service pupils. They also follow the progress of the small number of disadvantaged pupils, seeking to ensure that the school does its best for each of them.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders, all staff and governors are vigilant in their work to ensure that pupils are safe. Staff know each pupil as an individual and are quickly alert to any concerns and needs. Since the last inspection, leaders have acted swiftly to make improvements to site security. All visitors to the school are carefully checked and new fences and gates are securely locked during the school day.
• As the school’s designated lead for safeguarding, the headteacher ensures that all staff and governors are trained in line with their responsibilities. He and the deputy headteacher provide weekly updates for teaching staff, all of whom know how to protect children from harm. Governors oversee safeguarding diligently. They ensure that the school carefully checks all staff and adults who are recruited to the school.
• Leaders work well with parents and external agencies to ensure that families and pupils access the support they need. Leaders maintain all records carefully to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
• Pupils say they feel safe when at school and parents agree with this view. Pupils say there are very few incidents of bullying and they are able to talk to their teacher easily if they have any concerns. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy, for example when they are online or out in the community.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers know their pupils well and help them to progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. They plan lessons that are interesting and ensure that pupils cover demanding curriculum content. Teachers have strong subject knowledge in English and mathematics and offer plenty of opportunities for pupils to practise their skills by meeting high levels of challenge.
• Clear links are planned across subjects and enhance pupils’ learning. Fiction books match each topic and contribute powerfully to pupils’ skills in reading and writing by deepening their thinking. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils read the book ‘Survivors’ alongside their recent topic on ‘Arctic and Antarctic’. They then put themselves in the role of Ernest Shackleton in order to write from his point of view. Their writing was fluent, grammatically accurate and interesting. The most able pupils adeptly described Shackleton’s changing emotions when faced with his survival challenge.
• Teachers and support staff use questioning well to deepen pupils’ thinking. During lessons, key stage 2 teachers offer individualised feedback in line with the agreed assessment policy. Pupils say their teachers’ guidance helps them to understand how to improve their work. In lessons, they work with positive attitudes and take an interest in their own progress.
• Parents appreciate the accurate information that teachers provide about their child’s progress. They welcome knowing what their child needs to do to improve. A few parents do not feel that homework suitably extends what has taken place in class in ways that are motivating. Leaders agree with these views and have already planned to adapt the way in which homework is organised.
• Pupils’ workbooks show that teachers’ use of assessment is generally better in reading and writing than it is in mathematics. Planning in English is stronger than in mathematics because teachers have a much clearer understanding of how the different skills should be developed over time.
• Inconsistencies in teaching and learning are being tackled by leaders. For example, leaders acknowledge that the weak handwriting and presentational skills of a small minority of pupils are a barrier to developing fluency in writing and mathematics. The new mathematics leader is aware that pupils do not consistently have ready access to the mathematical apparatus that supports learning.
• Pupils across the school are not routinely supported to learn from their mistakes, especially in mathematics. In all subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to deepen their knowledge and understanding.

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 respected as individuals within the school’s nurturing ethos. Pupils listen carefully to each other and to their teachers, which supports them to achieve well. They work hard and concentrate on their learning tasks, although they do not readily use their self-help skills before seeking adult support.
• Transitions in and out of the school are frequent, given the nature of the school’s location. They are sensitively and expertly managed. Service children and their parents appreciate the additional support that is available to settle in quickly, make new friends and catch up with learning. A dedicated member of staff provides emotional support where changing circumstances, such as a posting overseas, cause particular anxiety.
• Pupils show respect for others. They understand fairness and equalities. For example, when all of the elected school council representatives were girls, they decided that boys’ voices needed to be heard. The number of representatives was increased to embrace the views of different groups of pupils. Similarly, older pupils understand that there are different types of bullying. They know it is unjust that people are bullied because of their characteristics.
• Adults model positive relationships and encourage pupils to keep fit, healthy and safe through assemblies and the wider curriculum. British values are similarly promoted and feature within some of the school’s topics and events, such as Remembrance Sunday, when key stage 2 pupils linked up with the local army base.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and friendly. They behave well during lessons, at breaktimes and when they move around the school. Pupils show respect for the school’s rules and enjoy being part of such a welcoming community. Older pupils provide good role models by acting as monitors, for example by reminding younger children of the school’s expectations at key times of the day.
• Leaders promote pupils’ regular attendance, which is currently better than in other schools nationally. For the few pupils who are persistently absent, suitable actions are in place to work with parents to secure improvements.
• Pupils report that there are very few incidents of poor behaviour. All incidents are diligently recorded and leaders make use of the information to improve the school’s management of behaviour.
• The social and emotional needs of some pupils require additional planned support. Over time, pupils who have additional behavioural needs successfully learn to change their response to situations and become increasingly successful learners.
• Playtimes are purposeful and cooperative. Pupils say that they are fun and they enjoy playing in the school’s extensive grounds and engaging in the many available activities.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Following the last inspection, the school responded successfully to the challenge of raising standards by improving pupils’ progress. Almost all recent pupils at the end of both key stages 1 and 2 had made good progress from their starting points. The most able pupils made impressive gains to reach the higher standards. In summer 2017, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was better than in other schools nationally at both the expected and higher standards. Pupils’ attainment in grammar, punctuation and spelling was in line with pupils nationally.
• The proportion of pupils meeting the expected threshold in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 has been consistently above the national average.
• Inspectors checked the school’s current performance information through visits to classrooms and by reviewing pupils’ workbooks. Almost all pupils make strong progress and, where individuals do not do so, there are additional strategies in place to help them to catch up. Current pupils are on track to leave the school with very strong outcomes to ensure that they are well prepared for their secondary education.
• Pupils are enthusiastic readers and can talk fluently about the books they are reading. They enjoy using the school library and would like even more opportunities to use it. Pupils develop phonics skills securely, getting off to a good start in Reception. They quickly learn to decode so they can enjoy reading for information and enjoyment. They develop comprehension skills securely so that, by the time pupils are in Years 5 and 6, they can debate their preferences for authors and genres, and justify their reasons.
• Writing develops strongly so that, by Year 4, almost all pupils are fluent and, in Years 5 and 6, many pupils write showing empathy with their character. They readily write in a range of styles and with improving grammatical and spelling accuracy.
• In mathematics, pupils’ work shows they become increasing adept at tackling problems and applying their skills. They are consistently encouraged to give reasons for their answers, which develops their reasoning skills well.
• The wider curriculum subjects, and particularly history, geography and religious education, are making a strong contribution to supporting pupils’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ progress in the other subjects is slower and does not result in the high standards of which many pupils are capable.

Early years provision Good

• Most children enter the school with achievement across the different areas of learning that is broadly typical for their age. Almost all children leave having reached a good level of development, and a proportion of the most able children exceed this standard. Children are very well prepared for their learning in Year 1.
• The early years team has a very secure understanding of the curriculum and they know each child as an individual. The teacher is supported by the expertise of a very strong teaching assistant. Together, they ensure that teaching nurtures and engages children so that they develop skills well across all areas of learning.
• Children enjoy a broad range of experiences and are encouraged to be imaginative and collaborative in their exciting environment. They develop effective communication skills and self-confidence by learning through the play that they have planned for themselves. During these child-initiated activities, adults ask perceptive questions in order to help children extend their learning.
• Children like their topics and readily use these to support their play, as well as to challenge their thinking. For example, the topic on pets inspired the creation of some interesting pet homes, and also generated collaborative role play.
• Every day there is a dedicated focus on developing children’s reading, writing and mathematical skills and, consequently, almost all children make strong progress in these areas. Adults make use of their detailed day-to-day assessments to plan next steps meticulously. However, writing is less well developed than other aspects of learning, as pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their skills in their play.
• Parents are very happy about the way in which their children settle to school, enjoy learning and make progress. They appreciate having regular communication to recognise their children’s achievement, as well as the opportunities to visit and even to act as classroom helpers. One parent was typical of many in describing the ‘huge respect for the staff’s teaching ability and the wonderful environment they have created’.
• Safeguarding is effective, with all adults having a good understanding of the particular requirements for the safety of young children. The class has specific rules that are easy to understand and are strongly promoted. These help children to look after themselves and each other.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 115957 Hampshire 10040919 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 Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 136 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Peter Higgs Martin Lambert 01264 781 216 www.wallop.hants.sch.uk m.lambert@wallop.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 3–4 February 2016

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than most other primary schools.
• The vast majority of pupils who attend the school are White British.
• The school meets the current government floor standards.
• More than half of the pupils in the school have a parent in one of the two local regiments based at the neighbouring army air base. This results in a higher proportion of pupils moving in and out of the school at short notice than in most primary schools.
• There are very few disadvantaged pupils in the school. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is lower than in most primary schools.
• The school provides a breakfast club that is run by the governing body.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching and learning with leaders in eight lessons. She carried out two learning walks, made short visits to classrooms and briefly visited a physical education session.
• The inspector observed breaktimes, observed pupils moving around the school and briefly visited the school’s breakfast club.
• A formal discussion took place with a group of pupils. The inspector spoke to pupils informally in lessons and during breaktimes.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, as well as governors, in order to discuss leaders’ own views of the school’s work and review the school’s own performance information.
• The inspector discussed the school’s work to improve pupils’ achievement with teachers who have key leadership roles. Together, they looked at a number of examples of work to review learning over time.
• The inspector considered the school’s published information for 2016 and 2017 (since the previous inspection) and the information on its website. She examined a wide range of school documents, including information relating to safeguarding, attendance, funding for disadvantaged pupils, school improvement evaluation and planning, and minutes of governors’ meetings.
• She reviewed pupil-level information and current school-level assessment information, scrutinised a sample of pupils’ books in English and mathematics and examined pupils’ topic work.
• The inspector scrutinised 44 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, including 39 free-text responses, and 12 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. The school’s own parent survey, which was carried out in November 2017, was also taken into account. To gain their views of the school, the inspector spoke to parents at the school gate.

Inspection team

Linda Jacobs, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector