Waterside Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that school leaders use information about pupils’ achievement and attendance to systematically monitor and review the impact their actions are having. They then need to refine these actions in the light of this self-evaluation.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that all groups of pupils, including the most able, disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are able to make good or better progress over time.
• Improve pupils’ attendance.
• Develop the curriculum to ensure that pupils develop a greater understanding of the world beyond the school and their role in modern British society.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders did not predict, or take prompt enough action to overcome, a recent decline in standards in key stage 2. This is because, until recently, their monitoring of pupils’ performance was not strong enough. Tracking has improved but leaders are only now starting to use it to monitor and improve the outcomes for different groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and the most able.
• School assessment systems are not used effectively enough to improve outcomes for pupils in all subjects and year groups. Leaders track pupils’ progress individually and do not have a clear understanding of the trends between different groups, for example those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means that they are not able to identify ways to secure better outcomes for these pupils.
• School improvement plans do not all have clear targets linked to actions. As a result, leaders find it difficult to judge whether plans have been successful. Many of the school’s interventions and projects are not included in these plans and similarly do not have success criteria attached.
• School leaders have identified pupils’ emotional well-being as a key area to support, especially for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have much anecdotal evidence about the positive impact of this work, which is partly funded by the additional pupil premium funding. However, as with much of the school’s work, the impact of these activities on pupils’ progress is not systematically reviewed or evaluated.
• Leaders make varied use of a raft of support opportunities from outside the school, including external reviews and local authority leadership and subject support. Where advice is adopted quickly, such as in mathematics, it is effective. However, sometimes advice, for example that from the recent pupil premium funding review, is not acted on promptly enough.
• The late adoption of the new national curriculum meant that some pupils were not fully prepared for the greater demands on their learning. As a result, they did not perform as expected in national tests in 2016. It also means that some current Year 6 pupils are having to catch up with aspects of their learning.
• Until recently, the curriculum was too focused on English and mathematics. Leaders have increased its breadth and balance but this work still needs to be refined. The taught curriculum is supported by extra-curricular activities ranging from sports competitions to the pupil-led drawing club.
• Leaders make good use of the additional physical education funding, employing a specialist sports coach to develop teachers’ skills and increase pupils’ participation in competitions and external events. This is having a positive impact and greater numbers of pupils are taking part in such activities.
• School leaders are committed to staff development. New teachers are very well supported, with a range of professional development opportunities. New staff are closely monitored, which means that support is sharply focused to their specific needs. Teaching assistants are also well trained, especially those who provide high-quality interventions for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Governance of the school

• Governors take their role seriously and responded well to the external review of governance they commissioned after the last inspection. They are increasingly active and have an improving knowledge and understanding of the work of the school. They are rightly asking questions and holding leaders to account. For example, they have recently identified a concern with the school’s performance management policy and are taking steps to amend it.
• Governors have started to ask leaders challenging questions about the quality of teaching, pupils’ outcomes and the spending of additional monies. However, they have accepted the answers they have been given rather than delving further, for example, when discussing the pupil premium funding. This means that they have not ensured that the additional funding is used effectively.
• The governing body has actively recruited governors with the specific skills required to fulfil their duties. This has helped develop their understanding of aspects of school governance, such as finance, and their overall effectiveness.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff and governors are well trained and keep up to date with recent policy and risks. For example, they recently held a parents’ information session about keeping children safe online. Pupils knew about this and several could explain the swift actions their parents had taken in response to the evening. Pupils are keen to explain actions they would take if worried when online and they understand the risks of social networks.
• Leaders work effectively with external agencies responsible for keeping children safe and are persistent in following up any concerns. The home-school link worker also works sensitively with parents and families who may need more support.
• The governor responsible for safeguarding effectively checks the staff’s understanding of safeguarding policy and processes, as well as confirming statutory checks are in place.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching does not routinely meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. Inconsistency in the use of assessment information about pupils’ understanding means learning activities are not always matched to what pupils need to learn. In particular, the most able pupils are not always given work that fully stretches them or are kept waiting for work of the right level.
• Teachers’ instructions about tasks are not always clear or speedy. Pupils are sometimes confused about what to do or are ready to begin before the teacher has finished. In addition, they sometimes finish tasks and do not move on to the next one unless they are specifically told to. As a consequence, learning time is lost.
• Teachers and teaching assistants do not always check pupils’ understanding in lessons closely enough. This means that some pupils can continue with misconceptions which then hinder progress.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work are not consistently high. For example, not all teachers insist on the essentials of writing, such as full stops and capital letters. Some pupils continue making the same errors and are not supported to correct them.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well in the classroom and through extra programmes. These programmes are tightly focused to meet the needs of each pupil, for example with language acquisition or number skills. Pupils engaged in these individual sessions were positive about them and happily explained their new learning.
• Teachers display secure subject knowledge in mathematics and English and plan appropriately for each year group. The recent work the school has undertaken to improve the teaching of mathematics is effective. Pupils enjoy the focus on problem-solving and mathematical challenges, such as finding how to calculate specific areas and perimeters of quadrilaterals.
• The recent school drive to improve pupils’ ability to sustain extended writing has been generally successful. Pupils’ work shows that many have made progress and are writing confidently and at length. However, some pupils are still getting accustomed to working in this way and need extra support.
• Pupils’ understanding and knowledge of phonics are developed securely. Pupils apply their learning effectively when reading, using strategies such as sounding out to help them. The most able pupils also apply emphasis and adopt a range of voices, making them a joy to listen to.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils have too limited an understanding of the world beyond the school. This limits their ability to fully participate in modern British society. For example, none of the pupils spoken with knew what democracy was. The school has tried to promote a wider understanding of fundamental British values through initiatives such as the school council and house captains but have, so far, been unsuccessful in transferring the concepts beyond the school.
• The recent introduction of the ‘School Pirates’, each representing a personal quality such as responsibility or resilience, has been successful. Pupils enjoy the imaginative way these skills are developed. They are keen to explain when they have shown resilience or taken on school positions of responsibility. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils have the opportunity to be appointed as dinner monitors to support Reception and Year 1 pupils when eating their lunches.
• Pupils’ leadership abilities are developed through a range of opportunities such as the school council. They are also encouraged to be independent. Individual pupils have taken this to heart. For example, one pupil developed and promoted the need for a lunchtime code. This is now in place, complete with interactive display and the Lunchtime Leopard, and is followed carefully by pupils and staff alike.
• Pupils who join the school during the academic year are well looked after. Staff know who they are and work hard to make sure that they are happy and quickly integrated into school life. Several parents spoke of the effective induction process and the warm welcome they had received.
• Pupils’ physical well-being is supported through the effective use of the specialist sports coach for physical education lessons. These sessions are focused and develop specific skills such as hand-eye coordination and stamina.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because some groups of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.
• Attendance is not good enough for some groups of pupils and the school’s work to improve it is not yet effective. Leaders have introduced various strategies and reward systems for pupils, along with support from the home-school link worker. However, they have not evaluated which strategies are most effective and so have not been able to refine and improve the effectiveness of their actions.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured, demonstrating thought and care for pupils who are new to the school. They play well together, sharing the play equipment with each other. Their movement round the school is courteous and orderly, even picking up others’ coats and hanging them up if they see them on the floor. They were keen to talk with inspectors, and were especially polite and charming when asking to be passed a football.
• There are positive relationships between the adults at the school and the pupils. Staff work hard to plan interesting activities and encourage pupils to focus on their work. As a result, the vast majority of pupils display positive attitudes to learning. In each class there are a few pupils who struggle with managing their own behaviour but this is managed well by the teachers and support staff. At times, this minority does impact on the learning of the other pupils but the consistent strategies are effective.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes for pupils require improvement because the progress they make across the school is not consistently good. In 2015, pupils made good progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. However, this was not the case in 2016, where published data indicates that pupils’ progress from key stage 1 to the end of key stage 2 was significantly below average.
• Key stage 1 results for reading, writing and mathematics are broadly in line with national averages for all pupils. However, no disadvantaged pupils achieved greater depth.
• Current pupils in the upper years, especially those who are disadvantaged and the most able, still have a lot of ground to make up to reach the standards of which they are capable.
• Pupils in the lower years, including those who are disadvantaged and most able, are performing better as a result of successful learning in Reception.
• Current pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with additional support. However, scrutiny of their work indicates that they are not yet making the progress they should.
• Pupils enjoy scientific exploration but their progress is varied because misconceptions are not addressed quickly. Evidence from their books indicates that their progress in science and the wider curriculum is too slow.
• The improved teaching of mathematics, with its emphasis on depth of learning and problem-solving, is improving pupils’ outcomes. School data, lesson observations and pupils’ work in books show that pupils are increasingly making progress towards age-related expectations.
• The school’s drive to improve pupils’ ability to sustain their extended writing has been effective. Tracking data and pupils’ work in books indicate that this is improving.
• Effective teaching of phonics in the Reception class and Year 1 has ensured that the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check has been higher than the national average for the last two years. In particular, disadvantaged pupils are now outperforming other pupils nationally in phonics.
• Pupils read fluently and use their phonics learning to sound out and blend when they come to tricky words. The most able pupils add expression and confidently deduce meaning from below the surface of the text. They enjoy reading and are keen to discuss their books.

Early years provision Good

• Early years provision is good because teaching is among the strongest in the school. In addition, leaders effectively assess children’s progress and adapt learning activities to match their needs. This means that children make good progress. This is carefully tracked and parents appreciate the frequent communication and updates regarding their child’s progress.
• Children get off to a good start to school life in the Reception class. The early years leader effectively communicates with parents and other providers to ensure that children have a smooth transition from nursery or pre-school and settle quickly, including those who join the school during the year. They make good progress from their starting points and leave well prepared for Year 1.
• There are careful plans for learning in the early years. However, staff are confident in innovating and adapting the curriculum to make use of opportunities. For example, following a morning frost, children were encouraged to compare the textures of items in the outdoor area. They could see how the sand in the ‘dino-swamp’ was now crunchy and the grass was now sharper than it had been the previous day. This willingness of staff to change plans helps to stimulate and develop children.
• The curriculum is broad and interesting and the overall structure of learning is clear. Movement from one activity to another is managed very effectively. Staff move swiftly from acting as a play partner to assisting learning, depending on the needs of the children they are working with. They have built very good relationships with the children, who clearly enjoy their learning.
• Children displayed confident language skills when talking with inspectors and were happy to collaborate in their play and exploration. For example, they moved the angle of a play car ramp to make their toy cars go faster and jointly brought more sand to stop the dino-swamp being so mushy. They displayed a real sense of wonder and interest in their tasks.
• Children generally behave well but can get distracted. They are learning to show respect for each other, for example, by celebrating each other’s work and saying what they think the best bits are. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and these help develop children’s positive attitudes to learning.
• Over recent years, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development has increased and is now in line with national expectations. Disadvantaged children now outperform other children nationally, indicating that the additional funding is used effectively.
• Safeguarding is effective and all the welfare requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 115899 Hampshire 10024498 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 201 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Local authority Claire Lowther Penny Bullough 02380 842 143 www.waterside.hants.sch.uk/ headteacher@waterside.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 December 2014

Information about this school

• Waterside Primary School is a little smaller than the average-sized primary school. There is one class in each year group, including the Reception class.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is higher than in other schools nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school during the school year is higher than average.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the impact of the expenditure of the pupil premium or the physical education and sports premium on its website.
• The school has experienced many staff changes in recent years. This year, while not all new to the school, most teachers are new to their year groups.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards for progress and attainment at key stage 2.
• The pre-school located on the school site is managed separately and did not form part of this inspection.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed learning in all classes and also made shorter visits to classrooms. The headteacher joined the lead inspector on a learning walk and the deputy headteacher undertook a joint lesson observation.
• Inspectors spoke with a wide range of people, including pupils, parents, staff, leaders, governors and the local authority, to find out their views and experiences of the school.
• A wide range of documentation was scrutinised, including that relating to safeguarding, pupils’ achievement, policies, planning documents, governance, behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors talked to pupils about their learning, listened to some read and looked at the work in their books across a range of subjects. They spoke to pupils on the playground, in the lunch hall and during lessons. They also met with a group of pupils to gather their views. In addition, they analysed the online survey responses from 24 pupils.
• Inspectors spoke with parents and considered 51 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, including 27 written comments.
• Inspectors also considered 33 responses from the online staff questionnaire and sought the views of staff in various conversations.

Inspection team

Lucy English, lead inspector Christopher Crouch

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector