Weyford Nursery and Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve progress in mathematics for all groups of pupils.
• Improve the quality of provision in the early years by ensuring that: leaders have the training required to enable them to meet the needs of children of all ages the provision for nursery-age children meets their needs and results in them making good progress.
• Increase the effectiveness of leadership, including governance, by:
  • strengthening the evaluation of the impact of actions taken, including the spending of pupil premium funding, so that all actions have a positive impact on pupil outcomes
  • ensuring that the monitoring of teaching, the feedback that staff receive, and the subsequent training provided result in improvements to the overall quality of teaching
  • improving the skills of middle leaders so that they can improve the design and teaching of the curriculum, resulting in improved outcomes for pupils
  • ensuring that governors have the skills and training required so that they can carry out effective checks on safeguarding administration and procedures
  • strengthening governors’ ability to evaluate accurately the performance of the school and provide more effective support and challenge.
• Improve the quality of teaching in the school by ensuring that: teachers make use of assessment information to make sure that tasks provide the correct level of challenge, are interesting to pupils, and allow them to produce work to the best of their ability the existing strong practice in the school is shared effectively so that teachers can learn from each other. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to ascertain how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Since the amalgamation of the predecessor infant and junior schools, the headteacher has grasped the challenge of bringing the pupils, staff and wider community together. Although actions taken to create cohesion between the infants and juniors are starting to have a positive effect, there remains a great deal to do.
• The headteacher has a clear vision for the approach to learning that she wishes to embed in the school. Actions taken by her and the wider leadership team are resulting in improved consistency of approach, for example in the way that behaviour is managed. However, there is still too much variation in the quality of teaching.
• Leaders’ evaluation of the quality of teaching is accurate. Teachers are provided with appropriate feedback to help them improve their practice. However, the guidance is not provided frequently enough, neither is it followed up effectively enough to result in the rapid improvements to the quality of teaching that are needed.
• Leaders provide training that focuses on improving the quality of teaching. Some of this training is provided for all staff, but leaders also target specific training where required. This has led to improvements in teaching where it was previously very weak. Newly qualified teachers benefit from good levels of support and training that are helping them to continue their development.
• Middle leaders are new to their roles following the amalgamation and have not yet had sufficient impact on improving their subject areas. They are able to evaluate accurately the quality of teaching and learning but have not been effective in improving the quality of teaching overall.
• Leaders have improved the school’s curriculum. Pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences across the full range of primary subjects. The curriculum has been enhanced by initiatives such as the school’s ‘themed weeks’ where, for example, pupils studying art, explore the work of artists from around the world and produce their own high-quality pieces of artwork. However, the curriculum is not planned effectively enough to result in pupils being able to build on previous experiences and make strong progress over time.
• Extra-curricular opportunities for pupils have increased significantly, and pupils can choose from a wide range of clubs and activities. This includes the school choir, which has provided pupils with the opportunity to perform to different audiences.
• Leaders and governors have not evaluated the impact of pupil premium funding rigorously. Prior to the inspection, the spending plan for 2018/19 did not account for the total of the funding received, and evaluative information from the previous year was inaccurate. Some actions from the pupil premium strategy are proving positive. For example, there has been significant improvement in the attendance of disadvantaged pupils this academic year.
• Sports premium funding is used effectively to enhance the physical education (PE) curriculum and improve pupils’ skills. Teachers have benefited from the opportunity to observe specialist teaching of PE. Leaders’ plans to ensure that the funding results in sustainable improvement have only just been implemented.
• Leaders accurately identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and ensure that they receive additional support to allow them to make good progress in school.

Governance of the school

• Significant changes to the governing body when the schools amalgamated led to some instability in governance. Only very recently has there been a stable governing body.
• Governors recognise the challenges faced by leaders in bringing the two former schools together and are eager to contribute effectively to the success of the school.
• Governors visit the school regularly to see for themselves the actions being taken to improve outcomes. Their visits involve leaders at all levels and they are provided with information about the performance of pupils. However, governors lack the skills and understanding required either to evaluate the information or to make accurate judgements about the performance of the school. In some cases, inaccurate conclusions about pupil outcomes have been recorded in governing body minutes and have not been corrected. This results in governors having an overly positive view of the current progress and attainment of pupils.
• Minutes of governing body meetings and visit reports show that challenge to leaders is currently lacking. Points raised are not subsequently followed up in future meetings or visits, and so governors are not able to evaluate the impact of leaders on pupil outcomes.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders responsible for safeguarding have a broad range of relevant skills and are suitably experienced. Support for the most vulnerable pupils is strong because of the effective relationships between the school and external agencies. Referrals are completed in a timely manner, and information that is shared is precise, accurate and of a high quality.
• Staff can clearly explain their responsibilities and duties in protecting pupils and keeping them safe from harm. They receive appropriate training and know how to use this knowledge to fulfil their roles in keeping pupils safe.
• Child protection records are completed accurately, and designated safeguarding leads provide effective oversight. However, the information in these records is not available quickly enough, and relies too heavily on the diligence of individual members of staff.
• Governors lack the required knowledge and understanding to monitor safeguarding policy and procedures effectively.
• Parents are confident that the school keeps their children safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• There is wide variation in the quality of teaching between different year groups and between subjects. Consequently, pupils’ rates of progress and learning across the curriculum are variable over time.
• Teachers know the age-related expectation for pupils in their classes. However, they do not routinely use assessment information to make sure that tasks set for pupils of differing abilities have the right level of challenge. This results in a lack of progress across subjects.
• Teachers do not make effective use of additional adults to support learning. Although pupils often complete tasks that are appropriate, they spend too long waiting to be told they can move on with their learning. As a result, time is wasted and pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• The tasks that pupils complete in lessons are not designed carefully enough to allow them to produce work that is of a good quality. For example, in English lessons, pupils are frequently provided with tasks that do not allow them to record their work clearly. The inconsistent design of tasks means that pupils are not able consistently to produce high-quality outcomes.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ handwriting and presentation are too low. Pupils’ handwriting shows little improvement over time because teachers accept standards that are too low.
• There are some improvements in the teaching of English, resulting in pupils being more eager to write. Interesting texts are used on which to base sequences of work, and as a result, pupils are writing more. Pupils benefit from well-stocked libraries within the school and can describe their favourite authors.
• The teaching of phonics has improved. Pupils make good progress because of the skilful teaching they receive. Assessment information is used effectively to ensure that teaching is pitched at the right levels for different groups of pupils.
• The teaching of mathematics is not consistently good enough. For example, pupils make simple mistakes in their calculations because information is not presented clearly enough. Although pupils have recently been provided with more opportunities to apply their learning through reasoning activities, scrutiny of pupils’ books shows that they are not secure enough in their understanding of basic mathematical concepts.

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 do not demonstrate sufficient self-belief or confidence in their abilities. They are not confident to challenge themselves further when tasks are too easy and they are over-reliant on the guidance of adults. When adult support is not available, too many pupils lack positive attitudes to their learning. Overall, pupils’ understanding of how to be a successful learner is not well developed.
• Pupils do not take sufficient pride in their work. While there is evidence of some good-quality outcomes across the curriculum, too often pupils’ written work lacks care and effort.
• The breakfast and after-school clubs are highly valued by parents and carers. It provides pupils with a safe and enjoyable environment. Pupils benefit from a range of healthy breakfast choices and they speak highly of the care they receive.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and well cared for. They can describe ways in which the school teaches them to stay safe, particularly when working online or crossing the road. They have a good understanding of equalities, and report that they treat each other with respect.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Since the school opened in 2017, attendance has improved and is now very close to the national average. The number of pupils who are persistently absent has decreased, and disadvantaged pupils’ attendance has improved significantly.
• Exclusions at the predecessor schools had been above national averages, and challenging behaviour was frequent. Exclusions have decreased significantly over the past 18 months. There is still a small minority of pupils who display challenging behaviour. However, the provision for these pupils has improved and, because of the carefully planned additional support available to them, their behaviour has minimal impact on the learning of other pupils.
• At lunchtimes, pupils behave calmly in the dinner halls and move around appropriately. Pupils report that they feel safe and that the behaviour of their peers is good. Well-organised sports activities on the playground keep pupils interested and active.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ work demonstrates that pupils make inconsistent progress across the curriculum. This is due to the variable quality of teaching and assessment across the school.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics is particularly weak at the end of key stage 2. This is because the majority of teaching over time is not planned effectively enough for pupils to build on their prior learning. However, this is not the case in every year group and there are some classes where pupils are making good progress.
• Standards at the end of key stage 1 in reading and mathematics, particularly those of most-able pupils, are showing improvement as a result of more consistent teaching. In 2018, pupils working at greater depth in these subjects achieved standards in line with national averages.
• Changes to the way that phonics is taught have been successful in improving outcomes for pupils. As a result, pupils’ reading skills are improving, and attainment is closer to the national average in the phonics screening check, both in Year 1 and at the end of key stage 1.
• Leaders have identified as a priority the need to improve the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. Actions taken to improve pastoral provision are beginning to be effective, but leaders’ own analysis indicates that disadvantaged pupils are making insufficient progress overall.
• The quality of pupils’ work across the curriculum is variable. Work scrutiny in geography and history showed that pupils experience a broad range of topics. However, the design of tasks restricts pupils from being able to fully explain or describe what they have learned.
• Teachers do not follow the school’s own policy on providing feedback. This results in pupils continuing to make repeated errors in their spelling and handwriting.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Recent changes to the way the Nursery and Reception classes are organised have not brought about the intended benefits. The learning needs of the youngest children are not adequately met, which results in them not making the progress they should.
• Leaders have an ambitious vision for the early years provision. However, leaders do not yet have sufficient knowledge and understanding across the age range to make this vision work successfully. As a result, pupils in Reception make better progress than those in Nursery.
• Children in the early years benefit from a wide range of interesting activities that create a purposeful learning environment. Outside space is used well and, during the inspection, children were seen making good use of equipment that helped them to be imaginative in their play. However, too many activities that children choose for themselves lack challenge.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support the needs of disadvantaged children. The main focus for this funding is on improving children’s speech and language and providing emotional support. This is resulting in an increasing number of disadvantaged children achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception.
• Staff demonstrate the ability to react well to children’s learning interests. For example, during the inspection, children were being encouraged to explore ice that was found on the playground. Through effective questioning, children’s understanding of freezing and melting was developed.
• Children in the early years are safe and well cared for. The statutory requirements for safeguarding are met, and parents appreciate the care shown to their children. Children behave well and are respectful to each other and the equipment that they play with.
• Staff generally work effectively with parents. Transition arrangements are well planned, and parents report that they receive valuable information and support when their children begin school for the first time. The online system for sharing information about children is only used by a minority of parents, resulting in some parents not being as well informed as they could be.

School details

Unique reference number 116018 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10088079 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 2 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 414 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Katie Anscomb Headteacher Julie Smith Telephone number 01420 472119 Website www.weyfordprimary.co.uk Email address julie.smith@weyford.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is larger than the average-sized primary school catering for pupils from 2 to 11 years old.
• The school opened in September 2017 following the closure of the infant and junior schools on the same site.
• The headteacher was appointed in September 2017 at the same time as the school was opened.
• Significant changes have occurred in the composition of the governing body. The new governing body was formed when the school opened and comprised governors from the predecessor infant and junior schools, along with new members. There have been changes in leadership of the governing body since the school opened, and the current chair has been in place for six months.
• The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and therefore eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The majority of pupils are White British.
• The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed teaching and learning in all year groups. Some of these observations were carried out with school leaders.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, governors and school staff, including senior and middle leaders.
• Inspectors spoke with a representative from the local authority.
• The inspection team looked at a variety of examples of pupils’ written work, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, and records of behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors scrutinised safeguarding documents, including mandatory checks on the recruitment of staff, and information on the school’s website.
• Inspectors visited the breakfast club.
• Discussions were held with pupils, and informal conversations took place during breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• The inspection team took account of the 58 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, inspectors took into account the 28 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and the 34 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

Inspection team

James Freeston, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Becky Greenhalgh Ofsted Inspector Christopher Crouch Ofsted Inspector