Sandfield Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Develop the skills and expertise of middle leaders so that they have a greater impact on continuing to improve teaching and raise standards in the early years and in the subjects other than English and mathematics.
• Develop the systems to assess and track pupils’ progress across the curriculum to ensure that standards are as high in other subjects as they are in reading, writing and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The Guildford Education Partnership Multi Academy Trust provides valuable support to the school. High-quality in-school training of the new assistant headteachers is already having a positive impact on the quality of leadership and further development of the school.
• Since his appointment, the headteacher has been uncompromising in his drive to move the school forward. He is passionate for the school to be the best it can be, and has taken it on a journey of rapid transformation over the past three years. Governors, staff, parents, and pupils hold him in high regard. Many parents speak positively about the leadership of the school. One parent echoed the views of many when commenting, ‘The current effective leadership team have a strong vision of what they wish to achieve through the school and how to achieve it.’
• Performance management systems are having a positive effect on enhancing teaching and learning. Targets concentrate on improving outcomes for pupils and staff training is tailored to meet individual needs. As a result, the quality of teaching is consistently good.
• Leaders’ self-evaluation of the school’s work is accurate. They clearly identify the progress that has been made since the school became an academy and the actions required to improve even further.
• Leaders ensure that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to support pupils’ academic and emotional needs. Part of the funding has been used to subsidise the cost of school visits and after-school clubs, and to provide additional high-quality support from teaching assistants. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are making accelerated progress and their attendance is improving.
• All parents who replied to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, would recommend the school to others. They are full of praise for the sense of engagement they have with the school. Many comment on the community spirit which they are proud to share.
• The development of middle leaders is still in its infancy and many do not yet have the leadership skills or knowledge to develop successfully the areas they are responsible for. As a result, they are not yet having a significant impact on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across a range of subjects or in the early years.
• Since his appointment, the headteacher has introduced a new wider-ranging curriculum that encompasses all subjects. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the increased range of visits and the different opportunities the new curriculum brings. Parents also report that subjects such as geography and history enjoy a much greater prominence than previously. Senior leaders keep the new curriculum under review in order to monitor where any further improvements can be made if needed in the future.
• Additional sports funding is used effectively to provide a variety of sports and physical activities, during and outside the school day, for pupils including football, netball and dance. Pupils enjoy sport, and participation is high across the school.
• Pupils are given opportunities to explore the fundamental British values of respect, tolerance and democracy through a rich programme of social, moral, spiritual, and cultural education. Pupils talk knowledgably about the right to vote as well as respecting the views and opinions of others.
• The school’s special educational needs coordinator monitors and assesses the impact of additional support well. Leaders make good use of additional funding and of links with outside agencies. Interventions are carefully tailored to meet the specific needs of pupils. As a result, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making better progress than has previously been the case, and the gap between their attainment and that of other pupils is diminishing.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a detailed knowledge of the school’s effectiveness. For example, they gain important information on pupils’ achievement and attendance from a range of sources including visits to the school, reports from the headteacher and talking to staff and pupils. They use this appropriately to challenge senior leaders.
• Governors ensure that they fulfil their statutory duties very well. They are not, however, complacent and are keen to develop their expertise and skills further. Individuals are attending specific training to enable them to carry out their duties to an even higher level.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Rigorous systems are in place in all areas of safeguarding and staff understand them well. Staff and governors receive up-to-date training to ensure that all requirements are met. This includes being aware of the dangers posed by radicalisation and child sexual exploitation.
• Pupils report that they feel safe at school. They know who to talk to if they need help, and are confident that all staff would respond rapidly to their concerns.
• The school works effectively with parents to promote pupils’ safety. For example, relevant training and communication helps pupils know how to stay safe online. The designated safeguarding lead is proactive in ensuring that pupils know how to use the internet safely in their everyday lives.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders’ high expectations of staff, targeted training and careful monitoring of learning have ensured that teaching meets the needs of different groups of pupils and they make strong progress over time.
• Pupils have an extremely positive attitude towards learning. They are keen to succeed and to know what they need to do to achieve the next step in their learning.
• Pupils share ideas and readily help each other. They explain methods clearly and discuss animatedly their vocabulary choices.
• The teaching of writing is a strength of the school. Pupils across all year groups and of all abilities consistently produce work of a high standard. As a result, Sandfield is now visited by other schools looking to adopt similar practices in order to improve their pupils’ writing.
• Teaching assistants ably assist disadvantaged pupils, and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Their support helps to improve pupils’ learning.
• Staff teach phonics well. As a result, pupils acquire the skills they need to support them with their reading and writing.
• Focused teaching and the purchase of high-quality texts have contributed to pupils making good progress in reading. Occasionally, in whole-class reading sessions, the progress of the most able readers slows as they wait for others to read the passage.
• The progress of pupils in mathematics, although in line with national averages, has not been as rapid as pupils’ progress in writing or reading. The school has taken steps to address this and recent school assessment information shows that pupils, especially the disadvantaged, including the most able disadvantaged, are now making strong progress in this subject.
• The tracking and recording of pupils’ progress in the foundation subjects is not yet as precise as in other areas. Leaders recognise this and have identified this as an area for development.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are exceptionally friendly and confident. They warmly welcome visitors and are keen to engage in conversation. Pupils are polite and highly courteous, for example in holding doors open for guests.
• All pupils feel valued and part of the school family. One pupil said, ‘Our school is made up of lots of different faiths and cultures but we are all one community.’
• Pupils have an excellent understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. They report that bullying, ‘doesn’t happen here because we all get along together fine’.
• Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to learning. They are confident and self-assured and respond well to the expectations of staff. Pupils show a high level of respect when listening to the views of their peers, yet are still confident enough to challenge each other appropriately in discussions.
• Pupils feel very safe in school. They are confident that if they are worried about anything a member of staff will respond quickly and resolve the problem.
• Parents report that their children are looked after well at school. One commented, ‘It is a safe and happy environment where children have the opportunity to learn and develop.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. All parents who responded to Parent View agree that their children are happy and behave well. Pupils who spoke to inspectors feel the same.
• Teachers have very high expectations of pupils and use strategies effectively to reinforce positive behaviour. Leaders keep accurate records of all incidents of poor behaviour, of which there have been very few over the course of the year.
• Pupils behave with significant tolerance and respect. For example, a minute’s silence for victims of the recent terror attacks in London was impeccably observed by all pupils at the school.
• Pupils’ behaviour around the school is extremely good. Pupils follow adult instructions quickly and without fuss and as a result classrooms and the dining room are calm and orderly at all times.
• Leaders are successfully taking steps to improve pupils’ attendance, including the persistent absence of a few disadvantaged pupils, through rewards and targeted work with families.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ work across the age and ability range shows that they are making strong progress.
• Pupils develop their early reading skills well. Standards in the Year 1 phonics check were above those seen nationally in 2016, as was the proportion of pupils who met the standard by the end of Year 2. Current Year 1 pupils are achieving equally as well.
• At the end of Year 2 in 2016, the proportion of pupils working at the expected level in reading and writing, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils who speak English as an additional language, and pupils from minority ethnic groups, was above the national average. Current pupils are achieving well.
• Pupils make extremely good progress in reading in key stage 2 so that a higher proportion than average reach both the expected and higher levels. This is due to the emphasis leaders place on the use of high-quality texts and the importance of reading well.
• Extra support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well planned and effective. As a result, these pupils make good progress.
• In key stage 2 pupils, including the disadvantaged, those who speak English as an additional language and pupils from minority ethnic groups, make excellent progress in writing and attain well above the national average at both the expected and higher level. Current pupils are making good progress.
• Progress in mathematics for the pupils who reached the end of key stage 2 in 2016, although broadly in line with that seen nationally, was not as good as it was in reading and writing. The school has quickly and successfully addressed this and leaders’ monitoring shows that all groups of pupils are now making better progress in mathematics. However, in some mathematical tasks poor presentation of number work leads to some pupils making careless mistakes.
• Effective, targeted use of pupil premium funding is enabling disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, to make rapid progress. As a result, any difference in progress between disadvantaged and other pupils is diminishing rapidly.

Early years provision Good

• Adults have a good understanding of children’s needs and how they learn. A wide range of learning activities are provided that interest children, enabling them to build concentration and a love of learning.
• Children make good progress in the early years. Although standards dipped in 2016, the proportion achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception was in line with the national average. Current children are making good progress and a higher proportion are expected to be well prepared for the move to Year 1. Children’s learning journals show a broad range of learning activities and progress made through the year. Staff keep careful records of children’s learning developments and leaders keep a close eye on children’s progress, enabling any underachievement to be addressed quickly.
• The current early years leader is recently appointed and at an early developmental stage of management. Planned training and support are in place to further enhance the leadership of this area over the coming year.
• Parents are highly enthusiastic about how well the school keeps them informed about their children’s progress and learning. Parents enjoy finding out about what has happened at school. They particularly appreciate information about the new themes planned for learning which help them to prepare their children well for the coming term.
• The recently refurbished outdoor area is of a high quality and provides hands-on learning opportunities. Adults engage well with children and use careful questioning to probe and develop their knowledge and understanding.
• Children are curious to learn and able to stay focused on activities for prolonged periods of time. For example, children gluing beads in a repeated pattern on a kite could accurately repeat the pattern and sustain their attention until the task was completed.
• Adults ensure that children are safe and looked after well. Children are supported appropriately to take care of themselves. For example, they know the importance of washing their hands after using the slime tank, and putting on jumpers to keep warm before going outdoors.
• The teaching of phonics in the early years is good. Children, including the most able, rapidly develop their skills.
• Children’s behaviour is good. For example, they are keen to help each other and demonstrate good manners. As a result, they are developing strong social skills.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141197 Surrey 10032513 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 sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 207 Appropriate authority Academy trust Chair Headteacher Katherine Hammersley Mr Jonathan Kirkham Telephone number 01483 566586 Website Email address

www.sandfield.surrey.sch.uk reception@sandfield.surrey.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The academy opened in September 2014. It is sponsor-led by the Guildford Education Partnership Multi Academy Trust.
• The current headteacher was appointed in September 2014.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is high, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is lower than in other schools nationally, as is the proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children in the early years are taught in one Reception class.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 13 lessons across a range of subjects. Some of these were joint observations with the headteacher and an assistant headteacher.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at a wide range of documentation, the school’s procedures for getting an accurate view of its own performance and pupils’ work in books.
• Meetings were held with school staff, members of the governing body, representatives from the academy trust, parents and carers.
• Discussions took place with a group of pupils, as well as informal conversations with other pupils during lessons and at playtimes. Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about books they enjoy.
• Inspectors took into consideration 18 responses to the online staff questionnaire and 101 responses to the pupil online questionnaire.
• Inspectors took into account 54 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and 51 responses via free text.

Inspection team

Brian Macdonald, lead inspector Graham Marshall

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector