Clapham and Patching CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that standards in writing consistently match pupils’ progress and attainment in reading and mathematics.
• Raise levels of attendance and reduce persistent absence so that pupils make the most of their time in school, by:
  • insisting that the headteacher employs the full range of powers at her disposal, such as fixed-term penalty notices and summons to court.
• Strengthen leadership and management, by:
  • appointing a single member of staff as the first point of contact for parents
  • ensuring that all parents receive and understand important messages about school life, pupils’ activities or the progress of their children
  • recruiting additional foundation and local authority governors to increase representation, thus widening the focus of the current governing body. An external review of governance should be commissioned in partnership with the Diocese of Chichester and the local authority.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• The headteacher leads the school effectively and efficiently. Her work is not always appreciated. The headteacher is forced frequently to deal with issues in the community. This reduces the time available to her to focus on improving the school overall.
• Notably, the headteacher has not been able to reduce the persistent absence of some pupils or improve attendance so that it is good.
• The headteacher has no deputy or senior member of staff with whom she can share some of the many tasks now faced by contemporary headteachers. The headteacher is, for example, also the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). This is a major role in a school that has well-above-average proportions of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Inevitably, the headteacher has to make choices about the priorities of her workload. She puts the pupils and their needs first. Sometimes this means that administrative tasks get missed. It also means that some parents feel due attention has not been given to their concerns. This is despite the fact that the headteacher is available, with all other staff, at the beginning and end of the day. There is currently no formal system for parents to make an appointment to raise well-founded concerns with the headteacher. There is no single member of staff who can pick up such concerns informally and decide which need detailed analysis.
• Governors do little to relieve the burden. Teachers support the headteacher as well as they can but have no time to carry out senior leadership functions. They are not in a position to review and publish policies. They cannot complete confidential paperwork relating to statutory entitlements for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They do not have the time to follow up pupils’ poor attendance because they are in class supporting learning.
• The headteacher knows the school extremely well. She knows each pupil and their relative strengths and weaknesses. She shares this knowledge widely with staff and insists that they make good use of it to plan learning tailored to each pupil’s needs. The headteacher wants the best for each pupil and has high expectations for their attainment and progress. She celebrates any small successes and encourages pupils and parents to aim high.
• Following a review of teaching in November 2016, the headteacher has focused intently on improving teaching. The impact of this effort is clear to see in the consistent way that teachers manage their classrooms, teach effective lessons and use the school’s simple assessment system consistently.
• Staff work together to improve each other’s performance. They enjoy working at the school and acting as a team. They compare notes and share good ideas and activities. They cooperate well to support the learning of the most vulnerable.
• The headteacher and bursar ensure that any additional funding is used well to support eligible pupils. The pupil premium is used effectively so that disadvantaged pupils generally do at least as well as their peers and often better than other pupils nationally. As the SENCo, the headteacher makes extremely good use of additional funding associated with education, health and care plans or statements of special educational needs. The appointment, training and deployment of highly effective teaching assistants are made possible by this money. Their work ensures that these pupils, for the most part, thrive in the school – doing at least as well as other pupils with the same starting points.
• Similarly, good use is made of the primary physical education and sports premium. Although it is a small school, this money is used judiciously to ensure that pupils experience a range of sporting and health-related activities. Whenever possible, the school finds imaginative ways of enabling pupils to take part in team competitions. The small playground provides limited opportunities for exercise and, regrettably, only pupils resident in Clapham and Patching are allowed to exercise in the recreation field a short distance away. Consequently, staff arrange for outings to other venues where they can engage in learning through sport or exercise.
• Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum. They enjoy practical science lessons, opportunities to cook in the cleverly converted ‘outhouse’ kitchen, the rolling programme that enables them to try out musical instruments such as clarinets, flutes and ukuleles and the history and geography work they cover in ‘topic’.
• Pupils experience good-quality religious education. For example, pupils in the mixed Year 2 and 3 class have been learning this term about the different places of worship used by members of the principal religions of the United Kingdom. This helps their understanding of the society in which they are growing up. It also helps them develop appropriate attitudes to diversity and inclusion.
• Pupils told the inspector that one of the ‘great’ things about Clapham and Patching is that they learn to appreciate that not everyone is the same. They respect each other’s differences and understand that life and learning are not as easy for some as they are for others. Their sensitivity reflects the compassionate way in which staff look after those with personal or behavioural challenges. This is great preparation for adult life.
• The school’s contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is, therefore, one of its strengths. This is also true of its work to educate pupils accurately about the rule of law, democracy, freedom and equality. The ethos and atmosphere of Clapham and Patching are fully in accordance with the best of British values.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly supportive of the school. Four of the five governors who met the inspector are current parents or parents of children at the school recently. Governors are sure that the school provides a nurturing environment for vulnerable pupils and those who are particularly skilled.
• Governors do not routinely check that statutory information is updated regularly. They do not compare the school’s policies with similar policies in other schools. They do not take account of changes to national policies and practices quickly enough. For example, the school’s statement about its work with pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is out of date. Similarly, governors have not ensured that the schools’ website has a statement of how they intend to use pupil premium funding in the current year. Although the school uses a scheme to support the teaching of phonics, at the time of the inspection this was not named on the website.
• Governors’ noteworthy concern for the well-being and care of pupils is not matched by rigorous and regular scrutiny of other aspects of the school’s work. Governors are aware of the challenges facing the school’s budget. Governors are also aware that some parents do not believe that the school is acting in the best interests of their children. However, there is little evidence that these two major issues are being addressed and resolved satisfactorily. Governance requires improvement and the governing body needs strengthening with a wider group of representatives. There is only one foundation governor currently and only one local authority governor.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils are safe in school.
• The rightful inclusion of a number of pupils with significant emotional and behavioural needs occasionally causes safeguarding challenges. Staff deal carefully with these situations when they arise. They use a range of skills acquired through good-quality training to manage any risk of harm to the pupils themselves, other pupils or adults in attendance.
• Sometimes, justifiably, the headteacher needs to ask parents to take their child and keep them at home. This is because they present a danger to themselves or other pupils. The decision to exclude pupils is taken rarely and is supported by accurate records of the events and processes leading up to the exclusion.
• Staff ensure that the site is secure and that only appropriate adults are provided with access to the school. Risk assessments for all of the school’s activities are carried out to a good standard. The bursar maintains clear records of the checks made on anyone wishing to work at or volunteer at the school. The bursar also maintains secure and timely records of relevant training in aspects of safeguarding.
• Governors do not yet ensure that policies reflect the effective safeguarding practice and procedures on the ground. For example, the safeguarding policy should include recent government guidance captured in statutory documents such as ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (2016). This is one of the reasons why leadership and management require improvement.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers manage their classrooms efficiently. In each class there are at least two year groups and, within them, a wide range of ability. However, teachers plan work impressively for each pupil.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge in all areas. They use the correct technical language in each subject so that pupils’ vocabulary is growing all the time. There is a good level of consistency in the quality of teaching across all subjects.
• Adults cooperate well in each class. Teaching assistants are usually assigned a specific task or role, often related to a particular pupil. They recognise, however, that they can support other pupils and frequently, tactfully intervene to prevent such pupils from falling behind. Adults across the school question pupils skilfully, probing their understanding and extending their knowledge.
• Reading is taught extremely well. It results in some very high scores in standardised tests. Pupils like reading and make strong progress through the school’s reading scheme. Pupils are taught phonics increasingly effectively. They use phonological skills adeptly to help them when words are unfamiliar or tricky.
• The school’s recovery programme for pupils who have fallen behind with reading has a dramatic impact on their outcomes. Pupils catch up quickly and make rapid learning gains in each session.
• Teachers make good use of the limited resources available. They use information and communications technology to aid their teaching. They take interesting ideas from educational research, such as ‘shoeless learning’, try them out, test them, reject them or adopt them, only if they are found to add value to their existing repertoire of strategies.
• All adults follow the school’s simple assessment and feedback policy. Pupils like the clear guidance they are given to improve their work. They particularly like it when teachers help them in lessons or show them ways in which they can make their work even better.
• Teachers’ imaginative planning and lesson preparation means that little time is wasted in class. They maintain good pace through each session and pupils retain good concentration throughout. Many pupils ask questions arising from their own curiosity, some of which reveal high levels of understanding or articulacy.
• Learning in the classroom is reinforced by suitable homework tasks that encourage parents to engage with what their children are studying. Most parents who responded to the survey like the frequency and content of the home learning that takes place.
• The most able pupils do not always have work pitched at a level that promotes the highest levels of attainment. Sometimes they find the work too easy.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils generally do well in the school and leave ready for the next stage of their education. A few meet the entry requirements for famous independent schools.
• Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and adults. They speak clearly and confidently in front of the whole school and take turns well in lessons. During an assembly, four pupils spontaneously took part in the entertaining acting out of a moral story skilfully led by the headteacher. Their confidence was matched only by their willingness to participate.
• In lessons, the nurturing environment enables pupils to try things out in front of their peers. In a mathematics lesson, for example, individual pupils were showing their working out of answers to complex problems. The others watched patiently.
• Pupils are proud of the school and are pleased to be part of the community, saying, ‘We’re like one big family.’ Older pupils integrate well with younger pupils and like to help out at playtimes and with some aspects of learning. The small group of current Year 6 pupils act as positive role models for the other children. Staff ensure that they are able to experience feeling special by, among other things, Year-6-only sessions in the upstairs space.
• Staff also ensure that pupils are trained to keep themselves safe. Notably, they are trained to stay safe in and around water, when crossing roads, online and, increasingly, in relationships. All safeguarding matters are addressed in sensitive ways appropriate to the ages of the pupils.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is entirely due to their poor attendance. Levels of persistent absence are unacceptably high.
• Although governors are aware that levels of attendance are well below the national average and levels of persistent absence are well above the national average, they have not insisted that the headteacher uses all the powers available to her to attempt to resolve this problem. No fixed-term penalties have been served on parents and no parents have been summoned to court to explain why they fail to get their children to school regularly and on time.
• Leaders rightly judge a pupil to be absent if they arrive after 9.30 in the morning. While many parents transport their children considerable distances to get to school, too many use this as an excuse for late arrival. Parking arrangements at the school are challenging so that even an ‘on time’ arrival can result in a relatively lengthy and hazardous walk from a parking space. This is one of the costs of choosing Clapham and Patching for its idyllic location and its ‘warm, friendly and nurturing environment’.
• Once in school, pupils behave very well. Their conduct is excellent. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is strong. The inspector saw no bad behaviour and no pupils disrupting other pupils’ learning.
• Pupils concentrate well in lessons and show real interest in what they are learning. This was remarkable given the intense heat on both days of the visit. They told the inspector that they like learning, and all the things the school does to help them have exciting learning experiences such as visiting the Houses of Parliament.
• Pupils also explained to the inspector what bullying is. They said that it rarely happens in school and that when it does the teachers take action, ‘and it doesn’t happen again’.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils in almost all year groups make good learning gains in all aspects of the curriculum.
• Published outcomes for 2016 show that Year 6 pupils attained well in standardised tests in reading and mathematics. A small proportion went on to attain higher-than-average scores in these subjects.
• Progress from key stage 1, however, was lower than the national averages in each of reading, writing and mathematics.
• Standards in writing were particularly disappointing, but the headteacher was able to show that a combination of factors, including overly rigorous, inaccurate assessment, led to these weaker outcomes. The impact of the weak outcomes in writing meant that the school’s combined score for the three subjects was lower than national benchmarks in 2016.
• Work in books shows that current pupils’ performance is aligned fully to the age-expected standards in the new national curriculum. Teachers have refocused their planning and activities to ensure that pupils consistently make good progress towards these standards. Much of this practice reflects methods used in the early years where pupils’ individual needs are assessed and taken into account carefully.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also benefit from a specific plan that takes account fully of what they already know, understand and can do. This means that they make strong progress from the point at which they joined the school or started a year group. These pupils do at least as well as other children nationally with similar starting points. The vast majority of their parents are delighted with the progress they make and believe that they would not have done so well in provision elsewhere, saying, ‘This school provides an exceptional environment for its students.’
• Disadvantaged pupils do at least as well as their peers and often better than other pupils nationally. This is because they are few in number as a group and receive the same individualised support as their peers. They are immersed totally in the school’s teaching and learning activity but also gain much from the inclusive and nurturing environment afforded by Clapham and Patching.
• The most able pupils could do even better, given their attitudes to learning, the strong support most receive at home and teachers’ knowledge of their individual skills, aptitudes and interests. They should all attain higher standards consistently in reading and mathematics and work consistently at greater depth in writing.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years get a good start to their schooling. The rural setting and secure site provide a wealth of opportunities for them to learn through play and grow in knowledge and understanding of the world.
• Nearly all pupils currently in Reception are set to achieve a good level of development at the end of the year. This represents considerable progress for the setting. Standards have risen steadily each year. The small size of each cohort means that a single child’s outcomes can have a significant impact on published results. However, concerted effort over time means that staff know how to support each child’s learning so that all do well.
• The leader manages the small Reception unit with care and skill. Over time, she has created a stimulating environment for the children in the main classroom, shared with Year 1, and in the outdoors space. Currently, the two spaces are a long way from each other. This limits the opportunities that children have to flow from one learning space to the other.
• All adults, including volunteers, talk continuously with children so that their communication develops securely. This helps to overcome any initial delay in children’s speech or language. Some of the children already have highly developed vocabulary and speak with confidence. Adults use their successful individualised approach to extend these children so that they exceed age-expectations at the end of Reception.
• The teaching of reading provides children with good skills which they use accurately when confronted by unfamiliar words. Some of the sessions are taught systematically with Year 1 pupils. This helps to reinforce key learning for the older ones and also provides some additional stretch for the younger children.
• In one session, the teacher used all of the technical language associated with teaching phonics. The children’s responses showed that they, too, know how words and sentences are constructed and can talk accurately about this.
• Similarly adults provide a range of good-quality writing activities to aid pupils’ development of fine motor sills, correct pencil grip and approaches to writing. This helps children build early, positive attitudes to the presentation of work.
• Through experience of working with children who have been diagnosed early with special educational needs and/or disabilities, adults have become adept at spotting those who need extra help. As well as supporting identification of such pupils, and contributing to statutory assessment processes, adults intervene quickly so that minimal time is lost in children’s learning and development.
• Disadvantaged pupils in Reception, as in the rest of the school, do at least as well as their peers and often better than other pupils nationally.
• Children’s charming behaviour in the early years is consistently good. They play beautifully together, some with great imagination. In one example, children were using toy foodstuffs to practise using the correct coins in a mocked-up kiosk. They take turns appropriately, and politely ask each other to move if they are in the way. They listen carefully to adults and participate enthusiastically in all activities.
• The early years leader has forged strong links with parents, who speak highly of the way she interacts with them. The early years leader consults parents at the start of their child’s time in school so she can gather basic but helpful information quickly. Parents appreciate her availability at the beginning and end of each day. This also helps the school to maintain an ongoing dialogue about how the children are growing and developing at home and in school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125977 West Sussex 10036820 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 55 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Rosalinde Waite-Jones Jane Jones 01903 871214 www.claphamandpatching.co.uk head@claphamandpatching.w-sussex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 September 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Clapham and Patching Church of England primary school is a much-smaller-than-average school.
• Most pupils are from White British households.
• The population of the school changes frequently, with children moving in and out of the school at regular intervals other than at the end of a key stage. Consequently, it is not possible to set out patterns or trends in the characteristics of each cohort of pupils.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils overall is average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above the national average.
• Overall, the community experiences average levels of deprivation.
• The school is part of an informal local cluster of schools centred on Angmering, West Sussex.
• The proportion of Year 6 pupils eligible to be counted in national performance measures was too small for a meaningful comparison to be made to the government’s current floor targets.
• Currently, no pupils are educated in alternative provision.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in all classes at least twice. All year groups were visited, some as part of whole-class sessions and some in smaller groups. Learning was observed jointly with the headteacher.
• The inspector listened to three pupils reading. He looked at work, particularly writing, in a range of year groups, including some from the previous Year 6. He also took into account 21 responses to Ofsted’s confidential online pupil survey.
• The inspector met six sets of parents and read three letters from parents received during the course of the inspection. He also considered responses to Ofsted’s confidential online survey, Parent View, and read carefully 23 free-text responses submitted through that forum.
• The headteacher worked closely alongside the inspector on all aspects of the inspection. The inspector also met the bursar to discuss safeguarding. He met with all the staff and considered 11 responses to Ofsted’s confidential online staff survey.
• The inspector met a group of governors and a representative of the Diocese of Chichester. He conducted a phone interview with a representative of West Sussex local authority.
• The inspector examined a wide range of the school’s documents including information about current pupils’ progress and attainment, the headteacher’s assessment of the school’s performance, the school’s development plan and the work of the governors and other visitors to the school.

Inspection team

Simon Hughes, lead inspector

Her Majesty’s Inspector