Colgate Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that teaching deepens and extends learning sufficiently for the most able pupils in English, mathematics and other subjects.
• Strengthen pupils’ progress in writing by: embedding recent improvements in the teaching of writing to ensure a consistent approach across the school making sure that teachers have high expectations of pupils’ written work.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has won the respect of pupils, staff, governors and parents since her appointment in 2016. She has improved staff morale and established a confident, hard-working and positive atmosphere in the school.
• All staff who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire feel that the school has improved since the previous inspection and say that they are proud to work in the school.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher work very well together as a team. In the past 18 months, they have worked constructively and successfully with all members of staff to review, refresh and enhance the quality of teaching throughout the school.
• Teachers and teaching assistants have welcomed opportunities to improve their practice during the past 18 months and pupils’ progress has improved in all year groups.
• Leaders and governors have established thorough and rigorous procedures for checking the school’s performance. As a result, they have a very clear view about the quality of teaching and learning, and know what the school’s priorities should be to secure further improvement.
• Leaders have improved teachers’ understanding of how to support pupils of all abilities, including those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. They use SEN funding effectively to support pupils’ learning and personal development.
• Leaders and teachers regularly check and discuss pupils’ progress, making changes to planned teaching to meet pupils’ needs more effectively. Leaders make good use of additional funds, such as the pupil premium, to provide extra help for pupils where needed, so that all pupils make equally strong progress.
• The school’s broad and balanced curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Good-quality teaching equips pupils with the key knowledge and skills needed to achieve well across all subjects.
• Pupils understand that people have different beliefs and they respect the views of others. They learn about a number of world religions, including Christianity, during their time in the school.
• Leaders use the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium effectively to develop pupils’ sports skills. For example, training has ensured that teachers have the knowledge and confidence to teach aspects of PE, such as dance and gymnastics, more confidently and effectively than before. The recently updated curriculum plans ensure that pupils experience an increasingly wide range of sports and games as they move up through the school.
• Parents and staff express confidence in the school’s leadership. All parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend the school to other parents.

Governance of the school

• Governors are knowledgeable about the school’s work and regularly ask leaders challenging questions about the school’s performance. They use a range of information, including the headteacher’s detailed reports, to check that developments in the school are on track and making a positive difference to pupils’ learning. Improvements in the way teachers assess and report pupils’ progress have given governors a clearer view of how well different groups of pupils are learning, including disadvantaged pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders give pupils’ safety an appropriately high profile. The school is orderly and well maintained so that staff and pupils can work safely.
• The headteacher has tightened up safety procedures since her appointment. For example, she has established a more rigorous system for recording and monitoring safety issues and has strengthened site security.
• Leaders make sure that recruitment and safeguarding checks are completed fully. They deliver a cycle of training which ensures that staff and governors are regularly updated about safeguarding requirements so that they know what to do it they have any concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching has improved since the headteacher’s appointment. Good-quality teaching ensures that pupils make strong progress and achieve increasingly well.
• Improvements in mathematics teaching mean that teachers have a more confident understanding of how to develop pupils’ mathematics skills than before. For example, they give pupils regular opportunities to discuss and use their mathematical knowledge to solve number problems. This approach is strengthening pupils’ mathematical understanding.
• A systematic and consistent approach to the teaching of reading skills, including the effective teaching of phonics, ensures that pupils become competent readers. The school’s library provides a wide range of good-quality texts, including a number of more challenging books for the most proficient readers.
• In the past year, leaders and teachers have reviewed and updated the teaching of writing. As a result, pupils are making better progress in developing the writing skills they need to achieve well in English. However, some developments are very recent and are not yet fully established in all classes. Consequently, there are variations in the quality of English teaching between classes and in teachers’ expectations of pupils’ written work.
• Teachers and teaching assistants are increasingly knowledgeable about supporting pupils with different needs, including those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. However, teaching does not deepen and extend learning well enough for the most able pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils of all ages feel secure in school. They say that adults take good care of them and make sure that they are safe. Pupils have a sensible view of everyday risks and know some of the steps they can take to stay safe.
• Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. Leaders work effectively with parents to support pupils’ attendance and well-being. During the past year, leaders have introduced a more rigorous system for tracking pupils’ attendance. This has enabled leaders to identify and address any concerns more quickly than before. Attendance rates increased in 2017.
• Improvements in teaching mean that pupils are better equipped with strategies to tackle more difficult tasks successfully. However, some pupils give up too easily when asked to complete more demanding work. The school is working to develop pupils’ resilience so that they have the confidence to keep going when tackling more challenging work.
• The school’s daily ‘board games club’ provides a safe, welcoming place for pupils to relax and meet friends before the start of school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave sensibly throughout the school. They are considerate, respectful and polite.
• Pupils say that adults always sort out any problems which may arise, and that bullying is rare. The school’s records and discussions with leaders confirm this positive view.
• Most pupils behave well during lessons. However, sometimes a few pupils lose focus and become distracted, and so get less work done than their classmates.
• All parents who completed Parent View say that pupils are happy, safe and well behaved.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Developments in teaching during the past 18 months have improved pupils’ learning across the school. Pupils complete good-quality work in English, mathematics and a range of subjects. Standards are rising across the school and, as a result, pupils are increasingly well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
• The relatively small numbers of pupils in each year group mean that nationally published outcomes do not always give an accurate picture of pupils’ learning. Teachers’ assessments and the work in pupils’ books demonstrate pupils’ strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils are keen readers. They like to choose books from the school’s library and they read regularly. Pupils speak with interest about their favourite books and authors.
• Pupils make good use of strategies, including phonics, to help them to read unfamiliar words. Developments in the teaching of phonics during the past year have contributed to pupils’ improved progress in reading and writing. The results of the Year 1 phonics screening check increased substantially in 2017.
• Improvements in the teaching of mathematics during the past year mean that pupils are able to solve number problems with increasing confidence and success. They enjoy discussing and choosing different strategies for tackling tasks and develop a secure mathematical understanding.
• Pupils’ progress in writing has improved during the past year. Pupils are much more thoughtful about how to write for different audiences than previously. They understand the value of rereading and checking their work to ensure that it makes sense, and to identify and correct errors. However, there are some differences in the quality of pupils’ written work between classes and subjects, due to variations in teachers’ expectations and in the teaching of writing.
• Developments in teaching have ensured that all groups of pupils learn equally well, including those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, the small number of disadvantaged pupils in each class and the most able. However, while the most able pupils make strong progress, they could achieve even more by the end of Year 6.

Early years provision Good

• The quality of teaching and learning during the early years has improved substantially since the previous inspection. As a result, children learn well. In 2016, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development matched the national average with a further increase in 2017.
• Leaders assess children’s starting points accurately and make good use of these assessments to plan learning.
• Teachers’ enthusiasm for learning is infectious. Children are excited about the world around them and are keen to do well. For example, during the inspection, children watched their teacher intently before enthusiastically offering their own ideas about the properties of shapes.
• Adults establish clear expectations and routines at the start of the year, so that children settle quickly and feel secure. Strong relationships throughout the early years contribute well to children’s sense of security and to their learning. Parents say that they are very happy with their children’s progress.
• The early years team works very well together to support children’s learning and well-being. Teachers and teaching assistants meet regularly to review children’s progress and to plan future activities. This ensures that all members of the early years team understand each child’s needs.
• All members of the early years team are vigilant about children’s safety so that children can play and learn securely. Children behave sensibly and get on well together.
• Leaders and teachers have reorganised and updated the early years classroom during the past year. This has ensured that children are able to choose activities and move between areas more easily than before. Recent changes to the outdoor area, including the introduction of more appealing and stimulating activities, have ensured that children learn as well outside as they do in the classroom.
• Teachers provide a wide range of carefully planned activities which capture and encourage children’s interest. As a result, children enjoy school and quickly grow in confidence and self-esteem. Leaders have suitable plans in place to ensure that activities challenge and extend children’s understanding more effectively, particularly for the most able children.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125825 West Sussex 10037816 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 133 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Marcus Summersfield Rebecca Winn 01293 851 254

http://colgate.eschools.co.uk/website office@colgateprimary.org.uk

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is similar to that found in most primary schools.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.
• The school runs an early morning board games club, which was included in this inspection.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed pupils’ learning in seven lessons with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.
• The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and a representative of the local authority. She also met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body.
• The inspector took account of 59 responses to Parent View, including 57 free-text comments, as well as considering the views expressed by parents informally during the school day. She also considered 16 responses to the staff questionnaire and 75 responses to the pupil questionnaire.
• The inspector observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation documents, safeguarding policies, the school improvement plan, and information about pupils’ progress and attendance.
• The inspector looked at a sample of pupils’ work provided by the school, as well as pupils’ work in lessons. She listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 reading.

Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector