Durrington Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Raise standards of achievement further in all subjects by: maintaining recent improvements in teaching and progress so all pupils achieve as well as they should enriching the curriculum so that pupils are highly motivated and achieve very well in all subjects.
• Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • middle leaders continue to develop the skills to drive improvements in their areas of responsibility
  • improvements in assessments of pupils’ progress are embedded
  • the impact of additional funding is published on the website and meets statutory requirements.
• Ensure that the early years outside learning area is planned, organised and resourced in a way that fully meets children’s needs.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• In the short time the co-headteachers have been in post they have made a significant and positive difference to the school. They have worked closely together to provide strong and effective leadership. Ably supported by the assistant headteachers and other senior leaders, they have driven rapid improvements in teaching, achievement and behaviour. This has been recognised and appreciated by staff and parents.
• The changes made by the co-headteachers are having an impact on standards throughout the school, which are now good. Leaders and teachers understand their accountability and recognise the shared responsibility they have in ensuring that they all contribute to the school’s improvement.
• Leaders have ensured a more consistent approach to the assessment of pupils’ progress. Although this is still developing, it is already helping leaders and teachers know pupils’ levels of attainment and progress. Senior staff and subject leaders now keep a close check on pupils’ progress. If anyone starts to fall behind, swift action is taken to make sure they catch up. As a result, pupils’ achievement is improving rapidly.
• Provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. The newly appointed leader ensures that teaching assistants and resources are carefully targeted to make the most impact.
• Parents are very supportive of the school. Responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, indicate that 90% of parents would recommend the school to others. Parents are particularly pleased with the caring and welcoming approach of the staff; they like the fact that the staff are available should they need to talk to them. They have noticed that communications from the school have improved considerably.
• Middle leaders are motivated and supportive of the co-headteachers’ actions to improve the school. However, some are fairly new to their role and are still developing the necessary skills to improve their areas of responsibility.
• The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced and covers the full range of national curriculum subjects. Inspectors were able to observe evidence of colourful displays and some stunning artwork. Leaders recognise that further work is needed to ensure that the curriculum is even more creative and interesting so that pupils are motivated to work hard and do well.
• Pupils learn about working together and being part of the school community in assemblies and lessons. The school’s values are promoted through the ‘working together windmill’, which encourages pupils to consider other people. Consequently, pupils develop a good understanding of their place in modern British society.
• The leadership of the sports premium is highly effective. A sports technician is used effectively by the school to promote physical activity and this has helped raise standards and levels of participation. The range of sports activities and clubs has increased and pupils say they enjoy the opportunity to attend these clubs.

Governance of the school

• Governance at the school is good.
• Governors know the school well and use this knowledge to focus on the priorities for improvement. They ensure their statutory duties are met.
• Governors have responded well to recent training opportunities. They request the correct performance information from school leaders and rightly challenge them to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.
• As a result of this increased challenge, the pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils and the sports premium are now used more effectively, resulting in better outcomes for pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and statutory requirements are met. The school is vigilant in this aspect of its work and it has created a safeguarding group to ensure its practice is as good as it can be.
• The checks and record-keeping regarding the suitability of staff are rigorous. The school’s single central record is accurate and well maintained.
• Parents say they like the fact that the school takes safeguarding very seriously.
• The school has arranged recent and useful safeguarding training for staff and governors. In response, the school is aware of how to support and protect its pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching throughout the school is good. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and question pupils skilfully to establish their levels of understanding.
• Teachers plan their lessons well and ensure that they match pupils’ learning needs. They establish good relationships within lessons, so pupils work together and support each other.
• The teaching of phonics is good and this is helping the pupils with their reading and learning throughout the school.
• Teachers and teaching assistants are making a positive difference to pupils’ learning by ensuring that they use the school’s behaviour strategies consistently. This means that in most lessons there is an uninterrupted focus on learning. Pupils want to listen, they work together well and they respond respectfully to each other. For example, in a mathematics lesson where the pupils were completely focused on their work, they were enthusiastically discussing the mathematical challenges given to them.
• Teachers have worked hard to improve pupils’ writing skills. This has had a positive impact throughout the school and particularly in the early years.
• The school has focused strongly on improving the teaching of mathematics and the impact here is good. Questioning in mathematics lessons is particularly strong.
• Teachers deliver the key learning points in lessons clearly. They work in close partnership with their teaching assistants, making sure all pupils are appropriately supported and challenged to do their best.
• Teachers plan lessons carefully to make sure they meet the needs of the most able pupils. Teachers’ skilful questioning ensures that these pupils are challenged and achieve well.
• The local authority has provided good support, particularly since the federation with the junior school. This has helped the new co-headteachers and other leaders to implement the changes necessary to improve teaching and learning throughout the school so that it is now good.
• Where routines in lessons are not well established, pupils are less clear about what they should do next and consequently the pace of their learning slows.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Leaders place a high priority on their work in this area.
• Pupils say that they like to help each other in lessons and that they enjoy coming to school.
• Play and lunch breaks are an enjoyable time of the day for pupils. This is because these times are well organised and supervised and a wide range of play resources are provided.
• Pupils play well together. Pupils from the junior school help encourage games during lunch breaks, which is a sign of the shared links and ethos of the federated schools.
• Attendance has improved and now is in line with the national averages. The school monitors the various groups of pupils very carefully and places a high priority on attendance. For example, in the weekly celebration assembly a special award is presented to the class with the highest attendance.
• Pupils say they feel safe and can share what they need to do to keep themselves safe. They know about ‘Stranger Danger’ and about e-safety and why it is important.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare and if it did happen they would know what to do and who to tell.
• The school runs a before- and after-school club. This is appreciated by the pupils, who enjoy the activities, and also by the parents, who value the provision. One parent told inspectors how the provision helps her manage her day.

Behaviour

• Behaviour is good.
• The co-headteachers deliberately focused on improving behaviour early in their leadership. They introduced a new behaviour policy and have ensured it is followed consistently. Pupils’ behaviour throughout the school is now very good. The pupils say that school staff deal with poor behaviour fairly and promptly.
• Pupils’ perceptions of their school are very positive. Pupils like the teachers and the school staff and recognise how hard they work. One pupil told inspectors, ‘Our teachers give us hard work and that helps us learn better’.
• In class, pupils usually behave very well by listening to the teacher and their classmates with respect. Some minor off-task behaviour was observed during the inspection.
• Parents who spoke to the inspectors say they have noticed the improvements the school has made in the behaviour of the pupils. School leaders say that visitors now often remark on the good behaviour of the pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils are improving and are now good. The school is keeping a close check on pupils’ progress through the school and as a consequence pupils are achieving more. Attainment throughout the school is improving with more pupils now achieving in line with national expectations. This improving picture of achievement has yet to have an impact at the end of key stage 1, where results for 2016 are likely to be still below the national averages in mathematics and writing. Outcomes for pupils are good, as the achievement of current pupils has significantly improved.
• In mathematics, reading and writing the school can now demonstrate strong improvement. The school’s information about the performance of current pupils shows that they are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and that a high proportion of pupils are now working at the expected levels.
• The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was above the national average in 2016.
• The provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective and currently these pupils make expected or better progress from their differing starting points. The school has ensured that this aspect of its work is closely monitored.
• Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress. The robust challenge from the governing body has helped school leaders to improve the impact of its pupil premium funding and it is now carefully matched to the needs of these pupils. However, leaders have not ensured that there is enough information on the school’s website about how this funding is used and the good impact it has.
• The infant school has worked closely with the federated junior school to ensure a smooth transition. This has helped prepare the infant pupils well for the next stage in their learning.
• Pupils of differing abilities read widely and say they enjoy their reading. The school ensures that the pupils’ home reading books are well matched to their ability. Pupils confidently use their good phonic skills to help them read.
• The pupils’ books show that their work is presented to a high standard. They also show that pupils make good progress over time. Pupils’ work is sensitively displayed around the school and is of a very high standard demonstrating the school’s high expectations. Pupils are proud to talk about their work.
• Pupils enjoy the opportunities to learn across a range of subjects. They like the visits organised by the school to enhance their learning. The school has a wide range of clubs. One pupil explained to an inspector that she enjoys going to the library club and the gardening club.
• The most able pupils are given opportunities to achieve their best through the school’s enrichment programme. The additional challenges provided through this programme, combined with provision in lessons, helps the most able pupils achieve well. Their work shows the good progress they are making.
• Most parents who responded to the online parental questionnaire either agreed or strongly agreed that their child is making good progress at the school. Parents who spoke to inspectors were also very happy with the school’s efforts in this respect.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership and management of the early years is good. The focus on the teaching of writing throughout last year has had a significant impact on the standard of the children’s work in the Reception classes.
• The percentage of children achieving a good level of development has improved and in 2016 was above the national average.
• Parents who spoke to the inspectors say that the induction process before and at the start of the school year is excellent and this has led to their children settling quickly into school.
• Teaching in both the Nursery and Reception is good. Teachers and the teaching assistants work well together and the children are able to sustain their learning for long periods. In a Nursery lesson, children enjoyed counting model dinosaurs, some working independently, while others who needed it were well supported.
• While phonics is taught well and the children enjoy these lessons, on occasions teachers and teaching assistants do not consistently extend the children’s vocabulary.
• The children’s behaviour is good. They play together respectfully and cooperate with each other. Teachers and teaching assistants intervene effectively to ensure that the children remain interested and engaged.
• Children’s learning journals are colourful and at times stunning in their presentation. They reflect the high expectations the teachers have for the children.
• Children throughout the early years are well looked after in a caring learning environment. All safeguarding and welfare requirements are met.
• Good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities helps them do well. The teachers ensure that support is well matched to children’s needs.
• Disadvantaged children are given close support throughout the school, including in the early years. Leaders have noted that improvements here are having a sustained impact over time. For example, in 2016 most disadvantaged pupils achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check.
• The early years classrooms are well resourced with appropriate play equipment to help engage the children in their learning. Children were seen using computers confidently and independently.
• The educational provision in the Nursery class is good, offering a wide range of play activities. The indoor play areas such as the home corner and the snack corner encourage role play and this is helping develop the children’s language skills; for example, a child was heard talking about, ‘Helping mummy look after the baby’.
• The children in Nursery play confidently using the inside and outside space. They talk with the adults who supervise them and communicate their needs clearly. Some, but not all, children are starting to form pre-letter shapes.
• The outdoor area is underdeveloped as a place for the children to play and extend their learning vocabulary.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125862 West Sussex 10012308 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 256 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Co-Headteachers Telephone number Website Email address John Daughtrey Sara Ensor 01903 260138 www.durringtoninfantjunior.co.uk head@dfed.co.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 May 2014

Information about this school

• After a period of staffing turbulence, in September 2015 two co-headteachers were appointed to run both this infant school and the on-site junior school.
• At the time of the last inspection the school was a first school, which means it educated pupils from Reception to Year 3. The school ceased to be a first school in July 2015 and became an infant school with pupils from Reception Year to the end of Year 2.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the pupil premium strategy on its website.
• Durrington Infant School is much larger than the average-sized infant school.
• Durrington Infant and Junior Schools were federated on April 2011. From that date the two schools share the same governing body.
• The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is higher than that found in most schools.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than the national average.
• There is a breakfast club and an after-school club which pupils from both the infant and junior schools attend. There is a nursery attached to the infant school.
• Durrington Junior School was inspected at the same time as the infant school.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed learning in 15 lessons or part lessons. One lesson was a joint observation with the headteacher. The inspectors also observed the children at play, at lunch break and during an assembly. The inspectors also listened to children read.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the chair of the governing body and one other governor. The inspectors met with the headteacher and the headteacher of the federated junior school. Inspectors also met with assistant headteachers and other senior staff. Additionally, a meeting was held with a representative of the local authority.
• The inspectors took into account the 41 responses to the Parent View questionnaire survey. Inspectors took into account the 48 responses of the pupils to the online questionnaire and the 46 responses returned by the staff. Inspectors also listened to the views of several parents when they brought their children to school.
• The inspectors looked at a range of school documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ current attainment and progress, safeguarding, the school’s self-evaluation, attendance and behaviour records.

Inspection team

Kevin Parfoot, lead inspector Cassie Buchanan Stephanie Scutter Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector