Nyewood CofE Infant School, Bognor Regis Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Secure further improvements in pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 1 by ensuring that: disadvantaged pupils make better progress in writing teaching consistently provides sufficient challenge for the most able pupils so that they make as much progress as possible all groups of pupils attend regularly.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Numerous staff changes, including at senior leadership level, have slowed the pace of improvement in the school since the previous inspection. However, the quality of teaching and learning has improved substantially during the past two years. As a result, pupils make much better progress than previously.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher work very well together and are ambitious for the school’s future. They have established a strong staff team who are committed to playing their part in the school’s development.
• The school’s friendly, inclusive and hard-working atmosphere contributes well to pupils’ enjoyment of school. One parent commented, ‘It’s the personal touches, such as the friendly face at the school gate in the morning, which make Nyewood stand out from the rest.’
• Leaders and teachers give pupils regular opportunities to learn about world religions and to reflect about their own experiences and beliefs. Pupils contribute thoughtfully during assemblies and listen respectfully to the views of their classmates.
• The school’s use of physical education funding contributes well to the quality of teaching and to pupils’ enjoyment of sport. Leaders make good use of a variety of resources, such as training and specialist coaches, to improve teachers’ confidence about teaching in this subject.
• The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced. Leaders and teachers work hard to plan learning which interests and enthuses pupils. They teach pupils about British values effectively throughout the curriculum and during events such as assemblies and visits.
• A wide range of clubs and activities inspire pupils to be active during the school day. For example, during the inspection a group of pupils in the dining hall talked excitedly about joining in with the football club when they had finished their lunch.
• The inclusion leader understands pupils’ needs very well and provides good-quality support for pupils and their families. She ensures that teachers and teaching assistants are well informed about pupils’ needs. Special educational needs funding provides help flexibly and successfully for pupils, according to their different needs.
• Leaders and governors make sure that pupil premium funding is used efficiently to support pupils’ learning. As a result, disadvantaged pupils’ progress has improved during recent years. However, leaders are aware that disadvantaged pupils need to make even better progress, particularly in writing, if they are to achieve as well as they should by the end of key stage 1.

Governance of the school

• Governors have developed a range of activities since the previous inspection which support their roles well. For example, they use meetings with subject leaders and visits to the school effectively to gain a first-hand view of the school’s work. As a result, governors know the difference that improvements in teaching and leadership have made to pupils’ learning. They have an accurate and realistic view of the school’s work and provide good levels of challenge for school leaders.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders make sure that the school is orderly, well organised and attractive, so that pupils can learn and play safely. Systematic procedures and clear routines underpin the school’s calm and positive atmosphere.
• Leaders take any worries about pupils’ welfare very seriously and act promptly wherever concerns arise. They work well with parents and carers, and with agencies, such as children’s services, to support pupils’ safety and well-being.
• Leaders make sure that recruitment checks are completed promptly and fully. Safeguarding records are thorough, up to date and securely stored.
• Staff and governors are knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures and know what to do if they are worried about a pupil’s safety. Strong teamwork and clear lines of communication contribute to the school’s effective safeguarding procedures.
• Parents say that leaders and teachers make sure that their children are comfortable and safe, with one commenting, ‘Teachers are happy to listen and help with any concerns we may have.’

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers are enthusiastic about the subjects they teach. Engaging activities capture and encourage pupils’ interest so that pupils are keen to learn. One parents summed up the feelings of many when she commented, ‘Teachers are caring, skilled and passionate.’
• Teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding during lessons. For example, they routinely ask questions such as, ‘How do you know?’ and ‘What will happen next?’ so that pupils have to think carefully.
• Teachers work closely with teaching assistants to provide good-quality extra help for pupils who are finding learning more difficult, including for those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. As a result, pupils learn well.
• The teaching of phonics has improved in the past two years. The school’s consistent and well-established approach to teaching phonics works well. Phonics teaching equips pupils with secure reading and writing skills which contribute effectively to their progress in English.
• Teachers provide pupils with good-quality reading books which appeal to a wide range of interests. They make sure that pupils have plenty of opportunities to read, discuss and celebrate books so that pupils of all abilities develop a love of reading.
• In the past year, the school’s focus on developing pupils’ reasoning skills has improved pupils’ mathematical understanding. Teachers make good use of equipment to illustrate mathematical concepts and to support pupils’ learning in mathematics. For example, during the inspection pupils used number squares and counters to help them to tackle number problems successfully.
• Good-quality and carefully focused support for pupils who are new to speaking English ensures that they make rapid progress.
• The quality of teaching and learning has improved considerably since the previous inspection, and substantially so in the past two years. Leaders are aware that a few variations in the quality of teaching remain. They know, for example, that teaching does not deepen learning for the most able pupils consistently enough. Leaders have appropriate plans in place to develop teachers’ practice and to address future priorities for improvement.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school’s clubs contribute well to pupils’ enjoyment of school and to the development of healthy lifestyles. For example, during the inspection pupils of all ages participated enthusiastically in a wide range of organised games and activities in the playground.
• Pupils feel safe in school. They are aware of some of the steps the school takes to keep them safe, such as regular fire drills and locked gates, and understand how these precautions are important. Pupils know some of the risks associated with using the internet and understand what they can do to help to stay safe.
• Pupils say that occasionally a few pupils are unkind but that bullying is rarely a problem. They say that adults take good care of them if pupils are worried. School records, discussions with leaders and parents’ comments confirm this positive view.
• All parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire consider their children to be safe in school.
• Senior leaders’ relentless focus on improving pupils’ attendance during the past two years has secured considerable improvement in attendance. However, some pupils achieve less well than their peers because they miss too much school. Attendance rates continue to lag behind national averages, despite improvements.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils work well together in lessons, listen carefully to their classmates’ ideas and share resources sensibly.
• Pupils move quickly, quietly and sensibly between lessons and around the school. They speak politely to adults and treat each other with respect.
• Most parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire feel that pupils are well behaved in school.
• Most pupils behave well in the classrooms and during playtimes. However, sometimes small numbers of pupils become distracted during lessons in some classes. As a result, they get less work done than their classmates.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils learn well and make rapid progress in English, mathematics and other subjects. A significant increase in standards at the end of key stage 1 in 2017 illustrates the school’s success in improving teaching during the past few years.
• Pupils make particularly strong progress in reading. Pupils use phonics and other strategies confidently to read unfamiliar words. The most able pupils read fluently and comment perceptively about their reading.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading at the end of Year 2 increased substantially in 2017 and was close to the national average. Rising standards ensure that pupils at the end of key stage 1 are well prepared with the fundamental reading skills needed to learn successfully in the next stage of their education.
• Pupils of all abilities speak enthusiastically about books. They enjoy learning about authors and reading new books during special events, such as ‘World Book Day’. Pupils like to earn school certificates and awards for their successes in reading and are understandably proud of their achievements.
• Pupils have made much better progress in writing and mathematics in the past 18 months than previously. Standards in writing and mathematics improved considerably in 2017. Ongoing developments in teaching have ensured that more pupils are currently on track to achieve expected standards in writing and mathematics in 2018.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make rapid progress and learn well. Specialist support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, such as speech therapy and the nurture group, contributes well to the development of pupils’ personal skills and to their confidence.
• Those pupils for whom English is an additional language rapidly acquire key speaking and listening skills. As a result, they make similar progress to their classmates.
• Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress in reading and mathematics. As a result, the differences between disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and those of other pupils nationally are rapidly diminishing. However, disadvantaged pupils make slower progress in writing, so that outcomes in this subject at the end of Year 2 are lower than those in reading and mathematics.
• The most able pupils learn increasingly well and many make strong progress. However, variations in the quality of teaching mean that some of the most able pupils do not achieve as well as they should by the end of key stage 1.

Early years provision Good

• Improvements in the quality of teaching have led to a steady increase in the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception Year over the past three years. Good-quality teaching ensures that children make rapid progress during early years. In 2017, the proportion achieving a good level of development matched the national average. As a result, children are increasingly well prepared for learning in Year 1.
• Teachers know the children very well. Each year, they use a range of activities, such as visits to nurseries and meetings with parents, to get to know the children and to help them to get off to a good start in school. As a result, children quickly grow in confidence and learn well.
• Adults combine a wide range of engaging activities with skilful questioning to interest children and to motivate them to find out more. For example, during the inspection an adult punctuated her discussion with children with questions such as, ‘How many cups of water do you think you will need to fill the container?’, ‘How many ducks are going down the river?’ and ‘How many will there be if you add one more?’ As a result, she was able to check and extend children’s understanding of number while they were engrossed in water play.
• Children like to play and to learn alongside their friends. They are curious about the world, cheerfully join in with activities and behave well.
• Parents are pleased with the way their children have settled into school life. For example, one said, ‘My child loves going to school,’ while another commented, ‘My child comes home from school every day with a smile.’
• Adults make sure that children are safe and comfortable. They have established clear expectations and routines so that children feel secure.
• Leaders accurately recognise strengths in early years teaching, as well as aspects in need of further improvement. They know, for example, that, as in other year groups, disadvantaged children do not achieve as well as they should in writing and that the most able could make better progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 126052 West Sussex 10040703 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 Voluntary aided 5–7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 258 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address David Mobsby Jacqueline Cobb 01243 823283 www.nyewood-inf.w-sussex.sch.uk head@nyewood-inf.w-sussex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 February 2014

Information about this school

• The school is an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is lower than that found in most primary schools.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is in line with the national average.
• A statutory inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools (SIAMS) was carried out on 5–6 February 2018, when the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a Church of England School was judged ‘outstanding’.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed pupils’ learning in 30 lessons, including 19 alongside senior leaders. 

• Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other school leaders, the business manager and two representatives of the local authority. They also met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body.
• Inspectors took account of 21 responses to Parent View, as well as considering the views expressed by parents informally during the school day. They also considered 25 responses to the staff questionnaire. 

• Inspectors 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. 

• Inspectors reviewed a sample of pupils’ work provided by the school, as well as looking at pupils’ work in lessons. They listened to pupils in Year 2 reading. 


Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector Cassie Buchanan Krista Dawkins

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector