St Giles CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes so they are consistently good or better by:
  • ensuring that teaching challenges all pupils, especially the most able boys, to achieve as well as they can
  • making sure that the work set is at the right level so pupils make faster progress
  • giving pupils effective guidance in how to improve their work
  • improving adults’ subject knowledge, including the teaching of phonics, to improve pupils’ knowledge, understanding and confidence in reading and writing.
• Improve the effectiveness of the early years provision so that children make faster progress, by:
  • providing more opportunities for children to develop their reading and writing skills in a wider range of activities
  • ensuring that children have a clearer understanding of what is required of them and that teachers’ expectations are suitably high
  • creating a purposeful outdoor learning environment.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that subject leaders are more effective in their roles and focus on the
  • progress of different groups of pupils improving the rigour of self-evaluation so that actions to bring about improvement are well targeted and are closely linked to pupils’ progress
  • ensuring that governors have better information about pupils’ performance to help them provide higher levels of challenge and support to leaders. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leadership and management require improvement because leaders have not secured sufficient improvements to ensure that pupils’ outcomes are good. Recent improvements in leadership are starting to remedy these weaknesses, and teaching is improving.
• The new headteacher has analysed the school’s performance over time by evaluating a range of documents and information on pupils’ progress. She has quickly identified that the pace of improvement since the last inspection needs to improve so that all pupils achieve well.
• Leaders’ self-evaluation has not been rigorous enough in the past. Leaders carry out checks on how well teaching is improving learning. The inspector agrees there has been some improvement for current pupils since the start of the school year, but this has been slower than the school believes. Leaders’ judgements about the impact of their actions are not clearly focused on improving how well pupils are progressing.
• Joint observations with the headteacher show that her judgements are accurate and feedback to teachers focuses on ways in which they can improve their methods. The headteacher has accurately identified areas requiring further development, such as the assessment system and the early years environment.
• In the past, subject leaders’ impact on teaching has not been effective enough. They are keen to improve it in their subjects following clearer guidance from the new headteacher. However, they do not check the quality of teaching closely enough to assess its influence on pupils’ progress.
• The support from the local authority has been variable. The local authority helped with the appointment of the new headteacher; however, it has not had a clear focus on pupils’ progress across the school. This has limited the ability of the local authority to influence greater improvement.
• Staff that completed the Ofsted inspection questionnaire are positive about the leadership of the new headteacher. Staff have confidence in leaders and feel well supported.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. Often well-planned lessons motivate pupils’ learning. Subjects are enriched by many trips and visitors. Pupils’ learning is further enhanced by music, French, sport and outdoor learning. For example, Year 3 pupils spoke enthusiastically about their ‘forest school’ (where activities are often taught in the outdoor environment).
• There is a clear commitment to equality and ensuring that there is no discrimination. All pupils, whatever their ability, background or beliefs, have the opportunity to take part in the school’s activities.
• There is a strong emphasis on encouraging pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to respect others and appreciate diversity. For example, the school takes positive steps to widen pupils’ understanding of different religions and cultures. This helps to prepare them for life in modern Britain.
• Parents and carers appreciate the quality of care shown by staff and the variety of methods used to help to develop the confidence of the pupils. Parents and pupils both agree that the school is a friendly, nurturing and harmonious community.
• The school uses the primary education and sports funding effectively. Leaders use this funding to support staff training and for professional coaching to take place. Pupils talk enthusiastically about sport and say that the school encourages them to look after their physical health.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the school’s success and improving outcomes for all pupils. They understand that they need to be more effective to ensure that all pupils achieve well compared to schools nationally and locally.
• Governors are not holding school leaders to account with sufficient rigour. They have accepted underperformance too readily and have not done enough to check the school’s performance for themselves.
• Sometimes governors are presented with information for the school regarding pupils’ progress and attainment which is not clear enough. They do not analyse pupils’ progress carefully enough to challenge leaders to improve it.
• Governors have managed a difficult staffing situation, which has led to the school having three headteachers over the last year. Governors are ambitious for the success of the school and have completed a thorough recruitment process. This has resulted in them ensuring greater stability for the pupils.
• Governors know about how the pupil premium is spent and the impact the allocation of funding has had on vulnerable pupils. Systems for checking the school’s budget, including the monitoring of the sport premium funding, are strong.
• Governors know that they need to improve and they are keen to take advantage of advice and support offered.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The policy is up to date with the latest government requirements and all staff are routinely trained in safeguarding procedures. There are effective relationships with other agencies to ensure that pupils are safe and their welfare needs met. Parents and staff are positive about how well the pupils are cared for and nurtured.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement because they are not consistently good in all classes. As a result, pupils’ progress is inconsistent and not good enough overall.
• The school has established systems for checking and improving pupils’ progress. However, some teachers do not use this information to focus sufficiently well on pupils’ individual learning needs. For example, the most able pupils, in particular, do not always learn quickly with the work set, which they often say is too easy. The expectations of their teachers are not always high enough. When inappropriate work is set, these pupils, as well as others, become restless, lose concentration and their progress slows.
• Pupils are not consistently given opportunities to improve their work, as set out in the school’s assessment policy. The quality of guidance varies from class to class and from subject to subject. Some feedback enables pupils to understand how they are achieving. However, pupils are not consistently clear about what steps to take to improve their work; this means they make less progress.
• The teaching of phonics is not as effective as it needs to be. This is because the subject knowledge of the teachers is not fully secure. In some phonics sessions, adults do not ensure that all pupils are challenged in their learning because work set does not meet their needs.
• There are good opportunities available to develop pupils’ literacy and mathematical skills within subjects that they say they enjoy, such as topic, science and art. However, these opportunities are not always used as effectively as they could be to harness pupils’ enthusiasm and to help them make better progress in their literacy and numeracy work.
• There are some strengths in the quality of teaching, such as the ways in which it promotes pupils to discuss, question each other and work confidently in different ways.
• Relationships between pupils and adults are positive. The pupils respect adults and listen carefully to instructions, which benefits their learning.
• When pupils are interested in what they are doing they learn quickly, although this is not the case in all classes. Teachers’ questioning is usually good and helps pupils to think about their answers carefully. In addition, pupils have opportunities to think hard, apply reasoning and develop skills and understanding in a variety of new situations.
• Teaching assistants provide very effective support, particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, individuals and groups of pupils receive support that focuses carefully on their specific needs.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The majority of parents that responded to Ofsted’s Parent View confirmed that their children were happy and safe.
• The pupils are polite, friendly and well mannered. Pupils are clearly proud of their school and like to share their experiences with other people. One pupil said, ‘The school is caring and we work together well.’
• Pupils are very knowledgeable about how to stay safe, including fire safety, road safety and safety when using the internet.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the various forms of bullying. They know that inappropriate language, name-calling and any form of discrimination are unacceptable. They told the inspector that on the few occasions when bullying occurs, staff deal with it promptly to find a positive resolution. Some parents that completed the online questionnaire raised bullying and behaviour as a concern. The inspector viewed a wide range of evidence which shows that bullying is rare. Pupils who spoke with the inspector agreed that this was the case.
• School staff work effectively with external agencies to support children and their families.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities. For example, the ‘Buddies’ are older pupils who help to mentor the younger children well. They help to organise games at lunchtimes and encourage everyone to respect each other and their community.
• Most pupils behave well in lessons and teachers use these positive attitudes to encourage progress in pupils’ learning. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Occasionally, when pupils are not given sufficient challenge, they are less attentive and do not listen as well as they could.
• Attendance levels are in line with the national picture. Pupils enjoy going to school, and they say the school is ‘fun, educational and amazing’. The school has good procedures in place to check attendance and to challenge and reduce any persistent absence.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ outcomes require improvement because the progress that pupils make across the school is not consistently good. Pupils’ progress in 2016 was not as good as that of other pupils nationally.
• Children enter the school with skills typical for their age and make steady progress in the early years, but too few boys leave the Reception Year with achievements above what is typical for their age. This is because teachers underestimate what some children can do when they join the school and what they are capable of achieving by the time they move into Year 1.
• The proportion of Year 1 pupils who meet the expected standard in the national phonics screening check is in line with the national average. School leaders acknowledge that last year not enough care and attention were taken to ensure that all pupils made good progress. Current information on pupils’ achievement suggests that results will improve this year.
• Most pupils make good progress in key stage 1, and in 2016 attained above the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2.
• Information kept by the school about the current pupils in Year 6 indicates that they are making better progress than in the past. The work seen during the inspection confirms this improving picture. This means that the current Year 6 pupils are better prepared for secondary school.
• In 2016, the national tests were evaluating the higher standards of the revised national curriculum. This means that it is not possible to compare 2016 standards with previous years. However, progress measures indicate that pupils’ achievement was below that of other pupils nationally. Some weaknesses in teaching and assessment meant that pupils’ past achievements were not assessed accurately.
• The most able pupils in key stage 1 make good progress in mathematics and reading, attaining above the national average. Attainment in writing is in line with that of other pupils nationally. By the end of key stage 2, the most able boys do not achieve the higher levels they are capable of. This is because teachers’ expectations are not consistently high enough.
• The inspector was able to evaluate the starting points of these pupils, and school-based evidence indicates a picture of improving progress.
• The school uses pupil premium funding well to provide extra support for disadvantaged pupils and disadvantaged most able pupils. The small number in each year group means it is hard to make meaningful comparisons without identifying individual pupils. The progress of these pupils is closely checked and school leaders adjust their work to ensure they make good progress.
• The very few pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support from teachers and teaching assistants, which is suited to their specific needs. They currently make good progress from their individual starting points.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The early years requires improvement because too few boys make enough progress given their starting points. Children start in the early years with skills and knowledge that are broadly typical for their age. By the time they leave the early years they have made expected progress and the vast majority are ready for the transition into key stage 1.
• Teachers do not have the highest expectations to challenge children in their learning. This is because leaders do not assist staff to make effective assessment to enable them to carefully identify a child’s next steps in learning and, therefore, ensure strong progress.
• Teaching in the early years is improving but there is variability in some of the activities that promote reading and writing. Staff use good-quality questioning to engage children and develop their thinking.
• Children enjoy a wide range of interesting activities that engage them with their learning. However, when teachers describe the activities available to children, especially those outdoors, children are not clear about how they might learn and develop new skills. Activities in the outdoor area do not always promote effective learning.
• Support for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Adults have clear plans in place and cater for these children to ensure that their needs are met.
• Children behave well. They work well together and enjoy taking turns equally. Adults have created a caring and positive environment in which children feel secure and able to engage in their learning.
• Parents are very supportive of their children’s learning in the early years. They told the inspector that they find it easy to communicate with staff and that their children are safe and happy.
• Child protection and safeguarding arrangements are thorough. The environment meets welfare requirements and children are kept safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 126057 West Sussex 10024644 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 aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 120 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Marion Lott Hilary Douch Telephone number 01825 790 240 Website Email address http://www.st-giles.w-sussex.sch.uk office@stgilesprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 February 2013

Information about this school

• This school is smaller than the average primary school. The five classes all have mixed age groups.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British, with very few who speak English as an additional language or come from minority ethnic groups.
• The proportion of pupils supported by funding through the pupil premium is well below average. In 2016, there were fewer than five disadvantaged pupils in Year 2 and in Year 6.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Children in the early years are taught full time in a mixed Reception and Year 1 class.
• There have been considerable staff changes since the last inspection, including at senior level. A new headteacher was appointed last term. Over half the teachers have joined the school within the last year.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in 11 lessons; nine of these were joint observations with the headteacher.
• Discussions took place with several groups of pupils, as well as informal conversations with other pupils during lessons and at playtimes. The inspector listened to pupils read and talked to them about books they enjoy.
• The inspector observed the school’s work. He looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance and pupils’ work in books.
• Meetings were held with school staff, four members of the governing body, parents and carers.
• The inspector took account of the 58 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire, as well as one written contribution from a parent.
• The inspector took into consideration eight responses to the online staff questionnaire and 50 responses to the online pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

David Harris, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector