Filleigh Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • senior leaders regularly make thorough checks on pupils’ progress as well as their attainment, and act swiftly to tackle any inconsistencies that exist
  • leaders promote the highest expectations for pupils’ progress and provide teachers with the ongoing challenge and guidance they require
  • the governing body is provided with the information it requires to regularly and robustly challenge school leaders, holding them stringently to account for the impact of their actions
  • leaders improve communication with parents.  Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by ensuring that:
  • teachers in Year 1 ensure that phonics activities are well matched to meet pupils’ needs
  • teachers make better use of the information about what pupils know, can do and understand to help pupils make rapid progress across all subjects
  • all teachers provide the most able pupils with the challenge and support they need to make consistently good progress, particularly in mathematics.
• Improve the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils by:
  • ensuring that leaders work effectively to improve attendance rates for pupils, particularly for those who are persistently absent from school. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium 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

• Unavoidable staff absence over the past academic year has slowed the school’s improvement journey. Leaders have struggled to sustain a culture where all pupils thrive academically. With permanent staff in place, leaders are successfully steering the school back on course. However, action has not been swift enough. Pupils’ progress remains variable.
• Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching have not had a sharp enough focus on improving outcomes for all groups of pupils from their different starting points. Leaders are not explicit enough when communicating expectations. Advice to teachers is not always given in a timely manner. This slows down the pace of improvement and results in inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across the school.
• The approach to school improvement is not systematic. Although school leaders understand the strengths of the school, they do not set precise and measurable targets to tackle the weaknesses. Consequently, initiatives are not embedded quickly enough. The measures to check success are too vague to help governors evaluate their impact on raising pupils’ achievement. For example, governors do not have a clear enough understanding of the impact of pupil premium funding on the progress of disadvantaged pupils.
• Leadership responsibilities across the school are not clearly defined. Middle leaders regularly attend subject leader briefings led by the local authority. These leaders are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. However, not all play a big enough part in school improvement. As a result, there are inconsistencies in teachers’ subject knowledge. This leads to uneven progress for pupils across year groups and subjects.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Teachers’ strong emphasis on discussion and collaboration leads to good social development for most pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils gain a secure understanding of what fundamental British values are and link to the school’s core values. Regular ‘Roll of Honour’ mentions in the newsletter recognise and celebrate pupils who demonstrate these values. Pupils keenly take on responsibility. For example, older pupils take care of younger pupils. The school council fund-raises for equipment to make playtimes even more enjoyable.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced with many subjects linked together to make topics interesting and exciting for pupils. Additional visits, trips and special events ensure that learning experiences are memorable. The opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills across a number of subjects have resulted in good progress in writing. Good attention to modern foreign languages enables pupils in key stage 2 to develop a good level of competence in French. A few parents who responded to Parent View expressed their concerns that there were limited opportunities for extra-curricular activities.
• Leaders use the primary physical education and sport funding well to extend the opportunities that pupils experience. Consequently, pupils develop their understanding of the benefit of sport to improve their health and fitness. Inspired by a teacher’s New York marathon run, pupils across the school have been running laps around the school playing field and adding up their total distance over time.
• In 2015, the local authority provided the school with precise advice to improve. School leaders responded well to the guidance and took steps to address weaknesses. However, instability in staffing has hindered progress. Improvements have not been sustained.

Governance of the school

• Governors have not challenged leaders with sufficient rigour to ensure that all pupils make rapid progress. Members of the governing body are highly committed to the school and visit regularly. However, as planned actions to tackle school priorities lack clear timescales and measurable targets, governors are unable to gain a clear understanding of the difference these actions are making to pupils’ achievement.
• Governors have not shone a spotlight effectively on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. They do not have a clear understanding of how the pupil premium funding is spent and do not robustly check that it is making a difference.
• Governors have managed other finances astutely, enabling the school to employ extra staff to support the closing of gaps in pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know the children well and are vigilant in recording any concerns they may have. Leaders and governors ensure that staff are fully up to date about keeping children safe.
• Governors do not ask pertinent questions to hold senior leaders to account to ensure that statutory duties have been carried out diligently. Although leaders keep records, they do not analyse the information with appropriate rigour to support further school improvement. Leaders do not analyse pupils’ absence with sufficient rigour to make changes and bring about improvement.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is inconsistent. As a result, pupils’ rates of progress are uneven in certain year groups and subjects.
• Teaching does not deepen and extend pupils’ learning to enable them to achieve as well as they could. This is because typically, activities fail to challenge pupils, particularly the most able pupils. Furthermore, pupils are not currently provided with sufficient opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills to deepen their mathematical understanding.
• Not all teachers have sufficiently high expectations. On occasions, they do not ensure that pupils know how to improve their work. Teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils take care and pride in all of their work. Although there are examples of teachers insisting on the highest standards of presentation and pupils’ responses, this best practice is not commonplace across the school. There are occasions when teachers accept poorly presented work and scruffy handwriting.
• Historically, the teaching of phonics has been effective. However, in recent years, standards have declined. For example, pupils who achieved well in the early years have not sustained good progress in Year 1, particularly in phonics. Sometimes, teachers do not make effective use of what pupils know, can do or understand to match activities to learners’ needs. However, effective individual and small-group work is helping pupils to catch up.
• Teachers develop a love of reading in pupils. Pupils of all ages speak enthusiastically about the books they read. Reading records show that pupils read widely and often at home and at school. All pupils visit the local library regularly. Where pupils’ phonics skills are less secure, they make good use of picture clues and their understanding of the main storyline to make sense of unfamiliar words.
• Teaching assistants receive effective training. They provide useful guidance and encourage pupils to do their best. Additional support for pupils with literacy or emotional needs is particularly effective.
• Teachers make imaginative links between subjects to design topics that inspire pupils. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 are currently studying ‘quest stories’. They have written diaries and logs as if they were explorers discovering new land. In teaching about the geographical features of coastlines, the teacher skilfully encourages pupils to think about why some areas of the world are more developed than others.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Even though most pupils are keen to learn, not all adults routinely develop pupils’ thinking and reasoning skills. Pupils have a limited understanding of how to be a successful learner. Work in books shows that where some pupils struggle, they give up and do not complete the work.
• Adults ensure that pupils receive information about how to keep safe. Pupils say that they feel safe. They speak knowledgeably about internet safety and coastal safety. Pupils were confident that they could approach any adult in school if they were ‘feeling bullied or sad’. The school council told the inspector that, ‘When we fall out, teachers soon sort it out.’
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well cared for. Adults know pupils well. Teaching assistants that support individual pupils are highly skilled and nurture pupils’ self-esteem. The school’s inclusive ethos ensures that all pupils feel valued.
• Staff who lead breakfast club provide pupils with a warm welcome and a happy and healthy start to the day. Pupils say that they enjoy breakfast club. The inspector observed pupils happily skipping and playing cooperatively in the playground.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Attendance has remained below the national average for too long. Leaders fail to analyse the trends and patterns of absence thoroughly to support improvements. They do not act swiftly enough to stem the decline in attendance, particularly for those pupils who are persistently absent. Governors do not challenge leaders on the progress made towards improving pupils’ attendance.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning vary across the school. Pupils are compliant in lessons. In most lessons, pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. Even when activities are not well matched to their needs, pupils try hard to please the teacher. However, in mathematics lessons in particular, pupils are not working as hard as they could. Teachers do not provide activities for pupils to grapple with.
• Leaders keep detailed records of any incidents where pupils ‘fall out’ in school. However, governors and senior leaders do not monitor incidents to check that leaders’ actions are effective in reducing the number of occurrences. Staff are meticulous in recording minor accidents, bumps and bruises. However, leaders do not evaluate this information in a timely manner to make swift changes to prevent further incidents occurring.
• Pupils are courteous and respectful. They are adamant that bullying does not take place in the school and that poor behaviour is extremely rare. However, some parents who responded to Parent View, the online questionnaire, expressed concerns about how the school manages bullying incidents. Leaders do not always communicate effectively with parents to dispel their concerns.

Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

• Pupils’ progress and attainment require improvement. In 2016, too few pupils met the expected standard in mathematics. Although pupils’ attainment in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was better than the national average, this does not represent good progress for all groups of pupils. Work in books for current year groups confirms that progress in mathematics is uneven. In particular, too few of the pupils who are capable of achieving the higher standard are making good progress.
• There has been a three-year decline in the number of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening checks. In 2016, too few pupils met the expected standard in phonics. This represented poor progress from their starting points. Historically, the few pupils who do not meet the expected standard in Year 1 achieve it in Year 2. Current Year 2 pupils are on track to catch up. This is because teachers and teaching assistants provide effective catch-up sessions.
• The numbers of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium are too small for national comparisons to be made. However, not all of these pupils make accelerated progress. Those disadvantaged pupils who also have special educational needs are supported well to catch up. However, despite the most able pupils achieving well in the early years, too few achieve the highest standard in key stage 1 or key stage 2 over time.
• Progress in writing has been stronger than in mathematics and reading. In 2016, the proportions achieving the expected standard in writing were above the national average. This represents good progress from pupils’ starting points, particularly for middle-attaining writers. Work in books shows that pupils write frequently and for a purpose. Pupils apply their knowledge of punctuation, grammar and spelling effectively when writing in different subjects. On occasions, poor presentation and handwriting hinder the quality of pupils’ work.
• Reading remains a strength of the school. Pupils who read to the inspector did so with confidence and skill. Over time, pupils at the end of key stages achieve better in reading than in writing or mathematics.
• Lower-attaining pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. This is because leaders ensure that adults who work with this group of pupils are well trained and, consequently, have the necessary skills to promote learning effectively.
• Pupils have a wide general knowledge and speak enthusiastically about their topics. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were able to tell the inspector about the importance of recycling and their visit to the Eden Project. Older pupils spoke eloquently about tectonic plates and how various movements of the plates result in different natural disasters.

Early years provision Good

• Children settle quickly when they start school. Teachers make strong links with pre-schools and families before children join the school. Teachers gain a good understanding of children’s abilities and interests and plan activities to engage and motivate children.
• Children make good progress in all areas of learning. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has been above the national average for the past three years. More children achieve ‘exceeding’ than the national average across all areas of learning. This is because the teacher has high expectations and makes good use of what children know, can do and understand to extend their learning.
• Leadership of the early years is good. The leader encourages parents to contribute in capturing their child’s key developmental milestones and achievements. High levels of parental engagement are making a positive contribution to the good progress children make.
• Children quickly learn to develop their imagination, independence and curiosity. Adults’ high-quality questioning successfully develops children’s thinking. The teaching staff are astute in their observations. They make accurate assessments of children’s individual needs and plan activities to develop strengths as well as supporting areas of need.
• Adults provide high-quality support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils make good progress from their starting points, particularly with their personal and social skills. The most able disadvantaged children also achieve well. This is because the teacher has high expectations and is determined to help children overcome any barriers to their learning.
• Children learn their letters and sounds quickly. Both indoor and outdoor learning environments invite children to practise their reading and writing skills independently. Children were observed working independently reading short sentences and matching them to pictures. They independently pinned their work on the classroom pin-board before tidying away and starting a new activity.
• Children behave well in the Reception class. They understand the classroom routines and expectations for good behaviour. Teachers are skilled in nurturing children’s good learning habits in the Reception class. As a result, children quickly learn to cooperate with others and become successful, independent learners. This ensures that children are ready for Year 1.
• The leader of the early years is developing closer links with the Year 1 teacher, to ensure that no time is lost when planning children’s next steps at the end of their Reception Year. This work is not yet fully complete.
• Teachers have created a safe and secure learning environment to nurture the children in their care. Adults are trained to keep children safe and are vigilant in this role.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 113148 Devon 10000915 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 Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 91 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Executive headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jayne Hooper Stephen Mellor 01598 760 295 www.filleigh-primary.devon.sch.uk admin@filleigh-primary.devon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10 January 2012

Information about this school

• This school is smaller than the average primary school, with very small cohorts. Some groups may represent one individual.
• At the time of the previous inspection, the school was federated with Chittlehampton Church of England Primary School to form the Devon Moors Federation. The federation expanded in May 2014 by joining with a further two schools, Copplestone and Spreyton.
• The school has four classes: a Reception class; a mixed Year 1 and 2 class; a mixed Years 3 and 4 class; and a class comprising Years 5 and 6.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is well below the national average. In 2016, there were no disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The school manages a breakfast club.
• In 2016, the school met the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.
• At the time of the inspection, the school did not meet requirements on the publication of information about the pupil premium, curriculum content and the sports premium on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector made visits to lessons in all classes, some of which were joint observations with the executive headteacher. She also made a visit to the breakfast club.
• Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, head of school, the chair of the governing body, the special educational needs leader, the mathematics leader and three class teachers. A telephone conversation took place with a local authority representative.
• The inspector scrutinised a number of documents, including governing body meeting minutes, school improvements plans and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
• The inspector carried out work scrutiny in writing, mathematics and topic work.
• The inspector met with and heard a selection of pupils read. She looked at examples of pupils’ work in their books and spoke to a group of pupils to seek their views about the school. The views of other pupils were gathered during breakfast club, lessons and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, in lessons and at play.
• The 31 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, were taken into account. The inspector also considered comments provided by text message.

Inspection team

Tracy Hannon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector