Westcliff Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that teachers sustain pupils’ current strong progress and further raise their attainment in writing and mathematics by:
  • challenging the most able pupils to write with increased sophistication so that more pupils attain at the highest level
  • improving pupils’ ability to use spelling, punctuation and grammar accurately in their writing, particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6
  • consistently deepening pupils’ mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills
  • improving pupils’ abilities to use their key skills in writing and mathematics in other subjects to enhance learning across the wider curriculum.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the school joined it, the multi-academy trust has put robust procedures in place to secure the necessary improvements. Staff and parents agree that the impact of these initiatives has secured good behaviour and that pupils’ progress has improved.
• Leaders and staff feel valued. Staff have benefited from working with other schools in the trust. This has contributed to improvements in teaching. Staff are proud of the school and support fully leaders’ priorities for improvement.
• The majority of parents state that the school is well led and managed. They have a high regard for the work of the head of teaching and learning. They say that leaders are always available to support, guide and advise.
• The school’s parent support adviser provides excellent guidance and advice to parents and families. She works closely with the inclusion, attendance and safeguarding teams and has been effective in improving the attendance and care of many pupils. Her straightforward approach and positive relationships with families and the community are a strength of this school.
• Leaders work together to oversee standards and set challenging and ambitious goals for staff and pupils. Their shared drive and determination have been instrumental in securing the rapid improvement required in this school. Unit leaders oversee each phase of the school. They are accountable for the quality of teaching and learning within their unit. Leaders are planning to improve the coordination of the wider curriculum.
• The actions of leaders are having an impact in narrowing gaps and ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their starting points, are making strong and sustained progress. Leaders meet with staff on a weekly basis to evaluate pupils’ attainment and progress. Plans are made to address any underperformance. This has resulted in significantly improved outcomes when compared with those achieved in the predecessor school.
• The inclusion team and the special educational needs coordinator have ensured that pupils with SEND make strong progress and receive high-quality pastoral support. Leaders ensure close liaison with class teachers. The SEND provision is carefully monitored and evaluated and pupils’ targets are precise. Parents speak highly of the support offered to all pupils with additional needs.
• Leaders have identified the correct strategic improvement priorities. They have a detailed monitoring schedule, which ensures that standards are maintained across the school. Leaders are working with staff to improve mathematics teaching to bring this up to the same high standard as in reading and writing.
• Leaders have made good use of professional development, including through courses offered by the multi-academy trust. The impact of this training is evident in the high-quality teaching, learning and assessment throughout the school. The school is a valued member of the trust’s central hub and has benefited from significant support from other hub schools during the last three years. Recently, in recognition of the improvement at Westcliff Primary Academy, senior leaders at the school are supporting other trust schools.
• The use of additional funding received for the pupil premium and sport premium is well planned. Leaders have evaluated this spending, and the impact on outcomes is becoming clearer. Good use of the funding is made to support equal access for all pupils to residential trips each year.
• Although teaching is typically good across the school, there remain some minor inconsistencies. Leaders are aware of these and are taking appropriate action to eradicate them.

Governance of the school

• The governing body, known as the central hub board, has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. It receives clear, concise and accurate reports on the work of the school. The central hub board has established a cycle of effective monitoring.
• In meetings, hub board members challenge school leaders on the progress and achievement of disadvantaged pupils across the school. The outcomes of these discussions are passed on to the trust’s education board.
• The trust controls a large group of 14 schools. However, the directors are actively involved in the life and work of this school. They make regular visits, both to celebrate achievements and to challenge underperformance. The chair of the trust recently visited to review the attainment and progress of the disadvantaged pupils.
• Governors and trustees have a strong understanding of their statutory safeguarding responsibilities.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff share a commitment to keeping pupils safe and well cared for. Parents overwhelmingly agree that they achieve this aim.
• Leaders and governors have ensured that relevant policies are up to date and procedures are fully understood by all staff. Staff are well trained and supported by knowledgeable designated safeguarding leaders. There is a clear process for reporting concerns using an online model, and the involvement of external agencies is carefully managed and monitored by the head of teaching and learning and the parent support adviser.
• Staff are trained and briefed by leaders on the impact of extremism and radicalisation, and this is done regularly. All staff are vigilant, and they report concerns to leaders.
• The school has set up, and shared with parents, clear and unambiguous guidelines for the end of day collection of pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers set clear and high expectations for pupils. This allows teachers to use time well to maximise learning.
• Due to the wealth of professional development offered by the trust, teachers’ subject knowledge in literacy and mathematics is secure. Unit leaders support planning and ensure that the level of challenge provided by teaching is appropriate. Staff make good use of a wide range of resources to support learning.
• Pupils of all abilities respond well to teachers’ questioning, which deepens their thinking. Pupils demonstrate high levels of engagement and independent learning and take pride in their work.
• Teaching assistants work effectively alongside the teachers. They are confident and knowledgeable due to the training and guidance they receive from the school and trust. Teaching assistants support pupils with SEND sensitively in lessons, structuring support when necessary but also encouraging independence.
• Teachers adapt activities well for pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• Over time, pupils make strong progress, particularly middle-attaining pupils. Teachers use accurate assessments of pupils’ knowledge and understanding to plan pupils’ next steps, including for key groups such as boys in writing and disadvantaged pupils.
• The teaching of reading is a strength of the school. Pupils are supported to read independently. Teachers provide high-quality support for pupils to develop their reading comprehension. Pupils confidently talk about the school’s approach to teaching reading. Pupils have opportunities to develop their vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval and summary skills. This is aiding the acquisition of the higher-order reading skills.
• Effective teaching ensures that pupils’ writing demonstrates increasing accuracy when applying more sophisticated vocabulary and spelling. Pupils learn from the mistakes they make and, overall, do not make them again once corrected. As a result, pupils make strong progress in writing.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure, and they use appropriately challenging language to communicate it. Pupils are becoming more confident in using this language.
• Teachers plan a creative and exciting curriculum that interests pupils and ensures their full engagement in learning. Teachers plan how new topics are introduced meticulously in order to promote effective learning.
• Teachers’ assessment of what pupils know, can do and understand is a strength. Leaders ensure that assessment is accurate through a range of strategies, including external moderation.
• Teachers plan homework that develops the key core skills in literacy and mathematics and aspects of the wider curriculum. It consolidates learning well and prepares pupils for forthcoming learning.
• Parents say that they value the regular and up-to-date information they receive about the work that their child is doing in school.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils’ relationships with staff both in lessons and around the school are positive. This leads to pupils adopting positive attitudes and focusing well in lessons.
• Pupils’ relationships with each other are positive and reflect the six school values, with pupils commenting that any issues, including bullying, are promptly dealt with and resolved by staff.
• Leaders take every opportunity to promote the fundamental British values through the school’s six core values. Respect and equality are built into teaching and learning.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school and are fully engaged in their learning. Due to improved teaching and interesting work, attendance has improved.
• Nearly all parents who responded to the online survey say that their children are kept safe at the school and pupils agree with this. Pupils are taught about online safety and can talk about this with confidence.
• Staff have high expectations of pupils. These expectations help ensure that pupils take pride in their workbooks and wear their school uniforms well.
• Pupils are well supported. There is clear equality of opportunity for pupils regardless of their starting points. The school successfully supports families with children who speak English as an additional language. These pupils have settled well and are making strong progress.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is rooted in the daily experiences planned for them. Through assemblies, lessons and leadership opportunities, pupils learn to care for each other and understand the importance of warm welcomes and respect.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Teachers have established clear classroom routines and expectations. Pupils are respectful and polite, with impeccable manners towards each other and the adults they work with. They welcome visitors into their lessons and are keen to share their learning.
• Lunchtime is well organised, and this results in pupils enjoying their free time. Staff make sure that pupils are well supervised on the playground. Pupils of all ages play well together on both playgrounds.
• The school is an orderly environment, with pupils challenged if behaviour does not meet the expected high standard.
• The school has tackled lower levels of attendance effectively in previous years. Leaders support parents and families well to increase attendance. It is now broadly in line with the national average. Leaders and the parent support adviser have worked well with parents to tackle persistent absence.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In all year groups, pupils make consistently strong progress in literacy and mathematics. This is due to the high expectations set by teachers. There has been sustained improvement in outcomes during the last two years. For example, in 2018, pupils made strong progress in reading and writing at the end of key stage 2.
• Pupils’ reading progress at key stage 2 was in the top 10% of schools nationally in 2018. Pupils read with confidence and can comprehend their reading material well. Pupils of all ages enjoy their reading, and a love of books is clear.
• Writing attainment at the end of key stage 2 has improved and compares well with the top 20% of schools nationally. However, not enough pupils are working at the higher standard in writing. The school has identified this as a key priority for the current academic year.
• Pupils in upper key stage 2 are increasingly applying their skills in writing and mathematics to other subjects across the curriculum. This is not yet as well developed across other year groups in the school.
• In Year 1, most pupils achieve the expected standard in the phonics screening test. There has been a comprehensive approach to the teaching of phonics over the last three years, developing pupils’ confidence in applying phonics knowledge when reading unfamiliar words.
• Teachers have clearly identified gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding, especially for boys in reading and writing and for disadvantaged pupils overall. Teachers have planned appropriate interventions to narrow these gaps. These interventions are starting to have an impact on pupils’ progress. However, for some pupils, poor teaching in the past has resulted in gaps in number facts, rapid recall of calculations and grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress. However, this strong progress, as seen in the pupils’ workbooks, is not always reflected in the Year 2 national test results in reading, writing and mathematics and Year 6 national test results in mathematics.
• Pupils present their work well across the curriculum. Leaders’ focus on improving handwriting is paying off. Pupils’ writing is now well formed, joined and fluent.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics is improving, with more pupils working at expectations for their age. However, pupils’ mastery skills of reasoning and problem-solving are underdeveloped.
• Pupils with SEND receive good academic and pastoral support. Funding is used effectively to support these pupils. Consequently, they make good progress and achieve well both academically and socially.
• Teachers’ creative approach to other areas of the curriculum shows that pupils are making progress in other subjects. This progress is particularly strong in Years 5 and 6, where pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. However, this is not yet consistent across the whole school.

Early years provision Good

• The proportion of children working at expectations for their age in the early years has been broadly in line with the national average for the past two years. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds perform better than other children.
• Leadership of the early years is strong. The early years leader has high expectations and, with her team, has provided an exciting learning environment both inside and outside.
• The early years leader has a good working relationship with the onsite pre-school that is not managed by the school. This ensures that children’s transition into the Reception Year is smoothly managed.
• Children in the Reception Year settle well and demonstrate increasing confidence and readiness to learn. Children show increasing levels of independence due to adults’ skilful intervention and questioning.
• Teachers plan learning experiences that stimulate and encourage the children to ask questions. These are tailored to the individual needs of each child or group. For example, children enjoy visiting the ‘mud kitchen’ outside and learning about space. Children interact well with one another and share ideas.
• Children’s fine motor skills are improving. For example, a small group of boys constructed rockets using recycled materials. With adult support, they cut the materials with increasing care and stuck these together using masking tape, creating rocket-shaped models. Children demonstrate pride in their achievements.
• Adults’ use of assessment is a significant strength of this provision. It is rigorous and comprehensive, and evidence is well documented. Observations form a key part of the assessment framework, and these are linked to the early years framework.

School details

Unique reference number 142390 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10058292 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 351 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair of the Trust Board Alexander Walmsley Head of Teaching and Learning Emma Lewry (Head of Teaching and Learning) Telephone number 01626 862 444 Website www.westcliffpriacademy.co.uk

Email address admin@dawlish-westcliff-primary.devon.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school and the roll is growing. The school is organised into 12 classes.
• The school converted to become a sponsored academy on 1 February 2016 and joined the First Federation Multi-Academy Trust. Governance is undertaken by the central hub board.
• The head of teaching and learning took up her post shortly after the conversion to academy status. She moved from another school in the academy trust.
• The school operates a breakfast and after-school club. The school also provides an early morning nurture group for pupils.
• Most pupils are White British and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language has grown recently.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with the national average. The number of pupils with an education, health and care plan is broadly average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited classrooms, and most of these visits were made jointly with the head of teaching and learning, the executive headteacher or the trust’s chief executive officer. Pupils’ learning was observed in all year groups.
• Meetings were held with school leaders, staff, members of the trust board and central hub board, parents on the playground and the First Federation chief executive officer. Inspectors also considered the responses of 33 staff and 73 parents’ responses to questionnaires. These included several free-text responses.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s own evaluation of its performance, its improvement plan, several key school and trust policies and the minutes of meetings of the central hub board. They also considered a range of documentation relating to child protection, safeguarding, equality of opportunity, school performance information and behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection to seek their views and listened to a selection of pupils read.

Inspection team

Mark Lees, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Non Davies Ofsted Inspector Alexander Baxter Ofsted Inspector