Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • governors and directors hold leaders to account for pupils’ outcomes
  • careful monitoring and analysis of disadvantaged pupils lead to consistently strong progress
  • the most able pupils are challenged sufficiently in their learning to achieve the highest standards
  • the monitoring of teaching, learning and assessment ensures that reasoning and problem-solving in mathematics are embedded across the school.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that checks on pupils’ learning are consistently accurate
  • raising expectations of what pupils can achieve in reading and writing, especially those who need to catch up quickly
  • planning effectively to meet the needs of all pupils, including the most able and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders and managers do not set high enough expectations for staff and pupils to achieve well. Staff turbulence has been a contributory factor in underperformance. However, teaching is not consistently good.
• Systems for monitoring teaching, learning and assessment are improving but they are not yet sufficiently effective. For example, the analysis of the performance of disadvantaged pupils is now far more frequent. However, the increased urgency to improve outcomes for all pupils is very recent. As a result, the impact on pupils’ reading and writing progress is limited.
• Leaders have yet to establish effective systems to assure themselves that teachers’ assessment information is consistently accurate. Where teaching is effective, leaders are not doing enough to ensure that such strong practice is shared across the school.
• Leaders ensure that the school works well with many external professionals to provide vulnerable pupils with the support they need. Leaders are less successful at measuring how well this support helps pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities to make good progress. This is particularly the case with those pupils who need to catch up quickly with reading.
• Middle leaders are not doing enough to improve the progress that pupils make in English. The quality of teaching in reading and writing is too variable across the school.
• The headteacher understands the school’s strengths and areas for development. Self-evaluation of the school’s performance is mostly accurate and plans for development are focused on improving pupils’ achievement.
• Leaders have secured improvements in the teaching and learning of mathematics from a low starting point. As a result, current pupils’ progress is improving in this area.
• Leaders’ actions have created a school environment based on respect and tolerance. Along with its Christian values, reinforced through assemblies, the school guides pupils to be responsible citizens.
• Leaders ensure that the curriculum develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. Older pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain and the wider world through their experience of debates on topics such as gender equality. Pupils’ understanding of democracy is reinforced through initiatives such as the school parliament. Pupils are tolerant of others, respectful and know the value of the rule of law.
• Leaders make good use of the physical education and sport premium. Pupils benefit from a range of clubs at lunchtime and after school. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 can experience fencing.
• Pupils have the opportunity to learn Spanish in both key stages 1 and 2.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is not fully effective in holding leaders to account, particularly for the academic outcomes of pupils at the school. Governors do not sufficiently focus on the impact of leaders’ actions.
• Governors monitor the use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. They do not focus sharply enough on its impact. These pupils do make some progress. However, it is not consistently strong.
• Governors and directors are realistic in evaluating the school’s performance. They know improvement is essential.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has established systems for staff to report any concerns about pupils. Training ensures that staff know how to protect pupils and maintain their well-being.
• Checks on the suitability of staff, volunteers and visitors to the school are effective.
• The SEN leader has a very good knowledge of the local services available to support pupils and their families. The school works closely with a range of external agencies to help keep vulnerable pupils safe.
• Pupils are safe and they can clearly explain how the school supports them to stay safe online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is not consistently effective in moving pupils’ learning forward quickly. This is partly because assessment information is not consistently accurate. As a result, learning activities do not meet the needs of different groups of pupils.
• The teaching of reading is not as effective as it needs to be. Not enough pupils acquire the necessary understanding of phonics to develop early reading skills and access the wider curriculum. Pupils who struggle with reading are not supported sufficiently to ensure that they catch up quickly.
• The teaching of reading at key stage 2 is not strong enough to provide pupils with the skills they need to reach the expected standard by the end of Year 6. As a consequence, too many pupils have not made good progress over time.
• Teachers’ planning is not ensuring that the most able pupils receive the appropriate challenge they need to reach their full potential. Teachers’ questioning does not skilfully probe the most able pupils. As a result, it does not stretch and deepen their understanding of new concepts.
• In reading, pupils who grasp concepts rapidly do not receive sufficient challenge to apply their skills of deduction and prediction to more sophisticated texts. Teachers do not do enough to extend the learning of these capable pupils.
• Pupils across the school do not practise their writing skills often enough in wider curriculum subjects. The teaching of grammar is not sufficiently effective in supporting pupils to craft more ambitious sentences in their writing.
• In mathematics at key stage 2, too often and in too many classes, the most able pupils are not provided with sufficiently challenging work. These pupils do not make the progress they are capable of.
• In mathematics, pupils are experiencing greater opportunities to demonstrate their reasoning and problem-solving skills. This is still developing and is not yet fully embedded across the school. Teachers’ planning is meeting the needs of most middle-ability pupils.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are generally well supported by teachers and teaching assistants who help them to engage in learning. However, there are inconsistencies, both within year groups and across the school. For example, in mathematics, these pupils make better progress in some classes than in others.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ ability to work at an age-appropriate level are not consistent. This is particularly the case in writing. Teachers do not ensure that expectations for punctuation at the end of key stage 1 are regularly applied in pupils’ writing at key stage 2.
• Teachers typically reinforce high expectations for conduct. A positive climate for learning exists across the school. Classrooms are calm and ordered. Teachers expect pupils to work with positive attitudes.
• Support staff typically make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Where support is more effective, pupils deepen their understanding based on what they already know, can do and understand.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy. The school’s ‘Inspire’ initiative is used well to motivate pupils to be effective learners. Most pupils value the reward systems in place for them.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured. They show respect for others’ ideas and views. Older pupils are largely positive about their time in school. They can reflect, with maturity, about their experience over the years. Pupils learn about the qualities of being a responsible citizen through the curriculum and the school’s Christian values.
• Pastoral support is a strength of the school. Pupils’ well-being is a high priority for staff. Provision for vulnerable pupils’ individual social and emotional needs is effective. The school works well with multi-agency teams to ensure that the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are met.
• The school is an orderly learning environment. Pupils feel safe in school. They know how to keep themselves safe online because of the school’s support in this area.
• Pupils are confident that there are adults in school whom they can talk to if something is worrying them. They are confident that the adults in the school will deal with their concerns. They say bullying is rare and that it is usually dealt with quickly if it occurs.
• Pupils are encouraged to be independent and take on responsibilities. They are proud to be librarians, sports ambassadors and members of the school parliament. They talk confidently about, and value, the buddy system used to support other pupils.
• Almost all parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that they feel that their child is happy at this school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Most pupils know how to behave in social situations. Their conduct throughout the day is positive, including at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Transitions to and from lessons are calm and orderly. As a result, pupils are ready to learn.
• Pupils are respectful to adults and they frequently demonstrate good manners. Relationships between pupils, and with adults, are positive.
• Most pupils are keen to improve their work. They respond quickly to instructions and requests from staff, allowing lessons to flow smoothly and with limited interruption.
• Pupils’ attendance is in line with that found nationally. Nonetheless, there is an increase in the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent. However, the school monitors attendance carefully and is proactive in seeking to reduce levels of persistent absence.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In recent years, pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 has been below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of pupils across the school declined from 2016 to 2017.
• Current pupils do not make enough progress in reading and writing across the school. Current disadvantaged pupils make progress but it is not consistently strong in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Some pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress in the core areas of learning due to specific school support. However, those who need to catch up quickly with reading do not receive sufficient help to do so.
• At key stage 2, the most able pupils do not achieve well. The proportion working at greater depth is well below that found nationally and shows little sign of improving. The proportion of key stage 1 pupils working at greater depth in English and mathematics improved from 2016 to 2017. However, figures remain below those found nationally.
• Leaders recognised that changes were needed to improve the school’s approach to teaching mathematics. The introduction of greater opportunities for pupils to reason mathematically and use their skills to solve problems is enabling more pupils to make good progress.
• The positive start made by many pupils in reading in Reception is not maintained. In Year 1, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics is below the national average. By the end of Year 2, the proportion achieving expected standards in English continues to decline.
• At the end of Year 6, outcomes in English are well below national figures. As a result, the proportion of pupils achieving the combined expected standard at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics is well below the national average.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Children’s progress is not as rapid as it should be because the quality of teaching is not consistently good. Although the proportion of children achieving a good level of development, the standard expected at the end of the early years, improved from 2016 to 2017, expectations are not yet high enough. This is particularly evident in early writing skills.
• Children make a good start with early reading skills. This is due to effective phonics teaching. However, they do not experience enough opportunities to build on their phonics knowledge and practise writing, in order to make strong progress in developing their early writing skills. This is particularly the case for boys.
• Leaders do not effectively monitor children’s progress. As a result, they do not improve the outcomes of the most able children. Teachers do not plan to ensure that activities consistently match the needs of the most able children. Consequently, these children do not exceed the expected outcomes for their age. For example, when learning about number, the most able children are not consistently stretched to make the progress of which they are capable.
• Children are safe and well cared for. They mix well with each other and have strong relationships with the adults supporting them. Children typically engage enthusiastically with their learning. Where teachers’ expectations are not high, children can drift off task for long periods.
• Leaders ensure that the new early years building provides a positive learning environment, which promotes children’s safety, welfare and social skills effectively. Children experience exploring and making choices as a result of the dedicated outdoor space.
• Children are happy and get on well together. They are typically curious, polite and respectful.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141810 Dorset 10042642 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 416 Appropriate authority Board of trustees CEO Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mark Blackman Paul Lavis 01747 852 901 www.shaftesburyprimary.education office@shaftesburyprimary.dorset.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Shaftesbury Primary School is a larger-than-average-sized primary school. There are 15 classes.
• The majority of pupils are White British and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs, or an education, health and care plan, is in line with that found nationally.
• The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team visited classrooms to observe learning. Most of these visits were made jointly with either the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher or SEN leader. Inspectors observed pupils’ learning across the school.
• The inspection team looked carefully at pupils’ books and other work from all year groups and across a range of subjects.
• The inspection team talked to pupils from different year groups about how they feel about school, how teachers help them with their learning and how the school keeps them safe. Inspectors had more detailed discussions outside lessons with Years 5 and Year 6 pupils.
• The inspection team held discussions with school leaders, staff, members of the governing body and directors. The inspectors also took into account responses to questionnaires completed by staff and pupils.
• The inspection team looked at the school’s evaluation of its own performance, its improvement plan, and a number of key school policies and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. They also considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• The inspectors listened to a selection of pupils read.
• The inspectors took account of 66 responses to Parent View, including a number of free-text responses. The inspectors also spoke to a number of parents during the inspection.

Inspection team

Mike Brady, lead inspector Heather Barraclough Susan Watts

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector