Severn View Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that:

• leaders at all levels closely monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in their areas of responsibility and act swiftly to address weaknesses
• leaders take robust action to improve rates of attendance and to reduce persistent absence
• the wider curriculum is planned in sufficient depth to ensure that pupils make better progress in all subjects and secure their writing skills
• leaders successfully address weaknesses in the teaching of phonics
• senior leaders and governors use and evaluate the pupil premium funding more precisely to ensure rapid progress for disadvantaged pupils and, in particular, the most able disadvantaged pupils.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in all key stages by ensuring that teachers:
  • make better use of assessment so that learning is routinely challenging enough and builds well on previous learning
  • question pupils more effectively in lessons to help pupils deepen their thinking and overcome mistakes and misconceptions
  • plan tasks and use materials which match the pupils’ abilities in phonics more precisely.
• Strengthen the quality of teaching and provision in the early years by:
  • using assessments to plan activities which challenge children and enable them to make good progress in the Reception class, especially in reading, writing and number
  • planning activities which help children in the Reception class to sustain interest in their learning and build on the strong attitudes to learning developed in the Nursery. An external review of pupil premium funding 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

• Since her appointment in January 2018, the executive headteacher has taken important steps to build a stable teaching team and a well-ordered learning environment. She has raised expectations of staff and pupils. These actions are taking effect, but inconsistencies in teaching remain. Teachers who are new to the school have not yet had time to ensure that new strategies are firmly embedded in their work.
• Subject leaders are knowledgeable about the areas they lead, and those who spoke with the inspector demonstrate capacity to make further improvements. Recent changes to leadership responsibilities are being monitored by senior leaders, but it is too soon to determine the impact of some leaders’ plans for improvement.
• Since the previous inspection, leaders have not fully addressed the weaknesses in the teaching of phonics or areas for improvement in the early years. Additional support and training from the trust and increased challenge from governors are both helping leaders to make improvements. However, leaders’ actions have not secured consistently good teaching in the early years. A strategy for improving the teaching of phonics has very recently been introduced. Consequently, leaders have not yet fully evaluated its impact or refined teaching practices so that all pupils make good progress.
• Senior leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and have identified the appropriate priorities for improvement. However, their plans for improvement do not identify precisely how their improvements to teaching will improve the outcomes for groups of pupils who are not achieving well enough. Consequently, leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching have not been sharply focused on, or taken sufficient account of, the progress that pupils make from their starting points.
• Leaders’ checks on the strengths and weaknesses of teaching have not been followed up with enough rigour. As a result, teaching is not precisely tailored to the needs of all pupils and the progress that groups of pupils make across classes is inconsistent. In particular, the most able pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not making consistently good progress.
• Leaders have not evaluated the use of pupil premium funding so that their plans focus on making sure that teaching closes pupils’ gaps in learning or supports increased challenge for the most able. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils make inconsistent progress and some pupils have not made the progress needed to catch up to the standard expected for their age.
• Since the previous inspection, leaders have raised the profile of reading across the school. Teachers teach reading daily and plan questions which help pupils to extend their vocabulary and make meaning of the texts that they read. Teachers now assess pupils’ understanding of texts more closely. Pupils in key stage 2 are making better progress in reading, including the most able.
• Leaders have engaged parents and carers well in their children’s reading, and pupils now read more regularly both at home and at school. However, leaders have not secured sufficient improvement to the teaching of phonics or ensured that those who need to catch up with their peers are making strong enough progress in reading.
• Leaders have improved the teaching of mathematics by making sure that pupils develop a good understanding of number and calculation. Nevertheless, the level of challenge in some tasks remains inconsistent and some teaching does not demand enough of the most able pupils.
• Leaders have provided support for teachers to help them to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. They also provide additional support through learning mentors for pupils who need help in managing their behaviour. This is resulting in fewer disruptive incidents, and the additional training has helped staff to manage better pupils’ social and emotional needs in class. However, leaders have not checked well enough how teachers support pupils to overcome other barriers to learning. Tasks are not always matched to pupils’ needs or do not help them to overcome gaps in their understanding. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not make good progress.
• The curriculum provides a suitable range of subjects for pupils to learn. However, there is not enough challenge in some subjects. This reduces pupils’ achievement.
• Leaders have ensured that the curriculum helps develop pupils spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, for example by learning about a range of faiths and by pupils contributing to community events in the local church. This, as well as a well-planned series of assemblies, helps pupils to understand fundamental British values of tolerance and respect.
• Staff morale is high. Staff feel supported by leaders and are proud to work at the school. Those at the early stage of their career receive effective guidance.
• Leaders use the sport premium effectively. Pupils benefit from increased opportunities to engage in a range of sports and to compete against others.

Governance of the school

• Officers of the trust have reviewed lines of accountability for the school’s performance and now provide support and challenge from experienced headteachers.
• The recently appointed chair of governors has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors seek information for themselves in their visits to the school. As a result, governors are providing increasing levels of challenge to leaders to improve teaching, learning and assessment.
• Governors have not fully evaluated the impact of the pupil premium funding or supported leaders to secure sustained improvements to pupils’ attendance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff are vigilant and knowledgeable about the risks to pupils because their training is regularly updated. Staff know what do if they have a concern.
• Records show that staff take prompt action to respond to concerns and keep careful records of the actions that they and others take to promote pupils’ welfare.
• Staff with responsibility for leading safeguarding work well with other professionals to protect pupils and support their families.
• Procedures for checking the suitability of adults who work with pupils are robust, and leaders and governors make sure that records are carefully maintained.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is not consistently good across subjects and key stages. Where teaching is weaker, teachers do not take sufficient account of what pupils can already do to plan tasks and learning which provide adequate challenge, especially for the most able pupils. Sometimes the sequence of learning is not planned well enough to help pupils to make connections between activities and to apply their knowledge and understanding.
• Teachers’ questioning does not consistently help teachers to check pupils’ progress or identify their misconceptions. As a result, pupils do not always know how to improve their work or how to overcome gaps in their understanding in lessons.
• The teaching of writing is not consistently effective. Teachers do not address pupils’ spelling, punctuation and handwriting weaknesses when planning tasks or in the guidance that they give to pupils to help improve their work. For example, pupils make repeated errors in their application of spelling rules and when applying their phonic knowledge in writing.
• Teachers’ expectations of the most able pupils in writing are not high enough. For example, the most able pupils in upper key stage 2 do not write with a high enough standard of spelling, punctuation and grammatical accuracy. This is also the case when pupils write at length across the curriculum, and this hampers their progress.
• Teachers do not ensure that pupils make good enough progress across a range of subjects. The level of challenge is inconsistent across the curriculum. Teachers do not plan other subjects such as science and geography well enough to ensure that pupils develop their knowledge securely. However, some activities do help pupils to deepen their knowledge. For example, pupils in key stage 2 can apply their understanding to analyse in depth the causes of World War II.
• The teaching of phonics does not develop pupils’ early reading skills well enough. Currently, tasks and teaching are not well matched to pupils’ abilities. Pupils have been taught ways to break down words into separate sounds in order to read them and to use their knowledge of blending sounds to tackle new words. Those from low starting points have not secured the more basic knowledge of letters and the sounds that they make. This prevents them from making better progress.
• In the early years and key stage 1, reading books are not well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge. This slows their progress.
• In Years 2 to 6, daily reading lessons are improving pupils’ enjoyment and understanding of texts. Pupils are challenged to apply new vocabulary that they have learned and to explain their understanding in detail. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ask challenging questions and to check pupils’ understanding of what they have read.
• The teaching of mathematics is improving. Teachers have good subject knowledge and make sure that pupils have a secure understanding of number facts and calculation strategies. They are providing increasing challenge for pupils to solve problems and to think more deeply. However, pupils’ books show that sometimes the most able pupils complete tasks which do not challenge them enough.
• Teachers’ expectations of the quality and presentation of pupils’ work across subjects are inconsistent. For example, some pupils do not set out work neatly enough to ensure that they calculate accurately in mathematics or use fluent handwriting across all of their writing. As a result, the progress that pupils make is not consistently good.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils too often lack the confidence and resilience that they need to become successful learners. They do not show enough determination to succeed when tasks are challenging and do not show sufficient pride in aspects of their work.
• Teachers do not have high enough expectations of the levels of pupils’ engagement and contribution in lessons, or the quality and presentation of their work.
• Pupils say that incidents of bullying have decreased and that bullying is now rare. They are confident that adults will resolve any concerns they have. Discussions with leaders and scrutiny of records of bullying show that staff take prompt action to resolve incidents.
• Pupils understand the importance of leading healthy lives and eating a balanced diet. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online.
• Pupils demonstrate respect towards others and told the inspector that the school teaches them to ‘accept people for who they are’. Older pupils are proud to take on additional responsibilities, such as leading school assemblies.
• The breakfast club provides a positive start to the school day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Leaders have worked hard to encourage regular attendance and to communicate the importance of good attendance habits to pupils and their families. Nevertheless, rates of attendance are still too low, and the proportion of pupils who miss school regularly is more than double the national average. This has a negative impact on pupils’ progress.
• In lessons, pupils follow instructions, but some are quick to lose focus and become inattentive and disengaged when tasks do not motivate them.
• Pupils told the inspectors that behaviour has improved. Incidents of poor behaviour and exclusions have been high in the past. Leaders have provided individual programmes of support for those who experience difficulties managing their behaviour and emotions. Leaders’ records show that the rate of exclusion is now reducing, but a small number of pupils and staff still express concern about pupils’ behaviour.
• The school is an orderly environment; pupils usually conduct themselves well outside of lesson times and play happily together at lunchtimes.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Current pupils’ work shows that progress across subjects and classes is not consistently good.
• Pupils’ progress in writing is not consistently good. Current workbooks show that weak application of spelling rules and poor handwriting limit the progress that some pupils make. Work does not routinely challenge pupils to practise their knowledge of phonics and spelling patterns, and the most able do not write at a high enough standard.
• Phonics outcomes have remained consistently below the national average in recent years. It is too early to see the impact of recent changes to teaching on outcomes for pupils in the early years and Year 1.
• Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, do not make the progress that they are capable of. Published information for 2018 shows that this group made less progress than other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. In the key stage 1 national reading, writing and mathematics assessments in 2018, only half of the disadvantaged pupils in Year 2 achieved the standard expected in reading and writing. In recent years, no disadvantaged pupils have attained the higher standard in reading, writing or mathematics at key stage 1. Current pupils’ workbooks show that the most able disadvantaged pupils are not challenged well enough to reach the higher standards.
• Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has been in line with the national average in recent years. Over time, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics has been lower than other pupils nationally.
• Attainment of the most able pupils in mathematics is improving, and more pupils now reach the higher standard by the end of Year 6. Current pupils’ work shows that the most able pupils across key stage 2 are receiving more challenge to think more deeply about their learning. However, leaders recognise that there is more to do to make sure that teachers sustain the appropriate level of challenge for the most able in all classes.
• Although now improving, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 1 has remained below the national average in recent years.
• Pupils enjoy reading and are making better progress in their reading at key stage 2. However, pupils from low starting points who read to the inspector had not mastered the reading of all basic sounds. This is slowing their progress and their ability to tackle unfamiliar words.
• Pupils’ progress in art is a strength of the school. Work on display and records of work over time show strong knowledge of techniques in a range of media, including drawing, print and textiles. Progress in other curriculum subjects such as science, history and geography is not as strong.

Early years provision

Requires improvement

• Teaching and leadership in the early years are not fully effective. Too few children make the strong progress they need to reach a good level of development and be fully prepared for Year 1.
• The early years leader has an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of provision in the Reception class. Leaders have introduced a new system for adults to assess and review children’s learning. However, this system is not yet used by all staff or reviewed well enough to make sure that children make good progress, including the most able.
• Children in the Reception class, especially boys, are not always well engaged or challenged by their learning. Activities that adults plan sometimes do not stimulate children’s interest or help them to develop their reading, writing or number skills well enough. When exploring activities for themselves, children’s interest sometimes declines and they complete activities which do not move their learning on.
• Current children’s work shows that their progress in writing is not good. Tasks which adults plan do not help the most able pupils to apply their writing skills when they are playing and exploring for themselves. Teaching does not help pupils to form letters well enough, and this hinders children’s progress in writing.
• The recent addition of a Nursery class to the school’s early years provision is providing children with a positive start to their education. Adults in the Nursery have good knowledge of children’s stages of development. They use this detailed assessment to plan tasks which motivate children and help them to try new things for themselves.
• Adults in the Nursery check children’s understanding well in their questioning and expect them to develop their language beyond simple words and responses. For example, children can explain the models they make and what they might be used for. Adults use questioning to develop children’s mathematical vocabulary well, including their knowledge of shapes.
• Children in the Nursery show high levels of interest and perseverance and have access to an engaging range of resources both indoors and outside. Children develop their language and number knowledge well in their play. For example, children can apply their knowledge of numbers to time the speed of their toy cars.
• Adults in the Nursery and Reception classes have warm and caring relationships with children. They encourage children to learn and use praise to help them to sustain their interest in tasks. Adults have a good understanding of their responsibilities for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. For example, staff check that the indoor and outdoor environments are safe places to learn, and designated staff have undertaken paediatric first-aid training.
• Parents of children in the Reception class who spoke with the inspector are pleased with how well their children have settled into school. They also appreciate the ways that the school engages them with their children’s learning, such as through weekly celebration assemblies.

Inspection report: Severn View Academy, 30–31 January 2019

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School details

Unique reference number Local authority 138782 Gloucestershire Inspection number 10053316 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 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 85 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Executive Principal Telephone number Website Email address Hilary Thompson Patricia Briggs 01453 766328 www.severnviewacademy.org contactus@severnviewacademy.org Date of previous inspection 25 January 2018

Information about this school

• Severn View Academy is smaller than the average-sized primary school, comprising three classes and a Nursery class.
• There have been significant staffing changes since the previous inspection. Teachers in two of the three classes joined the school in September 2018. Leadership responsibilities for English and mathematics have recently been reorganised.
• Since the previous inspection, the governors have added a Nursery class to the school.
• The school became part of the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) in September 2012. AET multi-academy trust comprises 57 schools across seven regions of the UK.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is higher than the national average.
• The majority of pupils are of White British origin.
• The proportion of pupils receiving support with SEND is above the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching and learning in all classes with senior leaders.
• The inspector looked at pupils’ work in lessons and reviewed pupils’ workbooks with leaders.
• The inspector listened to pupils from key stage 1 and the early years read.
• The inspector talked with a group of pupils to seek their views about the school. She also gathered the views of other pupils during breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• The inspector met with senior leaders and the early years leader. She spoke on the telephone to the previous leader of mathematics and to a newly qualified teacher.
• The inspector met with the chair of governors and officers of the Academies Enterprise Trust.
• The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, school improvement plans, information about pupils’ achievement, records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, records of governors’ visits to the school and the school’s website.
• The inspector visited the breakfast club.
• The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day. She also considered six responses to the online survey, Parent View, and four free-text responses. The inspector took account of the 10 responses to the staff questionnaire and the 17 responses to the pupil survey.

Inspection team

Claire Mirams, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector