Woolavington Village Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching, assessment and pupils’ outcomes to become good, by:
  • ensuring that all teachers have the skills to adapt their teaching within lessons so that all groups of pupils learn well
  • monitoring the performance of all groups of pupils, including middle-attaining pupils
  • ensuring that teachers’ high expectations of pupils’ presentation and spelling prevail across the school
  • planning work that accelerates pupils’ progress and accuracy in spelling.
• Improve teaching and the progress of the most able pupils, by:
  • planning learning that is challenging and consistently builds on what pupils already know
  • ensuring that teachers’ questioning deepens pupils’ understanding in all subject areas
  • undertaking regular checks of pupils’ learning in books so weaknesses are picked up quickly and no learning time is lost.
• Improve attendance so that it is favourable for all groups of pupils when compared to national averages.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Changes to staffing and leadership since the school opened have affected the school’s improvement journey. Current leaders have brought about substantial improvement over the last 12 months but there is further to go before teaching and outcomes can be judged as good.
• The head of school is strong and determined in his leadership. Systems to improve and check the quality of teaching are very comprehensive. His leadership has improved the quality of teaching that pupils receive. Consequently, the legacy of pupils’ underachievement is being tackled quickly.
• Staff value the strong support and challenge they receive from the head of school. They are overwhelmingly positive about the work of his leadership team.
• The relatively new executive headteacher provides timely leadership support. Her strategic responsibilities are developing well. Current work within the Collaborative Academies Trust (CAT) is ensuring that school-to-school support is led and managed effectively. Staff value this work with other CAT schools to share good practice and enhance their own learning even further. Well-planned professional development opportunities have resulted in improved teachers’ subject knowledge, particularly in English and mathematics.
• Middle leaders have clearly defined responsibilities, and most make considerable contributions to whole-school leadership work. Collectively, middle leaders show a high level of commitment to raising standards in their subjects and they are firmly held to account by the senior team. For example, the recent initiative using whole-class texts to teach comprehension skills is already bedding in well.
• The additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is managed effectively. Leaders ensure that detailed individual plans for pupils eligible for the pupil premium grant tackle any areas of weakness. This enables precise planning and teaching for this group of pupils. As a result, more pupils are now making expected progress than previously.
• The energetic leadership of the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has improved the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities: her leadership is effective. Pupils are accurately identified and targeted intervention for these pupils is precisely focused to their needs. The SENCo’s determined approach is ensuring that more of this group of pupils are now progressing well. However, her concerted work is relatively recent and there is more to do to ensure that all pupils in this group make expected progress from their different starting points. There are strong communication links between Woolavington Village Primary School and secondary schools. These links are helping to ensure a smooth transition for this group of pupils when they move on.
• The sport premium funding has provided increased opportunity and greater participation in a wider variety of sports. Visiting coaches also provide opportunities for teachers to further develop their skills in the teaching of physical education. Pupils say they enjoy increased opportunities for sport and they would like to experience even more chances to compete in competitions with other schools.
• The curriculum is designed to make a good contribution to all pupils’ social, moral, cultural, and spiritual development. The school’s core values of tolerance, respect, understanding, strength and trust (TRUST) are interwoven into the curriculum and promote British values well. Pupils are expected to take on roles and responsibilities which they do with pride. A good example is the prefect system. Pupils experience a good range of wider curriculum opportunities through a variety of clubs, day visits and visitors, the forest school curriculum and residential visits.
• Pupils experience a wide range of subjects. Alongside this sits the school’s core learning skills (CLS) curriculum in which pupils develop wider skills such as teamwork, resilience, thinking skills and empathy for others. Inspectors saw pupils actively using CLS in their science learning. Pupils were supportive of one another. Consequently, they were able to investigate materials within a set time frame and test out their hypothesis – challenging each other with confidence.

Governance of the school

• The governance of the school is effective and has strongly improved since the school opened.
• The local governing board is single-minded in ensuring that the school provides the best for its pupils. Governors take their roles and responsibilities very seriously and their wide-ranging work and considerable challenge have ensured that pupils’ standards are rising. They ensure that additional funding is spent effectively. They have robust systems to check the work of the school; for example, monitoring of safeguarding arrangements, and they undertake their own analysis of pupils’ outcomes.
• CAT has not shied away from making difficult decisions. The trust has ensured that strong staff appointments have been made over the last 12 months, including the new assistant headteacher and those with middle leadership roles. As a result, there is a clearly defined leadership structure in the school. The chief operating officer visits the school to undertake regular reviews. Minutes of meetings confirm that leaders in the school are firmly held to account. The trust’s teaching and leadership reviews have resulted in considerable improvement across the school and pupils’ progress that is quickening.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils feel safe in school and are taught about a range of potential risks. Pupils talk confidently about how to keep safe, including in relation to e-safety. Senior leaders and governors ensure that training is up to date and reviewed regularly so that a clear culture of safeguarding practice is embedded across the school. Staff have been trained to protect pupils from radicalisation and extremism through the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty programme. This aspect of curriculum work is developing. Staff are vigilant in making referrals and show a good understanding of their responsibilities if they suspect pupils are at risk of harm. Some aspects of ongoing monitoring of risk assessments need to be sharpened. Statutory safeguarding requirements are met.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching and learning is improving; there is some strong teaching across the school. However, teaching remains variable and inconsistencies have not yet been entirely overcome so teaching is not yet good overall.
• Expectations set by some teachers are not uniformly high. Sometimes work set for pupils is too easy or does not build on what pupils can already do. Not all teachers’ questioning is sufficiently challenging or work on offer does not stretch pupils’ thinking. Sometimes most-able pupils have to sit and wait before they receive more difficult work. Therefore, in some lessons, learning time is not fully maximised for this group and the most able pupils do not make consistently good progress.
• Some lower-attaining pupils are sometimes moved through tasks too quickly. They do not get enough opportunities to practise and consolidate their learning. Consequently, pupils’ progress for this group is inconsistent.
• The quality of work in writing books is inconsistent. In some classes, work is not set to precisely meet the needs of pupils. Some teachers’ expectations are not high enough. The opportunities for pupils to edit and improve their writing are too limited and this stalls the progress that pupils make overall. Deficiencies in spelling have not been fully tackled and spelling and grammar errors and misconceptions can go unnoticed. Consequently, this is hindering their ability to produce high-quality, sustained writing in some classes. Recent spelling initiatives are beginning to take hold but their impact is not yet determined.
• The impact of teaching assistants across the school is mixed. Small-group teaching is precise and has a positive impact on pupils catching up. For example, the phonics interventions last year resulted in all pupils meeting the expected standard in 2016. However, within whole-class lessons, teaching assistants are not deployed consistently well. Consequently, their impact on pupils’ learning is not fully maximised in all classes.
• The quality of feedback that pupils receive from teachers is too variable. The school’s system to feedback to pupils about what they need to do to improve their work is well established. Where this is working well, pupils’ progress moves on swiftly because feedback focuses on the right aspects for improvement. However, not all pupils get sufficient opportunities to respond to feedback and this can slow their progress.
• Presentation and handwriting are not consistently good. Poorly presented work is too readily accepted in some classes, particularly in lower key stage 2.
• Teachers make detailed assessments of what pupils can and cannot do at key points in the school year. This information has not been used consistently well at transfer to the next year. As a result, some teachers plan work that does not challenge pupils and workbooks this term show that learning has stalled for some.
• Where teaching is effective, teachers check pupils’ progress and adjust their teaching accordingly to help all groups of pupils to make good progress. However, this is inconsistent and in some lessons assessment is not timely and this can slow learning, particularly for middle-attaining pupils.
• Staff have established good working relationships with pupils and, as a result, pupils show respect and want to learn in lessons. Pupils’ achievement meetings with teachers are ensuring that teachers’ planning is tackling the legacy of underachievement. Short, specific teaching strategies are beginning to encourage further fluency in mathematics. This is resulting in more pupils making expected progress than previously.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils show genuine respect for one another and most enjoy school. Pupils benefit from the calm and welcoming environment and show a real sense of pride in their school.
• Pupils’ attendance is improving and is now broadly in line with national averages. Historically, some pupils have not attended school regularly enough. Leaders’ careful monitoring of this group of pupils is resulting in attendance levels that are gradually rising. Leaders know that this remains a key priority.
• Pupils who attend the breakfast club enjoy the activities on offer and benefit from a healthy breakfast. Consequently, they have a positive start to the day and are ready to learn. Activities on offer at the after-school club are wide-ranging. Pupils enjoy lots of fresh air and undertake well-planned tasks that encourage all ages to join in together and have fun.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and courteous. Pupils’ behaviour is monitored closely and current systems show that the few incidents of poor behaviour are followed up robustly and are well managed.
• Pupils understand bullying and the different forms it can take. Leaders and teachers take these issues seriously. Inspection evidence shows that systems are in place to tackle problems should they arise and that these are routinely followed up. The large majority of parents and pupils report that these systems work well. However, not all pupils and parents have complete confidence that systems to monitor bullying are fully effective. Leaders are keen to strengthen communication in this respect so that their actions are explained clearly and records show that any concerns are investigated thoroughly and resolved successfully.
• During lessons, most pupils are attentive and focus on their learning well. Occasionally, when teaching is not well matched to pupils’ learning needs, pupils can fidget or display low level off-task behaviour. This results in pupils’ progress slowing within parts of lessons.
• Challenging behaviour is well-managed and the consistently high expectations of behaviour are fully understood by pupils and staff. Consequently, over time rates of exclusion are very low.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Key stage 2 published performance information in 2015 shows that outcomes in reading, writing, and mathematics are below those achieved nationally. More recently, better teaching is resulting in swifter progress for all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils. However, from their different starting points, not enough pupils make the progress that is expected at the end of key stage 2, particularly in reading and mathematics. Recent approaches to teaching reading and mathematics are developing well but inconsistencies in pupils’ achievement remain, particularly for middle-attaining pupils and the most able.
• Standards in punctuation, grammar and spelling are low when compared to standards nationally. Too few middle-attaining pupils meet the expected standards at the end of key stage 2. For some pupils further down the school, poor spelling is a common feature and this inhibits the quality of sustained writing outcomes.
• In 2015, disadvantaged pupils’ achievement was lower than the national average at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Other pupils in the school achieved higher levels from the same starting points. Inspection evidence confirms that these pupils made strong progress in Year 6. However, this did not fully make amends for slower progress further down the school. This year, teachers’ careful checking of work and precise planning, which meets pupils’ needs, are bringing about stronger progress for disadvantaged pupils across the school.
• Key stage 1 published performance information in 2015 shows that attainment is in line with that achieved nationally. However, the proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieving higher levels of attainment is lower. The school’s own performance information and work in books show that progress has been slower at key stage 1, particularly in writing and mathematics. Some pupils currently in Years 2 and 3 need to catch up. Very recent teaching in Year 2 is bringing about swifter progress this term. Pupils’ progress is stronger in upper key stage 2.
• The most able pupils make variable progress. Tasks set do not always build on pupils’ prior learning or challenge them. The most able disadvantaged pupils are not regularly tracked and expectations for this group of pupils is inconsistent across the school.
• The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is quickening. Historically, some pupils have made insufficient progress. Focused targeted teaching and better checking of pupils’ progress are now resulting in more pupils making expected progress than previously.
• Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics check has improved dramatically. Better teaching is resulting in pupils making faster progress than previously. All pupils met the required standard in 2016. Pupils’ attainment in phonics is now good.
• Since the school opened, attainment at the end of the early years has risen steadily and is now above the national average. Children make good progress from their starting points.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership of the early years is good. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Caring and helpful support by staff ensures that children are well looked after.
• The Nursery provision offers children a positive and caring start to school life. The indoor environment provides a wealth of opportunities for learning through play. Adults provide timely support and encouragement. Precise and personalised planning and assessment ensure that learning is matched to individual needs. Consequently, children’s learning needs are met effectively. There is a clear focus on developing speech and communication and this is helping children to become more confident in speaking and playing alongside each other.
• The effective transition from the Nursery to Reception class ensures that children settle well. Teachers have wasted no time this year and, as a result, learning routines are well established.
• Children enter the Reception class with varied knowledge and skills. Individual planning allows for all children to make strong progress from their starting points. Consequently, the proportion of children achieving the good level of development has risen steeply since the school opened and is now in line with the national average.
• Targeted support for disadvantaged children is bringing about considerably higher standards by the end of Reception. In 2015, this group of children achieved considerably higher than other children nationally.
• Teaching in the Reception class is good. Very specific individualised assessments inform teachers’ planning. Consequently, learning needs are strongly met and children in the early years make good progress. The learning environment enables children to access all aspects of the curriculum. Inspectors saw children investigating the classroom with curiosity and interest. The new outdoor learning area in Reception offers many exciting areas to play and learn. For example, the ‘doodle den’ is enjoyed by children and their mark making is highly valued. However, the outdoor area in Nursery could be further utilised to support a wider range of activities.
• The early teaching of phonics in the Reception class is helping children to make a positive start in reading and developing letter formation. Leaders accurately identify that even more could be done to teach early phonics across Nursery and Reception during summer transition sessions so that learning time is fully maximised on entry to the Reception class.
• The transition from Reception to Year 1 enables pupils to settle well. However, communication to teachers on what children can do is not maximised consistently. Therefore, considering their starting points, some pupils’ English work on entry to Year 1 is not sufficiently challenging, particularly for the most able pupils. Leaders acknowledge that careful monitoring is required so that these pupils cover ground quickly, and catch up where their learning has stalled this term.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140408 Somerset 10019943 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 Gender of pupils 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 176 Appropriate authority Collaborative Academies Trust Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Sarah-Jane Foale Mark Jackson 01278 683267 www.woolavingtonvillageprimaryschool.co.uk office@woolavington.somerset.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is a smaller than average-sized primary school and is part of Collaborative Academies Trust (CAT), a growing trust that serves communities in the south of England. Its sponsor is Edison Learning. Woolavington Village primary school became a sponsored academy on 30 January 2014. Its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted in May 2013 and was judged to require special measures.
• CAT governs the school overall. Local governance is undertaken by the local governing board. The board oversees the work on aspects such as finance, business, strategic growth of the trust, and accounting.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is slightly above the national average. Pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with the national average.
• There is Nursery on site which is managed by the governing board.
• There is a breakfast and after-school club which is managed by the governing board.
• In 2015, the school met the government’s current floor standard which is the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils learning in all classes across the school, many of which were jointly observed with senior leaders.
• Meetings were held with the head of school, executive headteacher, senior and middle leaders, representatives of the teaching and support staff, and the local governing board.
• A telephone conversation also took place with the chief executive officer of the trust.
• Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including minutes from governors’ meetings, school evaluation documents and action plans, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and spoke to a group of pupils to seek their views about the school. The views of other pupils were gathered during lessons, playtimes and lunchtimes.
• An inspector conducted a walk around the school with pupils to look at curriculum displays, the promotion of British values and to find out how they feel about their learning.
• The inspectors looked at pupils’ work in their books to establish the current quality of pupils’ work and progress over time.
• Inspectors considered 14 responses to the online survey, Parent View. The inspector considered comments provided by text message and also spoke to parents during the inspection. Online questionnaire responses from nine members of staff were also analysed along with one response from the online pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector Mark Jenner

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector