King William Street Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that governors hold leaders to account robustly for improving pupils’ outcomes so that they are consistently good
  • leaders firmly holding teachers to account through their checks on teaching and pupils’ progress insisting that information from teachers’ assessment is used precisely to plan work that is closely matched to pupils’ needs insisting that teaching staff have consistently high expectations that result in pupils’ making good progress in relation to their starting point
  • ensuring that middle leaders’ work has a positive impact on raising pupils’ achievement.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • the teaching of reading and writing stretches and challenges middle-attaining pupils and the most able so that they make good progress
  • spelling, punctuation and grammar are applied accurately in pupils’ writing across the curriculum
  • pupils who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make consistently good progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders have not acted quickly enough to raise pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. The progress of current pupils and the quality of teaching remain too inconsistent.
• The headteacher has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. She has not shied away from making difficult decisions and is working productively to tackle underperformance. Considerable staff changes have slowed the school’s improvement journey. The pace of improvement is quickening this year.
• Leaders’ work to improve the teaching of writing is not yet fully effective. Although staff training and support have taken place, they have not led to sustained improvement. As a result, the teaching of writing is not good enough and this hinders the progress that pupils make. Writing across a range of curriculum subjects remains insufficiently developed.
• Leaders do not ensure that teachers’ expectations are uniformly high. For example, some teachers wrongly accept basic errors in writing. Pupils in some classes do not get the feedback they need to make the improvements their work requires. Consequently, pupils’ underachievement in writing persists.
• Leaders’ checks on teaching have not had sufficient impact. Leaders monitor the quality of teaching and pace of pupils’ progress. However, they do not take sufficient account of pupils’ work in books. As a result, too few pupils, particularly the middle-attaining and the most able, are making the progress of which they are capable.
• The leadership of special educational needs is not fully effective. Leaders do not use additional funding well enough to make a difference to the progress that pupils who have special educational needs make. The leader does not check on the quality of teaching for this group of pupils sufficiently. Teachers do not get the necessary guidance to improve their teaching for this group. Therefore, these pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable, particularly in writing.
• Subject leaders’ roles and responsibilities are beginning to develop. Recent training is enabling them to develop their skills and subject knowledge further. However, their impact on raising pupils’ achievement is too variable in English.
• A large proportion of teachers are new to the profession. They receive timely support. Coaching for these staff is beginning to pay dividends. However, despite the quality of teaching improving steadily across the school, leaders’ actions have yet to ensure that teaching is consistently effective. As a result pupils’ progress overall is not rapid enough.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is managed increasingly well. Leaders have used it to provide additional support for pupils’ academic and emotional development. However, its impact is variable and this results in these pupils making uneven progress in reading and writing.
• Leaders’ actions to improve mathematics teaching is proving effective. Teachers’ subject knowledge and assessment practices have improved. As a result, most teaching is closely matched to pupils’ needs and a greater proportion of pupils are meeting and exceeding the expected standards in mathematics.
• The sports premium funding is used effectively. Sports coaching plays an important role and has increased the subject knowledge and teaching ability of staff. There are a limited range of clubs on offer.
• Leaders ensure there are regular planned opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development across a range of curriculum areas, including additional school visits. British values are promoted effectively through the curriculum. For example, pupils learned about democracy and election voting systems during the recent general election.
• External support has steered improvement more quickly this year. As a result, there is notable improvement in mathematics.
• Parents are generally positive about the education their children receive. Most parents would recommend the school. A small minority of parents are concerned about whether the work on offer for their children is challenging enough.

Governance of the school

• Actions undertaken since the review of governance that followed the previous inspection have resulted in improvements in the way that governors work. Increasingly, they hold middle leaders to account through visits to the school and monitor the impact of their actions. For example, they test out the impact of the school’s ‘do it, use it, own it’ strategy in mathematics.
• Appointing governors to specific roles has enabled them to play to their strengths. However, it is too early to see the impact of some of their work. Rightly governors have prioritised ensuring that the school makes sustainable long-term improvement. However, more time is needed to ensure that their actions bring about sufficient improvement to pupils’ achievement in every year group. They are working on the right aspects for improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The whole staff team work together well to keep children safe. Staff provide good levels of nurture and support and are vigilant in their work. Pupils’ emotional and social needs are well catered for. Multi-agency support for the most vulnerable pupils is wide-ranging. Leaders follow up any concerns swiftly.
• Staff and governors have completed relevant and up-to-date training as required by current legislation. Staff at all levels apply their training to their everyday work. They articulate with confidence what to do if they have concerns, and expect designated safeguarding leaders to provide feedback about any action they have taken to minimise children’s risk of harm.
• Governors visit the school regularly and check the single central record to assure themselves that staff are suitable to work with children.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too inconsistent. Teachers’ expectations are not uniformly high enough. Teaching does not consistently build on what pupils already know. Sometimes work is too easy or too hard. Consequently, teaching is not resulting in pupils achieving well.
• As a result of previously weak teaching, some middle-attaining and most able pupils underachieved. Current teaching does not stretch and challenge these pupils sufficiently. For example, teachers too readily accept pupils’ first draft of written work and do not insist that they continue to refine and improve it. As a result, these pupils are not catching up quickly enough in writing.
• Improvements in the teaching of grammar have enabled pupils to develop more precise and ambitious vocabulary. However, pupils in some classes do not routinely apply this to their independent writing. In these classes, opportunities to write at length are too limited and this hinders the progress pupils make.
• Teaching for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not effective enough because teachers do not plan learning that precisely meets their needs. Sometimes these pupils sit through work that is too difficult for them or are held back because their misconceptions are not picked up quickly enough. Skilled teaching assistants work hard to adapt teaching so that it meets pupils’ needs. However, this does not compensate for weaknesses in teachers’ assessments of individual pupils in some classes and so pupils’ underachievement persists.
• The teaching of phonics enables pupils to read and decode texts well. However, pupils do not consistently apply their knowledge and understanding of phonics to their writing. In Years 1, 3 and 4 teaching does not routinely pick up and remedy weaknesses in phonics and pupils’ knowledge of spelling rules. This acts as a barrier to pupils’ learning.
• Most pupils can read fluently. However, the teaching of reading is not good in some classes. Teachers do not adapt their teaching to respond to pupils’ misunderstandings. Teachers do not consistently check what pupils are reading independently and so pupils often choose to read texts that are too easy. This slows pupils’ progress in reading.
• The teaching of mathematics is effective and is enabling most pupils to make good progress this year. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are often making even more rapid progress. Pupils use and apply their knowledge and understanding of calculation well. The vast majority of pupils tackle mathematical challenges keenly and relish the ‘do it, use it, own it’ approach the school has adopted. Increasingly, teaching provides a good level of challenge. Consequently, greater proportions of pupils are meeting and exceeding the standards expected of them.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language benefit from effective support. This is enabling these pupils to make good progress in mathematics as well as English.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils say they feel safe in school and talk with confidence about how to keep safe online. They value the way the school helps them to keep abreast of up-to-date information. For example, visiting advisers from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) help them to make informed decisions and understand how to keep safe.
• Pupils take their additional responsibilities very seriously. Peer mediators, who act as buddies, and play leaders, make a significant contribution to school life. As a result, pupils’ differences are sorted out quickly and keeping fit and healthy are prioritised at lunchtimes.
• The school’s breakfast club provides a safe and positive start to the day. Pupils enjoy their breakfast and the activities on offer. Consequently, pupils are ready and eager to learn.
• Consistently good supervision ensures that pupils are looked after well at playtime and lunchtime. Pupils enjoy their time in the dinner hall and the family feel of mealtimes. Their manners and social skills are good.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Generally, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, even when the work planned for them is too easy or too hard. They try their best and the vast majority present their work well. Occasionally, when pupils have to wait for new activities or work is not matched to their needs a few pupils do not maintain complete concentration and their progress slows.
• Pupils say bullying is rare. They say that adults sort out any problems rapidly. Pupils also say their peer mediators can usually resolve issues successfully and help put friendships back together again quickly.
• Adults manage the few pupils with challenging behaviour well. Pupils say that there have been times in the past where pupils’ poor behaviour has got in the way of their learning but this has lessened considerably in the last two terms.
• Attendance is good. As a result of leaders’ actions, attendance by disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has improved. Leaders are direct and open with parents about the need to ensure their children attend well. Support and advice is on hand to ensure that families meet the school’s high expectations. Consequently, attendance is above the national average and continues to rise.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• All too often pupils’ progress varies in English as they move from one class to another because of inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across the school. Pupils’ application of writing skills across the curriculum is not good enough. Teachers in some classes are too ready to accept low standards of writing in topic books and basic errors in spelling and punctuation. This hinders improvement in the accuracy and quality of pupils’ writing.
• Current middle-attaining and most able pupils do not achieve the standards of work of which they are capable. Pupils are not exposed to sufficiently challenging work quickly enough in a number of classes, which slows pupils’ progress in reading and writing, particularly that of boys.
• In 2016 at the end of key stage 2, middle- and high-attaining pupils did not make enough progress in reading and writing. In mathematics, too few high-attaining pupils exceeded expected standards.
• Disadvantaged pupils do not make consistently good progress. In 2016, these pupils at the end of key stage 2 made markedly less progress than other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Too few middle-attaining pupils met the expected standards. Current disadvantaged pupils make variable progress in reading and writing. Some pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 fail to catch up quickly enough as a result of inconsistent teaching that is not closely matched to their needs.
• Pupils’ progress in reading is not tracked closely enough by teachers or leaders. As a result, too often pupils read books at school that are insufficiently challenging. Opportunities to deepen pupils’ understanding of what they read are too limited.
• In 2016, published outcomes at the end of key stage 1 were in line with or above national averages overall. Girls reached higher standards than boys in writing and mathematics. Now, in Year 3, boys’ progress remains too inconsistent to be good in writing.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make good enough progress overall because teaching is not closely matched to their needs in some classes.
• The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standards in the Year 1 phonics screening has been above the national average for the last two years and is gradually rising. However, pupils’ ability to apply their phonics knowledge to their writing is too variable. Weaknesses in spelling are also evident. This hinders pupils’ ability to write with accuracy and length, particularly in lower key stage 2.
• The majority of children enter the early years with skills and knowledge below their age. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development, the standard expected at the end of the early years, has been above national averages for the last three years. This is reflective of good progress. Current children in Reception are making good progress overall and often rapid progress in reading.
• Pupils make swift progress in Years 2 and 6 because of the effective teaching they receive. This is enabling them to catch up and is remedying residual underachievement caused by previously weaker teaching.
• Increasingly, pupils can apply their calculation skills to solve problems and reason in mathematics. The most able pupils confidently tackle more difficult work and receive better levels of challenge in mathematics. As a result, the proportion of pupils meeting and exceeding expected standards in mathematics is improving.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader has a clear understanding of the strengths of the setting and the aspects that require further work. She has correctly identified and prioritised the improvements she is making.
• Staff working in the early years know the children well. As a result of the good relationships and routines formed, children feel safe, are supported well and enjoy school. Parents value the positive start to school life that their children receive.
• Teaching in the early years is good because adults use precise assessments of what children can already do to plan activities that closely match their needs. Adults use their prior knowledge and understanding of children’s learning skilfully to question children and deepen their understanding. Consequently, many children show high levels of independence. Children are motivated to learn and make good progress. The vast majority of children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Leaders use additional funding through the pupil premium effectively to support disadvantaged children’s personal social and emotional development. These children are developing their learning skills well, they pursue tasks with concentration and are developing effective relationships with their peers. As a result, these children make good progress both emotionally and academically.
• Children show a real sense of pride to be part of Reception. Adults encourage children to talk about their learning and to review their successes or times when they need to show resilience to achieve. Children particularly enjoy opportunities to apply their understanding of previously taught work through independent ‘chilli challenges’ across the day. This opportunity enables them to extend and apply their learning.
• The school makes the best possible use of the very limited outdoor space available. Children also benefit from using the key stage 1 playground and hall to further develop their physical development.
• The breadth of curriculum is appropriate. High-quality resources are on offer for all areas of learning. Children benefit from a wealth of tasks that combine around a unifying theme. This helps children apply their understanding and make links across activities. Opportunities for children to read, write and count independently pervade the setting. For example, children relished identifying the features of mini-beasts and writing lists and captions. These interesting activities ensure that children sustain concentration for extended periods.
• The teaching of phonics by adults is good because it is precisely matched to children’s needs. This is enabling most children to apply their phonics skills well when working on tasks independently. However, occasionally inaccuracies in letter formation are not picked up quickly enough, particularly for a few boys, to help in developing fluency in their early writing.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138479 Swindon 10033131 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 195 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address David Jell Margaret Clarke 01793 522346 http://www.kingwilliam.swindon.sch.uk head@kingwilliamstreet.co.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 March 2015

Information about this school

• The school is a single standalone academy. There is a headteacher who is accountable to the local governing body.
• There have been considerable staff changes since the previous inspection. New English and mathematics leaders have been appointed this year. A larger than average proportion of teachers are new or relatively new to the profession.
• There is a part-time leader of special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• 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.
• There is a breakfast club which is managed by the school.
• Children in Reception attend full time.
• External support for English, mathematics and leadership is commissioned by the governing body.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning across the school. Some learning was observed jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ books to establish the quality of their current work and their progress over time. They listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors scrutinised a variety of school documents to ascertain the school’s evaluation of its performance. They also reviewed records relating to behaviour and safety, attendance and safeguarding.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and middle leaders. Meetings also took place with six members of the governing body. An additional telephone conversation also took place with the chair of governors.
• A meeting took place with the school’s external improvement partner. This external support has been in place since September 2016.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during their learning and at lunchtimes and breaktimes.
• Inspectors met with some pupils to seek their views of the school and discuss how they feel about their learning and development.
• An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club provision.
• Inspectors considered 58 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also considered comments provided in parents’ text messages and spoke to parents during the inspection. An inspector considered staff and pupils’ views during the inspection and previewed the electronic surveys.

Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector Patricia Dodds

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector