Southwick Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by:
  • providing more opportunities in lessons to challenge the most able pupils to extend and develop their mathematical thinking
  • broadening opportunities for pupils, including those in early years, to apply their writing skills across different subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders and governors have developed a strong sense of ambition and pride at Southwick Church of England Primary School. Since the previous inspection, they have worked hard to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Their actions have had a direct impact on improving outcomes for pupils.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths. The governors’ action plans are more focused now and set out clearly what actions are needed to secure further improvements. This attention to detail has had a positive impact on the progress the school has made since the previous inspection.
• The school benefits from being part of a collaboration of local schools. This has provided staff at all levels with opportunities to share best practice, moderate assessments and take part in training. Together with the support of the local authority, this has been effective in securing improvements in teaching and learning and pupils’ achievement over time.
• Leaders and governors are proud of the school and quickly challenge any practice that does not meet the agreed standard. As a result, the quality of teaching across the school has improved. Leaders are committed to helping colleagues develop their professional skills and this has ensured that all staff feel valued.
• Senior and middle leaders have high expectations and ambition to further develop the school. A scrutiny of pupils’ books alongside the school’s assessment information for current pupils show that the vast majority of pupils currently on roll make good progress. Any pupils that fall behind are identified, with support from staff being used to address any underachievement.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make good progress. Progress rates for disadvantaged pupils were not as high as other pupils nationally at the end of key stage 1 in 2016. However, current work and the school’s own assessment information clearly show that progress for this group of pupils has improved and is, now, at least good.
• Pupil premium plans are well written. Leaders check the impact of expenditure and adjust these plans annually to respond to the specific needs of disadvantaged pupils. After-school clubs encourage the most able disadvantaged pupils to develop their problem-solving skills.
• The primary sport premium is used effectively. The funding has been used to employ a sports coach to enhance lunchtime provision and provide further after-school clubs. Access to a local partnership has resulted in a wider range of competitions being offered to all pupils. Outcomes in physical education for pupils have improved as a result of the way the school tracks levels of participation.
• Special educational needs funding is used effectively. The special educational needs coordinator has an accurate view of pupils’ progress and provides strong leadership. This results in high-quality teaching and well-targeted interventions. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress.
• Leaders and teachers have developed a broad and balanced curriculum which reflects the ethos of the school. Pupils’ learning is enhanced through an interesting range of trips and visits. During a recent visit to a technology store, pupils were enthusiastic to create their own dance music. However, opportunities for pupils to apply their writing skills across this curriculum are not as well developed as they could be.
• The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. School councillors and members of the Youth Parliament met with inspectors and talked about their understanding of British values. Pupils could confidently talk about democracy, respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. They could provide specific examples, with references being made to posters or displays during a walk around the school.
• All parents who responded to the online inspection survey, Parents View, reported that they would recommend the school. One parent summed up the views of many by explaining that, ‘The school is really proactive in their approach. Children are happy, safe and enjoy learning.’

Governance of the school

• Governors have been effective in improving provision and raising standards. Clear improvements have been made since the previous inspection, and the subsequent monitoring visit. There is a culture of high expectation which is evident in the rigorous self-evaluation.
• Governors use their various professional backgrounds to offer an increasing level of challenge to leaders. Minutes of meetings show where governors have, over time, established a greater level of scrutiny.
• Governors analyse assessment information and spending plans, including those for pupil premium and sport premium funding, to ask leaders challenging questions about their work and the impact it is having on pupils’ achievement. This has resulted in improved outcomes for all pupils and increased rates of progress.
• Governors hold leaders to account by reviewing in detail the attainment of all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged. They scrutinise the progress that all pupils make and challenge any variations. This scrutiny has had a positive impact on improving pupils’ outcomes.
• Governors visit the school frequently and forge good links with subject leaders. Consequently, they have a clear understanding of the school’s effectiveness and its current priorities.
• Governors ensure that the school’s performance management systems are robust and that pay awards are appropriately reviewed.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have created a culture of safeguarding within the school. This culture ensures that staff are fully aware of the latest national guidance and know the actions that they must take if they have any concerns about a pupil.
• Safeguarding governors have benefited from training. This enables them to be fully aware of their responsibilities when monitoring what the school is doing to keep all pupils safe.
• Pupils and parents say that the school is a safe and happy place. Older pupils, in particular, say how well teachers in the school support them.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching, learning and assessment continue to improve because of the high-quality training delivered through a local collaboration of schools. Teachers are able to share best practice and develop their knowledge, understanding and skills.
• Teachers have high expectations and make good use of additional adults in the classroom. Pupils who are disadvantaged make good progress as a result of the support and challenge they receive.
• Assessment systems have been well developed. Leaders and teachers use these effectively to track the progress that pupils are making. Pupils’ progress is discussed in termly meetings. Teachers devise new actions for any groups or individuals that may be falling behind. This ensures that all groups of pupils are on track to make good progress.
• The teaching of reading across the school is good. Effective teaching of phonics begins in the early years and continues during key stage 1, alongside activities that develop pupils’ vocabulary and skills in reading for meaning. This is built upon very well in key stage 2, where teachers choose texts that interest pupils and promote their enjoyment of reading. Teachers extend pupils’ understanding of different texts and teach more advanced skills, such as inference and deduction. At both key stages, pupils read regularly to staff.
• Teachers plan lessons to ensure that pupils are engaged and enthused about their learning. Teachers plan real-life experiences. For example, when teaching pupils to use persuasive language, teachers made effective use of a holiday brochure. This stimulus had a positive impact on the quality of work which the pupils were then able to produce. Strong relationships between pupils and teachers result in high levels of interest in lessons.
• The teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling has been improving rapidly since the disappointing outcomes in the 2016 key stage 2 national tests. Teachers’ questioning is now more focused and this has helped pupils to develop a deeper understanding of grammar.
• Teachers do not always ensure that the most able pupils are provided with activities that stretch and challenge their mathematical thinking.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• All pupils are confident and self-assured. They are able to carry out roles of special responsibility in school, such as being school councillors or members of the Youth Parliament. Pupils take these roles seriously and are involved in the running of the school.
• Leaders have created a nurturing culture which builds upon the positive relationships between staff and pupils of the school. As a result, pupils show a good awareness of the need to respect race and culture and different religious beliefs.
• Pupils are safe in school. Pupils explain in detail how to keep themselves safe and healthy. The school works hard to meet the needs of vulnerable pupils using the support of outside agencies where necessary. The good teaching of personal, social and health education also contributes to pupils’ development, for example the work undertaken to promote anti-bullying.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying, including homophobic and cyber bullying. Bullying is rare and, if it does occur, leaders deal with any concerns quickly and appropriately.
• Pupils of all ages have a good understanding of the potential risks when using the internet. For example, they know the dangers of sharing personal details when online. As a result, pupils use technology safely.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are proud of their school. Pupils take pride in their work and show positive attitudes to learning. They work well together and support each other when they get stuck in lessons. Pupils are not afraid to make mistakes and see this as a valuable part of their learning.
• Pupils describe how they are challenged and think more deeply in lessons. They explain how teachers’ feedback helps them make more progress. This was particularly evident in their work on grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Generally, pupils conduct themselves well around the school. When there are very occasional problems with playground behaviour, pupils respond quickly to instructions from staff. Pupils show responsibility for their actions and this has a positive impact on the way that pupils then behave.
• The school has robust systems in place to support and deal effectively with incidents of poor behaviour. The school is rigorous in following this up.
• Leaders have worked hard to engage families and improve rates of attendance. The strategies used by the school have been effective and attendance is now in line with national levels. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is improving and any difference between their attendance and that of others is diminishing rapidly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Across almost all year groups, current pupils make strong rates of progress.
• Provisional results for 2016 show that progress for all pupils was stronger in writing than in both reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Progress of the most able pupils was weaker in reading and mathematics but better in writing. The school has responded quickly to these disappointing outcomes and put in place strategies to increase the progress that the most able pupils make. These changes are ensuring that the progress of current pupils is swifter in both reading and mathematics.
• Provisional results for 2016 show that the attainment of pupils in grammar, punctuation and spelling was low. The work of current pupils shows a focused and consistent improvement in their ability to use punctuation, grammar and spelling skills more accurately.
• The rate of progress for current pupils who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is close to that of other pupils with similar starting points. These groups of pupils are well supported by the school and their needs are met through a range of strategies and interventions.
• Pupil premium funding is effective in supporting the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Work in books shows that pupils are making good progress from their starting points across the curriculum. Leaders have acted quickly to address any variation in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Inspection evidence shows that differences in progress for these pupils currently on roll are diminishing.
• Pupils read widely and often, with fluency and comprehension appropriate to their age. Older pupils are challenged by reading more sophisticated texts.
• The proportion of Year 1 pupils who met the expected standard in phonics in 2016 was above the national figure.
• All pupils are making good progress towards meeting or exceeding the expected attainment level for their age and are gaining knowledge, understanding and skills. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Early years provision Good

• Safeguarding is effective. Child protection policies and procedures are fully implemented and there are no breaches of the statutory welfare requirements.
• Children are able to gain an understanding of risk through different activities. During the inspection, when learning about light and heavy objects, children could describe both a safe and unsafe situation.
• Children are enthusiastic, motivated and keen to learn. They have enquiring minds and listen carefully to what adults have to say. They are able to listen to each other and take turns. Their behaviour, both in adult-led activities and those which are child-initiated, is good.
• The early years leader has an accurate view of both the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and is able to make good use of ongoing assessments. These are regular and precise and are used to inform the planning of children’s learning and development experiences. All adults working within the early years are highly skilled and well-trained. This has a positive impact on the accuracy of the assessment of children’s learning.
• The early years curriculum provides a broad range of interesting experiences, both in and outside the classroom. On the whole, these meet the children’s needs and help them to make progress towards the end of year goals.
• Some inconsistencies exist between boys and girls in writing. This is because there are too few opportunities for children to write.
• Additional funding for pupils who are disadvantaged is used well to ensure that gaps in progress and attainment are diminishing.
• Parents speak highly of the way that children are helped by school staff to make a good start to their schooling. They are kept well informed about their children’s progress. Teachers encourage parental involvement to support their child’s learning at all times.
• Children make at least typical progress by the end of the early years, with some making better progress from their starting points. This includes pupils who are disadvantaged or those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Despite some variations between the attainment of boys and girls in writing, children develop the necessary skills to make a positive start in Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 126359 Wiltshire 10021427 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 Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 191 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mrs Janice Hiscock Mrs Lesley Shellard Telephone number 01225 763325 Website Email address www.southwick.wilts.sch.uk admin@southwick.wilts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9–10 December 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive special educational needs support is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above the national average.
• The school meets the current government floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in each class. Several of these observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of pupils’ books and work throughout the inspection.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs leader, four governors (including the chair of the governing body) and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils informally in class, and around the school at breaktimes and lunchtimes to seek their views about the school. Inspectors attended the breakfast and after-school clubs.
• Inspectors met with groups of pupils more formally to discuss many aspects of school life.
• An inspector heard a range of pupils read from Year 2 and Year 6.
• Inspectors scrutinised the school’s website and a range of school documents including assessment information, minutes from governors’ meetings, and the school’s own evaluation of its work and safeguarding records.
• Inspectors considered 31 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire, including parents’ free-text comments. They also spoke to some parents before school at the beginning of the inspection.
• Inspectors took account of 10 questionnaires completed by members of staff.

Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector Jon Dyer

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector