Dilhorne Endowed CE (A) Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • improvement plans focus on the right priorities and contain measurable success criteria so that leaders and governors can evaluate the impact of their actions on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes
  • leaders evaluate the quality of teaching accurately, focusing on the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning and checking that teaching challenges all pupils effectively
  • teachers receive clear and accurate feedback to improve their teaching skills
  • training supports teachers’ development and improves the effectiveness of teaching
  • statutory requirements for maintaining the school’s website are met.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • teachers plan work for pupils that matches their learning needs and age-related expectations more consistently
  • middle- and high-attaining pupils are sufficiently challenged to achieve the high standards of which they are capable
  • learning builds on what pupils know, understand and can do in English, mathematics and across the wider curriculum
  • teachers’ subject knowledge is consistently strong, and they use questioning to deepen pupils’ understanding effectively
  • pupils have regular opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics
  • the school’s approach to teaching phonics is clear and consistent and secures strong progress for all pupils
  • pupils use spelling and punctuation accurately in their writing
  • teachers insist on high standards of presentation in all pupils’ work.
• Improve pupils’ attendance by ensuring that:
  • further action is taken to reduce absence and persistent absence, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders’ improvement plans do not identify accurately the immediate priorities for the school. They do not focus precisely enough on the actions needed to improve teaching and pupils’ outcomes. Plans do not have clear success criteria to enable leaders and governors to evaluate the impact of their actions.
• Leaders do not have a sharp enough understanding of the quality of teaching. They have not taken swift enough action to address weaknesses and ensure that teaching is consistently good across the school. As a result, pupils’ progress varies across year groups and subjects.
• During the past two years, there have been many changes to leadership within the school. Trust-wide leaders for English and mathematics are new to their roles. They have begun to make checks on teaching but do not evaluate precisely enough the impact that teaching has on pupils’ learning. They do not provide the regular challenge and support needed to improve the quality of teaching and to ensure that all pupils make consistently good progress.
• Leaders’ evaluations of teaching do not pinpoint the aspects that need to get better. Leaders do not provide teachers with the feedback needed to improve pupils’ progress. Furthermore, teachers do not receive the right training to improve their teaching skills quickly. Consequently, teaching requires improvement and pupils do not make strong progress in some year groups and subjects.
• The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn across a wide range of subjects. However, often activities are too simple and do not deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Leaders have not ensured that learning builds from one year to the next so that pupils of different ages in the same class develop their knowledge and skills effectively as they move through the school.
• Leaders have rightly identified the teaching of phonics as a weakness. They have started to take action to address this, which has brought about some improvements. However, the school has not yet got an agreed approach to the teaching of phonics. Teachers have not received the necessary training to ensure that they teach phonics consistently well. As a result, the quality of phonics teaching is still not as strong as it should be.
• The leadership of provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective. The school leader works closely with staff to assess pupils’ needs. She ensures that appropriate support is put in place and makes regular checks to ensure that intervention work is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Consequently, these pupils make good progress towards their individual targets.
• Leaders make effective use of pupil premium funding to provide additional staffing and resources to support disadvantaged pupils. Leaders also ensure that disadvantaged pupils have access to the same range of activities as other pupils in the school. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are currently making progress in line with other pupils in the school and nationally.
• Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils enjoy learning about different faiths and cultures. They show tolerance and respect for others.
• Leaders make good use of the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium to increase pupils’ involvement in competitive sports. Pupils take part in a range of inter-school competitions, for example in athletics, basketball, cricket, football, gymnastics and tennis. Leaders ensure that every pupil takes part in at least one sporting event during the year, giving careful attention to planning activities that meet the needs and abilities of all. Teachers also benefit from working alongside specialist staff to develop their skills in delivering PE lessons.
• Staff morale is high, and everyone is committed to ensuring that pupils receive a good standard of education. The new trust-wide leadership structure provides the capacity for leaders to drive the required improvements.

Governance of the school

• Governors receive a range of information about the school’s performance, including information about pupils’ attainment and progress and the quality of teaching. However, governors accept the information leaders provide without rigorous enough challenge to assure themselves of its accuracy.
• Governors check that leaders complete the actions set out in the school improvement plan. However, they do not check closely enough to see if these actions are improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes.
• At the time of the inspection, the board of trustees had not fulfilled their statutory responsibility to ensure that the school has a website. As a result, statutory documents were not available for parents and carers to access.
• Governors are ambitious for the school and are committed to their roles. They are passionate about pupils ‘only having one chance to learn’. The link governor makes frequent visits to the school to build relationships with staff and parents.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders induct new staff in the school’s safeguarding processes. They complete thorough checks on all adults who work or volunteer at the school to ensure that they are suitable to work with children.
• All staff training for child protection is up to date. Staff understand their responsibilities for keeping children safe and know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil’s safety or welfare.
• Staff know individual pupils well and are alert to any changes in their behaviour or appearance. Pupils say they feel safe in school and that adults care for them well. Most parents agree that their children are safe and well looked after at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching does not consistently match the abilities of pupils of different ages who are in the same class. As a result, pupils’ progress varies across year groups.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is variable. Weaknesses in subject knowledge in some classes mean that teachers do not plan lessons precisely enough to meet the needs of different ages and abilities of pupils. This slows the progress of some groups of pupils. Middle- and high-attaining pupils sometimes find their work too easy and finish it quickly. Other pupils complete their work inaccurately because teachers do not model it correctly.
• Work in mathematics does not consistently build on what pupils know, understand and can do. At times, pupils complete work they have already mastered. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge to reason and solve problems. This slows pupils’ progress.
• The teaching of writing is inconsistent. Pupils have regular opportunities to write at length and for different purposes in English lessons. However, teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of pupils’ learning. For example, teachers do not address pupils’ errors in spelling and punctuation well enough to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress over time.
• Recent changes to the teaching of phonics are beginning to improve pupils’ reading skills. However, variations in the quality of teaching remain, which means that some pupils do not develop the skills they need by the end of Year 1.
• Teachers’ questions often lack challenge and do not probe pupils’ understanding. This means that pupils answer quickly and easily, without really having to think. Teachers do not develop pupils’ ideas in detail or encourage pupils to explain their answers. This limits pupils’ progress.
• Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers do not have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Sometimes teachers do not intervene and move pupils’ learning forward when they are ready. This hampers pupils’ progress and prevents some from achieving the high standards of which they are capable, particularly middle- and high-attaining pupils.
• Expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work are inconsistent. As a result, some pupils’ presentation is poor and standards of presentation vary between pupils’ work in English and the work they complete in other subjects.
• Staff promote reading well. They teach reading for understanding effectively across the curriculum, and encourage pupils to read regularly. As a result, pupils say they enjoy reading. Middle- and high-attaining pupils read with fluency, expression and understanding.
• Teachers plan learning to interest and motivate pupils. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Class 3 wrote newspaper articles and chants linked to the football world cup. As a result, pupils enjoy learning and apply themselves well to tasks.
• Additional adults provide effective support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. This supports them to complete tasks successfully and make good progress towards their individual targets.
• Strong relationships between adults and pupils create a positive atmosphere for learning. Teachers praise pupils’ efforts and respond sensitively if pupils do not know an answer or make mistakes. Consequently, pupils are eager to answer teachers’ questions and confidently share ideas with their peers.

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 that adults listen to them and care for them well.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school. They receive frequent praise and encouragement from adults, which helps them to become confident learners who are willing to ‘have a go’.
• Adults teach pupils about how to keep themselves safe and healthy. As a result, pupils know how to cross the road safely and how to stay safe online. They understand the importance of physical activity and eating a balanced diet to keep well.
• Pupils benefit from opportunities to take on extra responsibilities, for example as house captains, head boy and girl and members of the school and worship councils.
• Adults enhance pupils’ personal development through opportunities to contribute to the local community and wider society, for example by fundraising and making cards for older residents in the village. Pupils also learn how to care for animals in the recently established ‘farm school’.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare and that, when it does happen, staff deal with it well. They trust that adults will help them if they are hurt, upset or worried.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Established routines and high expectations support pupils to behave well. For example, at the end of breaktimes, pupils are quick to tidy equipment away and line up silently, with very little prompting from adults.
• Leaders have created a calm, orderly and purposeful atmosphere. As a result, pupils conduct themselves well throughout the school day. They move quietly and sensibly around the building. In lessons, they listen attentively to adults and each other, and settle to tasks quickly.
• Pupils are polite and well mannered. There is a strong community feel and pupils of different ages play well together at breaktimes and lunchtimes, sharing equipment and taking turns.
• Pupils’ attendance has been below national averages for the past two years. The proportion of pupils who are frequently absent was significantly above the national average in 2017. Leaders have taken action to improve pupils’ attendance, for example rewarding good attendance and working closely with families. As a result, attendance rates are improving, although they remain below average, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

Outcomes for pupils

Requires improvement

• The small number of pupils assessed at the end of key stages 1 and 2 makes it difficult to make year-on-year comparisons. However, work in books shows that pupils’ progress in some year groups and subjects is not strong. Leaders have not been quick enough to notice this, which means that some pupils underachieve.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been below national averages for the past three years. Current pupils are making steady progress in developing their phonic skills. However, the proportion of pupils working at the expected standard continues to be lower than the national average.
• In 2017, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics was below national averages. Although the proportions of pupils working at greater depth in reading and writing were above national averages, these pupils have not continued to make strong progress this academic year.
• The number of pupils who were assessed at the end of Year 6 in 2017 was too small to be able to comment without identifying individuals. The progress and attainment of current pupils in key stage 2 varies. This is because teachers do not plan work that matches the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities closely enough. As a result, pupils in some year groups and subjects do not make the progress they should.
• Teachers do not sufficiently challenge the most able pupils to work at the higher standards, particularly in writing in key stage 2 and in mathematics across the school. Consequently, many of these pupils are not making the progress of which they are capable.
• Most disadvantaged pupils make progress from their starting points that is at least in line with, and sometimes better than, other pupils in the school and nationally.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their different starting points. This is because these pupils receive effective targeted support to help them to achieve their individual targets.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• A new early years leader role was established in September 2017. The leader has a broad understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the provision. She has improved assessment systems so that adults now make regular checks on all aspects of children’s learning and development. However, there has not been enough time to secure good teaching and ensure that adults are fully skilled in meeting the needs of all children effectively.
• Most children start school with knowledge, skills and understanding that are typical for their age. Some children have higher starting points. The proportions of children who achieve a good level of development have been at least in line with national averages for the past three years. However, not all groups of children make strong progress from their different starting points.
• During adult-led sessions, learning does not consistently build on children’s prior knowledge and understanding. Adults do not question children deeply enough to reinforce and extend their learning. Consequently, low-attaining and high-attaining children do not make the progress they should.
• When children are working and playing, adults encourage and praise them. This motivates children and ensures that they stay focused. However, adults do not intervene and move children’s learning forward quickly enough, which limits their progress.
• The indoor and outdoor learning environments are bright, stimulating and welcoming. Children have opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. However, activities are not sufficiently challenging for middle- and high-attaining children. As a result, some of these children do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Adults plan activities that capture children’s interests and imagination. As a result, children enjoy learning and sustain their concentration well. For example, during the inspection, children were highly engaged in acting out a story on a toy farm. They confidently used digital equipment to record the action so that they could watch it and share it with others.
• Children’s behaviour is good. This is because adults have high expectations, which they model clearly. Consequently, children generally listen to adults carefully and respond to their instructions quickly. They look after the resources, take turns and share.
• Relationships between adults and children are positive and caring. Adults know children well and provide a nurturing environment. As a result, children feel happy and secure. They play well together and are kind to their friends.
• Transition arrangements to support children when they start school are highly effective. Communication with parents is strong and children make regular visits to their new class in the term before they enter Reception. This ensures that children start school confidently and settle quickly.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141770 Staffordshire 10047349 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 59 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Peter Chell Jared Eccles 01538 702355 www.dilhorne.staffs.sch.uk headteacher@dilhorne.staffs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school is considerably smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school converted to become an academy in September 2015. It is part of the Moorlands Primary Federation, which consists of five primary schools. The multi-academy trust is governed by a board of trustees who are accountable for all of the schools in the trust. When Ofsted last inspected the predecessor school, it judged it to be good.
• In the past three years, the number of pupils has grown. A notable proportion of pupils have joined the school after the end of key stage 1.
• There are three mixed-age classes. There is one class for Reception and Year 1 pupils, one class for pupils in Years 2 and 3 and one class for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.
• Almost all pupils are from a White British background.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs, or education, health and care plans, is also above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed pupils’ learning in eight parts of lessons. All of these observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders.
• The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime. She spoke formally with a group of pupils as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.
• The inspector listened to a group of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.
• The inspector and school leaders jointly examined the quality of work in pupils’ English and mathematics books. The inspector also looked at work in pupils’ topic and science books.
• Discussions were held with the executive headteacher, principal, school leader and trust-wide leaders for English, early years and special educational needs provision. The inspector met with six members of the school staff to gather their views on safeguarding, school improvement, professional development and pupils’ learning.
• The inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the board of trustees.
• The inspector reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, information about pupils’ progress, records relating to safeguarding and attendance and minutes of board of trustee meetings.
• The inspector took into consideration the 24 responses to Parent View. She also spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day.

Inspection team

Claire Jones, lead inspector

Her Majesty’s Inspector