Arley Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management at all levels by making sure that:
  • leaders track the progress and attainment of pupils, especially the most able and disadvantaged
  • teachers’ assessment judgements in all year groups are accurate and reflect what pupils can do
  • governors hold leaders to account for the progress of all groups, including the disadvantaged and most able.
• Improve teaching to help all pupils make consistently good progress, especially the most able and disadvantaged, by:
  • ensuring that teachers provide challenging work that builds on what pupils already know
  • providing all pupils with regular opportunities in mathematics to develop their reasoning skills and to deepen their thinking in lessons
  • ensuring that any pupils who are falling behind make accelerated progress to catch up.
• Improve provision for children in the early years by:
  • improving assessment procedures, so that they are more helpful in accurately identifying children’s starting points and provide a clearer picture of progress over time
  • ensuring that staff provide activities which stimulate and engage boys, so that they achieve as well as girls in all areas of learning. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium 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

• Leadership and management require improvement. Although leaders have taken action to improve teaching since the time of the previous inspection, inconsistencies remain and too few pupils make good progress in each key stage. A legacy of weaker assessments, coupled with activities that do not consistently challenge pupils, has resulted in too few pupils making good progress and reaching higher levels in attainment in the early years and key stage 1.
• Since the appointment of new middle leaders, the pace of improvement has increased. The headteacher and leadership team have secured the support of parents. The headteacher has created a cohesive senior leadership team that shares a clear vision for the future.
• The headteacher has taken action to improve teaching and has successfully recruited new teaching staff in the early years and key stage 1. In order to monitor teaching, key stage and subject leaders make checks on the quality of teaching and learning. They provide helpful feedback to teachers. This enables teachers to see where their practice is effective and where it needs to improve. However, senior leaders and subject leaders are not regularly making sure that teachers’ planning and resourcing are matched to the needs of the pupils.
• Senior leaders have introduced new systems for tracking pupils’ achievement. However, senior leaders are not monitoring the accuracy of teachers’ assessment judgements with adequate rigour, and the previous legacy of inaccurate assessments has not been fully resolved. As a result, work is not always well matched to the needs of the pupils and some pupils who have fallen behind their classmates are not making fast enough progress.
• Leaders have accurately identified that disadvantaged pupils are making slower progress than other pupils. However, plans are not sharply focused enough on what the intended focus of the spending is, what intended improvements are and how impact will be measured. Additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils is having too little impact on their attainment. Some disadvantaged pupils are falling behind and need to make accelerated progress to catch up, given their starting points.
• Leadership of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Regular reviews of pupils’ progress are undertaken and additional support is provided where necessary using a range of strategies. The school proactively supports pupils with additional behavioural needs. From September, additional support has been put in place for a small group of pupils with social and emotional needs in key stage 1. The curriculum has been modified to meet their needs and develop their early social and relationship skills. It is too early to evaluate the impact of this provision, but leaders are monitoring it closely.
• The curriculum has developed since the previous inspection, with whole-school themes encompassing different subjects. The curriculum is well planned. It provides pupils with a good range of opportunities to make links between subjects and promotes their English and mathematics skills across the curriculum. Visits enrich the curriculum in each of the themes. Pupils have opportunities to develop their sporting, musical percussion and artistic talents. In key stage 2, pupils are given opportunities to participate in residential visits and they anticipate these with great excitement.
• The school’s curriculum has a focus on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils show a strong understanding of the British values of democracy and tolerance for others. This is helping them to understand life in modern Britain.
• Additional sports funding is used effectively to provide lunchtime clubs for pupils. Pupils’ participation in physical activities is good. They enjoy sport and understand that being active keeps them fit and healthy.
• The majority of parents are highly supportive of the school and report that their children are happy and well looked after at the school. Parents who spoke to inspectors all said that their children enjoy school. They reported that staff are friendly and cater for the needs of all the children. Comments included, ‘Teachers are visible, approachable to both parents and children.’

Governance

• Governors are knowledgeable about the school and understand the needs of the local community. They share the leadership team’s ambitions to further improve the school. After the last inspection the governing body commissioned an audit of governance. As a result of the audit, changes have been made to clerking arrangements and governors are now linked to a subject or an area such as safeguarding.
• Governors are providing increasing challenge to senior leaders. However, they do not ensure that the pupil premium is making enough of a difference to the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Governors’ involvement in deciding how the pupil premium should be spent and checking on its impact has not been effective enough.
• Training for governors is up to date. Induction for new governors includes training and visits to the school. Governors have a clear understanding of the links between teachers’ performance and pay progression.
• The governing body has a number of vacancies, with a third of governor roles vacant. Governors recognise the need to recruit governors with the skills necessary to support the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The culture of safeguarding pupils is evident from when you enter the school. Clear information is provided for visitors about safeguarding. Staff in school have up-to-date training on procedures and have received training on preventing radicalisation. However, some school policies do not reflect the latest advice from the local authority. Links with outside agencies are effective. These ensure that pupils and families are offered appropriate support.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. Although teaching has improved since the previous inspection, teaching lacks consistency in meeting the needs of the most able and the disadvantaged pupils. Not all teachers have high enough expectations and work is not always matched to the needs of all groups of pupils.
• Significant improvements have been made to the teaching of writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation. Teachers demonstrate a good subject knowledge of these aspects of the curriculum. However, the standard of writing in other subjects is not as high as that seen in English lessons. This is because pupils are not transferring the basic skills across other subjects and teachers’ expectations are not consistently high enough.
• The teaching of reading is improving in key stage 1 because of stronger teaching of phonics. Lessons in phonics engage pupils and they make clear links between the sounds letters make, spelling, reading and writing. For example, in Year 2, pupils enjoyed writing about a visit to a local woodland area. They made good use of their phonics to spell words linked to the topic and shared their work enthusiastically.
• Basic skills in mathematics are taught well. However, the teaching of reasoning is inconsistent. There is some stronger practice evident, as seen in pupils’ books in Year 6. However, across the school, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop their reasoning skills in mathematics, to solve real-life problems and to think in greater depth. This is slowing the progress pupils make in mathematics. Recent staff training on teaching greater depth in mathematics has been well received by teachers.
• Teachers are not consistently assessing pupils’ learning accurately. Teachers are not using information about what pupils already understand and can do when they plan lessons. As a result, pupils, including the most able, are not sufficiently challenged to think or read at greater depth and their progress is not as rapid as it could be.
• Despite the inconsistencies seen in teaching, there are several strengths evident in teaching. Work in pupils’ books and visits to lessons show that pupils are given regular helpful feedback on their work. All staff follow the school’s marking policy. Pupils said that teachers’ comments help them improve their work.
• Teachers often using questioning well to extend pupils’ spoken language. Effective questioning prompts pupils to explain their answers more thoroughly and give reasons for their ideas. For example, in Year 6, skilful questioning enabled the pupils to articulate their thoughts in a mature reflective manner.
• Teachers insist that pupils take pride in their work. The emphasis placed on improved presentation and accuracy in letter formation is having a positive impact on the quality of handwriting.
• Homework extends pupils’ learning. Pupils regularly complete online mathematics homework, practise spellings and read at home. Most parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, confirmed that their children receive homework appropriate for their age.
• Teachers organise classrooms to encourage good work habits. All spaces are used effectively to develop a wide range of skills.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and lessons are conducted in an orderly manner.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident, proud of their school and keen to talk to visitors. In class, they listen well to the views of others and show consideration for one another when others speak. Pupils feel safe in school.
• The school has focused on developing a whole-school culture where the ‘Arley Rights’ of be respectful, be safe, learn and achieve are championed for all pupils in school.
• Pupils are respectful of each other and there is a friendly and courteous atmosphere around the school. One comment summed this up: ‘We have learned to love people for who they are.’
• Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to explore the theme of individual rights through their work. In Years 5 and 6, pupils have identified what their rights are, including the right to be themselves. They look at protective adults who help keep them safe. These include family members, their teachers and lunchtime staff. The reasons provided by pupils for feeling safe with these adults included that they are sensible, they care for pupils, and they are respectful and good listeners. The values of respect and care permeate through this school.
• Pupils show an understanding of how to keep themselves safe on the internet. They talk confidently about the work staff do in assemblies and through visitors and online programmes to learn about safety on the internet and social media.
• In discussions with inspectors, pupils showed an understanding of different types of bullying and what they would do if they had a concern. School records show that incidents of bullying are rare. The majority of parents who responded to Parent View said the school deals effectively with bullying.
• Pupils understand how to stay healthy through work in school on healthy food, keeping fit and in science. Pupils can explain the beneficial effects exercise has on their body. This is as a result of effective teaching in personal, social and health education lessons.
• School councillors play an active role in school. The school extends leadership roles to road safety and playing with younger pupils in school. Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles in school.
• Staff show an in-depth knowledge of the needs of individual pupils. They are proactive in meeting their social and emotional needs.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well in classes and move around school in an orderly manner. This is because all staff set high expectations of behaviour. Pupils are well mannered and show they care for younger pupils in the school.
• There have been no exclusions since the previous inspection. Pupils know what is expected of them and talk confidently about whom they would go to if they had a problem or concern.
• Attendance is improving and is now broadly in line with the national average. Leaders have successfully reduced the number of pupils who are persistently absent. There are comprehensive procedures in place to follow up on any absences.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to learn, concentrate and persevere in activities when teaching is strong. In a minority of lessons, some pupils are distracted and off-task. This is when the learning is not closely matched to the needs of the pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Inspection evidence shows that attainment and progress are variable and not consistently good. There is some past underachievement to overcome. Nevertheless, changes are having a positive impact on the number of pupils making at least expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Provisional key stage 2 information for 2016 indicates that attainment in writing is in line with the national average but attainment in mathematics and reading is below the national average. This is because teaching is not always well matched to the needs of pupils.
• Some disadvantaged pupils do not make enough progress compared with other pupils nationally. Provisional information for 2016 indicates that the attainment of disadvantaged pupils lags behind that of other pupils nationally. Work seen in books and school information for current pupils show that disadvantaged pupils are making progress that is broadly in line with their peers.
• The most able pupils make expected progress but this is not rapid enough for them to reach the higher standards of which they are capable. This is because teaching is not demanding enough for the most able pupils.
• There is evidence of improvements in pupils’ knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics for current pupils. Leaders have taken actions to address weaknesses in teaching. This is resulting in pupils making expected progress across key stage 2 from their different starting points, although not enough make better than expected progress.
• Pupils enjoy reading. The proportions of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check have increased since the previous inspection. Improvements in phonics are as a result of improvements in the teaching of phonics, new resources and training for staff.
• Pupils who read to inspectors read fluently, confidently and with good expression. Those spoken to during this inspection demonstrated a developing knowledge of different authors. New reading resources have particularly engaged boys in reading in key stage 2. Pupils enjoy the opportunities school provides to see performances of their favourite books and fairy tales at the theatre.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making the same progress as others and sometimes better, because interventions and support are effective.
• Work in pupils’ books shows that pupils’ attainment in science, history and geography is broadly in line with age-related expectations.
• Leaders are taking appropriate action to work with the middle leaders and the local authority to accelerate the progress pupils make. Inspection evidence identifies encouraging signs that these improvements and provisional improvements in key stage 2 are being built on.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The majority of children join Nursery and Reception with skills that are below those typical for their age. Some children enter with skills that are typical for their age.
• Since the last inspection, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception has markedly improved and is now just below the national average. More children are now prepared for the next stage of their education in Year 1. However, the attainment of boys is below that of girls in all areas of learning.
• The new leader of the early years is developing the management role and gaining a more informed knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Senior leaders visit Nursery and Reception classes but are not using these visits well enough to monitor practice and inform plans for improvement. This is resulting in inconsistent practice for children across the early years classes.
• Assessments carried out by adults throughout the year do not always match the abilities of the children. For example, early writing assessments show that when they start Nursery the adults’ assessments of the children are lower than the work in journals shows. This means that adults are not planning for next steps in learning as effectively as they could.
• Teaching is variable but has several strengths. Learning spaces are well organised and appropriately resourced. Both indoor and outdoor learning spaces provide children with experiences in all areas of learning. Adults plan learning from the interests of the children. For example, during the inspection, children in Nursery enjoyed exploring trucks and the speed they travelled down ramps in the outdoor classroom. In Reception, children were excited when playing with the toy dinosaurs. Children played well together: interacting and making sounds they thought the dinosaurs would make. Children sustained their interest in the activities and demonstrated their developing understanding of taking turns.
• Adults encourage children to make choices of activities they would like to try. Early social skills are developed to support children in sharing toys, being kind and listening to others.
• Children behave well and play in safe learning spaces. Routines are evident in the early years, and these support children’s understanding of how to stay safe. The arrangements to ensure children’s safeguarding and welfare needs are effective and meet statutory requirements. Children are well cared for and feel safe.
• The early years leader is strengthening links with parents and agencies to support parents. Communication with parents is effective. Comments from parents were very positive and included, ‘They are treated as an individual. Staff have time for all the children. They come out of school buzzing with excitement to share with us what they have learned on a daily basis.’

School details

Unique reference number 139913 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 10020045 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 239 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karen Jack Headteacher Brigitte Letts Telephone number 01676 540 347 Website www.arleyprimaryschool.co.uk Email address admin2012@welearn365.com Date of previous inspection 15–16 October 2014

Information about this school

• Arley Primary is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school has a Nursery providing morning places and two full-time Reception classes. There is one mixed-year class in Years 1 and 2. All other classes are one single class.
• The school did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2015, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 6.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British. A very small minority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been in post since 2013.
• There have been a number of changes of staff in key stage 1 and the early years since the previous inspection. New leaders for the early years and key stage 1 joined the school in 2015.
• In key stage 1 there are two long-term supply teachers in classes.
• The governing body currently has five co-opted vacancies.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 15 lessons and parts of lesson. Nine of the lesson observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.
• Inspectors heard pupils read in key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in books in a range of subjects from the current and past academic year.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, staff, pupils and three members of the governing body. A telephone conversation took place with a local authority representative.
• Inspectors scrutinised the school’s website.
• Inspectors took account of 29 responses to the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, and 16 written comments. Inspectors spoke with a number of parents on the playground.
• A range of documents were looked at, including the school’s information about pupils’ achievement and current progress.
• Inspectors reviewed school records on pupils’ attendance, behaviour and safety.
• Inspectors also took into account 49 responses to the pupil questionnaire and 18 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Pamela Matty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Emma Titchener Ofsted Inspector