Travis St Lawrence CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that pupils improve their written work across the curriculum by:
  • providing a cohesive and rigorous approach to the teaching of handwriting
  • ensuring that key spelling and punctuation errors are identified quickly so that pupils avoid these in their future work
  • establishing a consistent expectation across all classes and subjects for the way in which written work is set out.
• Increase the proportions of pupils who are reaching and exceeding expected standards in reading through a range of strategies that include:
  • maximising opportunities to extend reading skills across a range of subjects
  • raising the profile of reading and ensuring that reading material is always at the right level for pupils
  • setting challenging tasks that deepen the understanding of the most able pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has communicated strong ambition for the school. She has clarified expectations of staff, in pursuit of high standards. They have responded positively and value the support and guidance provided. They are proud to be part of a rapidly improving school.
• Leaders have produced a comprehensive and sharply focused development plan, informed by thorough and accurate analysis of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Every member of staff in the school knows the part they need to play in the school’s upward journey.
• The headteacher has built on the work of the previous administration and is developing middle leadership. Subject leaders are now driving improvement effectively.
• The headteacher has revised arrangements for the management of staff performance and has established challenging targets for staff based on accelerating pupil progress. Senior and subject leaders carry out frequent checks on the quality of teaching and have introduced support programmes to raise performance further.
• Leaders have made sure that issues identified at the last inspection have been addressed successfully. Teaching is now good, standards have risen and all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are making better progress.
• The lively curriculum is full of enrichment opportunities that include valuable first-hand learning experiences. The residential visit for older pupils to an outdoor centre promotes independence. The youngest children were entranced at Cannon Hall where they met newly born piglets and milked a cow.
• Leaders use funding well to support disadvantaged pupils. They have introduced a new approach to ensure that these pupils, together with those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive consistent support based on their individual learning needs and plans. Their progress shows marked improvement.
• The additional funding for physical education and sport is also used extremely well. Sports coaches work alongside staff so that expertise is spread and developed. There are more inter-school sports competitions taking place, together with increased take-up of different sports on offer after school.
• The diocese has brokered strong leadership support for the school during a time of change following the departure of the previous experienced headteacher. Staff have benefited from the chance to observe work within the diocese at a school that was judged outstanding.
• The majority of responses from parents through the online survey, Parent View, and from face-to-face meetings were very positive; they recognised the improvements that have been introduced. A few parents expressed concerns about lack of continuity over teacher cover arrangements in the past.
• Provision to promote pupils’ spiritual, social and moral well-being is consistently underpinned by the strong Christian ethos that runs through all the school’s activities. However, approaches to promoting the understanding of fundamental British values and extending pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures are less well developed.

Governance of the school

• Governors are keen to develop their own practice in order to be more rigorous in holding leaders to account. They have recently initiated a programme of self-review and have streamlined the committee structure. These actions provide a more manageable workload and enable governors to sharpen the focus on pupil outcomes.
• Training has taken place over the last year to help governors understand assessment information for the school, safeguarding developments and new approaches to the curriculum. Governors value the input of subject leaders who present summary reports and meet link governors to discuss improvements.
• The information that governors now receive from senior leaders is at the right level and is helping them to ask more challenging questions about the school’s performance.
• The chair of governors is very experienced in school governance and there is a broad range of expertise on the governing body, although the need for additional finance acumen has been identified.

Safeguarding

• Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Recruitment procedures are secure and systems around pupils who may be at risk of harm are robust. Records are kept carefully and there are positive links with external agencies where support is needed for families.
• Staff receive key information and regular updates about safeguarding. They have opportunities to contribute to the school’s safeguarding policy through training and review. Leaders have given safeguarding a high profile and their attention to detail ensures a safety conscious school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching has improved considerably since the previous inspection. Teachers make good use of assessment information to plan next learning steps that meet a range of needs. Pupils sustain their concentration because teachers pitch work at the right level and explain tasks clearly.
• Teachers use questioning well to probe understanding and identify misconceptions. This was seen to good effect in Year 3 where the teacher explained clearly how to use inverted commas correctly with well-chosen examples in a piece of writing about Willy Wonka.
• Opportunities to talk about learning are plentiful. Pupils enjoy explaining their ideas or opinions and use the time productively, listening carefully to each other and responding sensibly.
• The school feedback policy on written work is being revised to encourage pupils to improve their work. Pupils say that they like the opportunity to use the new green pen procedure for corrections. ‘It shows the teachers we now know how to do it,’ one Year 5 pupil explained.
• Teachers have improved their subject knowledge to meet the demands of the new curriculum. This has been particularly effective in mathematics, where improved outcomes reflect focused training and additional resource provision.
• Thematic work catches pupils’ imagination and provides inspiration for writing. Year 6 pupils produced some very sensitive poetry in response to work on remembrance, while Year 2 responded enthusiastically with opening paragraphs about a spooky tunnel, linked to a story the class were reading by Anthony Browne.
• There is a good level of challenge for the most able pupils in their work. Tasks are often set at different levels of difficulty and pupils say that work makes them think hard, especially when they are covering new ground.
• The least able pupils are supported well with a range of additional resources, such as word mats and key vocabulary lists to help them in their writing; in mathematics they are able to handle number apparatus that aids their understanding.
• Teaching assistants provide good pastoral support and also work very effectively with different ability groups to extend and develop learning. The range of carefully focused intervention work with small groups of pupils is speeding up progress.
• Teachers set homework to consolidate key skills in grammar and mathematics. Topic-based ‘learning logs’ offer varied challenges that motivate pupils, especially the most able. One Year 4 pupil proudly described the Aztec shield he had made, while a Year 6 pupil had constructed a buoyancy aid after a visit to Whitby.
• Parents commented positively on the improved feedback they receive about their children’s progress in reaching and exceeding the expected standards. There are useful links for parents about the curriculum and assessment on the school website.
• Reading skills are taught well in the early years and key stage 1 where regular, systematic teaching of phonics takes place. New resources to support comprehension across the school are at an early stage of introduction but initial evaluations are positive.
• However, at key stage 2, pupils do not read with enough speed and fluency to develop their deeper understanding of the text. There are limited opportunities for pupils, including the most able, to apply reading skills at a higher level across different subjects.
• While the content of written work is generally good, teachers provide insufficient guidance about handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Some lower-attaining pupils are held back because they struggle to write legibly at speed and also misplace capital letters. Presentation of written work across subjects is variable.

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 proud of their school and say that it helps them to mix well together.
• Pupils display good attitudes to learning and cooperate well with each other in a range of activities. They respond positively to their teachers and settle down to work promptly. One boy was very keen to start his writing and told an inspector, ‘I must get cracking!’
• Pupils feel safe around school and trust all the adults to look after them well. There are occasional friendship fall-outs, but pupils generally resolve them by themselves. Instances of bullying are rare.
• Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities such as the play leader roles at key stage 2 or helping with the assembly audiovisual equipment in both key stage 1 and key stage 2. There is a buddy system that involves older pupils helping younger pupils settle into school.
• All groups have a good understanding about safety and older pupils are very clear about how to keep safe online. They know that care should be exercised around personal details and that not every contact may be genuine.
• Pupils are aware that healthy lifestyles include regular exercise and that they should not consume too much sugar, salt or fatty foods. One pupil warned, ‘You could get diabetes or end up with poor teeth.’
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities that take place out of lessons for different year groups such as street dance, hockey, zumba, crafts and choir. A special fitness club operates to ensure that all pupils are able to enjoy exercise opportunities.
• Staff have created quiet areas for reflection to support emotional well-being. Pupils are guided to visit these to resolve any friendship issues or if they need some calm moments.
• Year 5 and 6 pupils know that we need to respect people who may be different from us and that boys and girls should be able to make choices on an equal basis. There is no harassment or discrimination because, they say, ‘that wouldn’t be fair; people in this school are really kind’.
• Pupils are able to talk about the Christian values they have learned, and these contribute strongly to their personal development. However, they do not readily associate these with British values and their knowledge and understanding of other faiths and cultures is limited.
• Staff with defined responsibility for safeguarding ensure that any concerns over pupils thought to be at risk are quickly followed up and documented. All staff are clear about what to do if they feel a pupil may be at risk of harm. The headteacher has pursued outside agencies to ensure that families who need help receive support in a timely way.
• Leaders, governors and staff carry out premises condition checks on a regular basis. The two sites are secure and kept clean and tidy, although some external aspects of the lower site are showing signs of wear.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They are calm and display good manners around school. They are keen to open doors for one another and greet visitors politely. They say that behaviour has improved, that systems are fair and that they like the house point rewards.
• Lessons proceed smoothly and there is little loss of learning time. Where there is occasional off-task behaviour this is linked to teaching that is less purposeful or engaging.
• At breaktimes and lunchtimes pupils enjoy playing safely and good-naturedly with their friends. They make good use of play equipment and respect the rules about restricted play areas in poor weather.
• In the key stage 2 dining hall pupils are apt to be a little noisy and a few forget the walking rule in corridors in their haste to reach the playground.
• Whole-school attendance has been above the national average for the last two years. Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance and punctuality are slightly below those of other pupils but leaders have identified this and are working with parents on the issue. There is very little persistent absence.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Results from tests and the school’s own assessments across all phases reflect improvement over the last year. Improved teaching and more consistent learning attitudes have contributed to better outcomes.
• In Year 1 pupils’ phonic skills were well above those achieved nationally and standards have been improving over time. The proportions of disadvantaged pupils who met the standard were similar to other pupils nationally.
• In key stage 1 the proportions of pupils reaching expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics were at least in line with national averages for all ability groups. Proportions of pupils who were working at greater depth across all three subjects were well above those seen nationally.
• At the end of key stage 2 attainment at expected standards for all subjects was above the national average. More pupils, including disadvantaged most-able pupils, attained a higher score in mathematics than nationally but in reading, and punctuation and grammar, fewer pupils reached the higher standard.
• Middle leaders have analysed assessment information to pinpoint learning needs and develop intervention programmes. As a result progress is now accelerating in most year groups, especially for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, whose progress had been inconsistent until recently.
• The most able pupils thrive on the higher challenges that teachers provide. This was evident in Year 5 where pupils successfully constructed and punctuated sentences with colons for a variety of purposes.
• Work in mathematics has improved across all classes. Pupils are becoming more fluent in number and enjoy tackling tasks that extend their reasoning skills. In Year 6 the teacher revised understanding of denominators before setting an interesting challenge to compare two fractional amounts.
• Leaders have rightly identified that girls’ progress and attainment in mathematics had lagged behind that of girls nationally. Teachers now ensure that girls are encouraged to contribute in lessons more and a focus group for older girls helps them to become more confident in the subject. As a result girls’ progress is picking up pace.
• Despite better outcomes in mathematics, there are limited opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical expertise in other subjects such as in science. This is in contrast to the good application of writing skills across the curriculum.
• Most-able pupils read confidently but do not always fully understand the meaning of the text. The least able readers sometimes choose books that are too challenging and so their interest and commitment to reading wanes. The school’s approach to promoting reading at key stage 2 is variable across classes.
• In many year groups pupils are producing substantial amounts of writing but the quality of presentation varies across subjects. Handwriting and spelling are inconsistent, especially for the lower-attaining pupils, and this slows their progress.

Early years provision Good

• Children join the Nursery with abilities that are typical of their age. Their development moves forward well during their time in the setting.
• Disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. They make equally good progress to other children because their needs are met through effective teaching.
• The proportions of children reaching a good level of development have comfortably exceeded the national average for the last two years. The learning journal records paint a picture of good progress over time.
• Leaders and staff know the children well and use increasingly accurate and robust assessment to plan and resource a range of purposeful learning activities that children enjoy. Focused interventions support Reception pupils in consolidating reading, writing and number skills.
• The early years leader promotes effective curriculum planning and teamwork to ensure that approaches are consistent. She has prioritised key skills for improvement and the targeted teaching to small groups is helping to lay secure foundations.
• Indoor activities are very well organised and resourced to provide a broad variety of experiences that engage children and get them excited about learning. In the Nursery children enjoyed fitting pegs onto a number board and were pleased when they were able to check if their efforts were correct.
• Mathematical skills are promoted well. In Reception a most-able child was challenged to work out the numerical difference between two towers of cubes; other children soon caught on and offered correct solutions. In free choice activities there were opportunities for children to build 3D shapes from cubes according to a plan.
• The teaching of early reading is effective and pitched at just the right level. Nursery children took delight in arranging toy animals according to initial sounds. Later on they dug in the sand pit to find and sort objects whose names began with ‘s’ or ‘d’ into hoops.
• While the achievement of all children is higher than that seen nationally, girls did better than boys in the last year. Leaders recognised this and have adjusted the curriculum to engage boys more effectively. For example, staff introduced activities such as big mapping and den construction to catch boys’ interest.
• Staff take care to remind children to dress appropriately for the weather conditions and to wash hands thoroughly before eating or after visiting the toilet. The arrangements for welfare and safeguarding are secure.
• Staff work well with parents, who are pleased by the way their children have settled into the Nursery. There are also noteworthy links with childminders, who are encouraged to follow up lesson activities to extend learning.
• Children show caring attitudes, mix cooperatively and generally behave well, especially when they are working closely with adults. However, when they are working independently, free choice activities lacked purpose and there was some boisterous play by a minority of boys that led to upset and arguments.
• The learning environment is bright and stimulating and children’s work is displayed attractively. It contrasts with the outdoor provision, which does not offer the same quality of experience. This is because opportunities to develop curiosity and imagination through challenge, construction and investigational activities are limited.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 106766 Doncaster 10012023 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 aided 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 353 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Ralph Silvester Liz Kenny Telephone number 01302 840 200 Website Email address Date of previous inspection www.travis.doncaster.sch.uk/ head@travis.doncaster.sch.uk 7−8 May 2014

Information about this school

• This school is larger than the average primary school.
• Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is just below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs, or education, health and care plans, is below the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards that set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Children in the early years attend part time in Nursery (mornings) and full time in Reception.
• There have been changes in leadership since the time of the previous inspection. The headteacher and a deputy headteacher left the school in 2015 and an interim executive headteacher took over until August 2016. The current headteacher took up her post at the start of September 2016. She is assisted by a deputy headteacher and an acting deputy headteacher.
• The school operates on two sites, an upper (key stage 2) and lower (early years and key stage 1) site. The sites are on the same road, a short walk apart.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 26 lessons or part-lessons across all classes to assess teaching and learning.
• Inspectors listened to pupils from Years 2, 4 and 6 reading.
• Work in English, mathematics and a range of other subjects was sampled.
• Meetings were conducted with senior leaders, middle leaders, subject leaders, governors, a recently qualified teacher and three groups of pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2. In addition, a meeting was held with the diocesan director and a telephone discussion took place with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors analysed information from a scrutiny of school documentation. This included published data about pupils’ progress and attainment, previous inspection reports, the latest diocesan inspection report and the school’s latest assessment information.
• Inspectors viewed school and subject improvement plans, the school’s own evaluative judgements, information about the performance of current pupils, curriculum outlines and school monitoring information. Inspectors also looked at governing body minutes and safeguarding documentation.
• The views of parents were taken into account through several informal discussions with them and by analysing responses from the 45 parents who completed the online questionnaire, Parent View.
• The views of pupils were taken into account through three planned meetings.
• The views of staff were taken into account by analysing responses from the 35 staff who completed the inspection questionnaire.

Inspection team

James Reid, lead inspector Helen Hussey Chris Cook

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector