Springhead Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leaders’ monitoring and evaluation by:
  • sharpening the use and analysis of assessment information
  • making coherent links between classroom observation, evidence from pupils’ work and assessment information
  • reviewing more thoroughly the impact of actions to improve pupils’ learning and progress.
• Give the most able pupils more challenge and increase the proportion reaching the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics at all key stages.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Parents are highly positive about the school and rightly believe that their children are very well-looked after and are making good progress. They value the approachability of the headteacher and staff. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities praised the support received.
• Leaders have acted effectively on areas that needed improvement. Leaders have improved the teaching of mathematics and have increased attainment. In 2018, attainment in mathematics increased at the end of both key stage 1 and 2.
• Pupils benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum with strengths in art and dance, and music. Pupils talked knowledgeably about what they had learned from their videocam ‘Springhead watch’ of blue tits nesting at school. Extra support and intervention for pupils who are struggling with an aspect of learning is effective. Pupils enjoy the good range of school clubs. The popular breakfast and after-school clubs provide enjoyable and well-resourced activities for pupils and a calm start to the day.
• The school promotes British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Pupils have a good understanding of British values and show them well in their respectful and thoughtful social interaction with other children and adults. They share the moral values promoted by the school and contribute well to the strong community spirit. Pupils spoke positively about other cultures and religions.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to promote the welfare and educational achievement of disadvantaged pupils, who make good progress.
• Leaders’ deployment of funding for physical education (PE) and sports is effective. Pupils take part in daily exercise, enjoy dance and participate in competitive sports with other schools.
• Leaders do not analyse assessment information sharply enough to review the impact of actions. The quality of pupil-progress reviews is inconsistent. On occasion, teachers are not sufficiently analytical about the obstacles to learning or clear enough about actions and their impact.
• The monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching does not focus sharply enough on pupils’ learning. Reviews do not link coherently the evidence from classroom observations, pupils’ books, and assessment information. Since the beginning of term, leaders have introduced a more formally organised calendar of monitoring activity.
• Middle leaders, some of whom are new to their role, are taking positive initiatives to bring about improvements to teaching and learning. Staff work together closely and demonstrate high commitment to doing the best for pupils.
• School-led professional development in mathematics has been effective in improving the quality of teaching and learning in mathematics. Leaders are engaging more actively with other schools to plan professional development to refine teaching strategies and to check the accuracy of teacher assessment.
• The school does not currently have a website. Leaders acted appropriately to take it down in response to low-level security issues. A new website is due to be online later in the term.

Governance of the school

• Governors contribute a wide range of professional expertise which has been valuable in managing finance and in reviewing school improvement. Governors have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the school. They have checked the implementation of actions to improve mathematics carefully. They have a good first-hand knowledge of the impact of actions. They check the implementation of safeguarding procedures responsibly.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Policies, records and staff training for safeguarding are up to date. Leaders and staff give a high priority to pupils’ welfare and safeguarding. Leaders have gone to great lengths in their work with other agencies to make sure that pupils are safe. Staff are diligent in following up any pupil absence or persistent absence. Good communication between adults and pupils, and between staff and parents, has created a culture where staff pick up any emerging concerns early and respond to them quickly.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Effective teaching of arithmetic across the school has improved pupils’ fluency and accuracy in calculating numbers.
• Teachers make effective use of feedback to enable pupils to review and improve their work. Teachers and teaching assistants systematically gather information during lessons about errors and misconceptions pupils are making in mathematics. Teaching staff give immediate extra support at lunchtime to help pupils grasp what they did not understand in the lesson. Examples from books showed that these pupils were able to do the calculation correctly the following day.
• Teachers’ well-structured lessons and efficient use of time enables pupils to increase their knowledge, understanding and skills effectively.
• The good quality and number of teaching assistants make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning and progress, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Teachers successfully encourage pupils to assess their own work and correct basic errors in English and mathematics.
• Teachers’ strong relationships and good knowledge of pupils motivate pupils to work hard and productively.
• Pupils have many opportunities to extend their learning through projects at home, independent research and through information and communications technology.
• Teachers’ questioning probes pupils’ understanding well and extends their learning. On occasion, teachers do not use this information well enough to enable the most able to move on quickly. Sometimes, the most able must wait for others to catch up.
• Methodical and well-planned sequences of lessons are developing pupils’ grammatical accuracy and quality of sentences and paragraphs well. However, the quality of handwriting, spelling and presentation is not always as high as it could be.
• Reading records introduced this term give clear guidance to pupils and parents, including for spelling. Staff regularly check that pupils are reading at home. Those that are not reading enough benefit from a catch-up club and one-to-one support.
• Staff successfully encourage pupils to read books at the right level and to read fiction and non-fiction that interests them. However, staff recognise that too few of the most able pupils select more challenging texts. Staff are providing more challenging books to extend pupils range of vocabulary and literary knowledge.
• Because teachers were not satisfied with the reliability of reading tests they were using, leaders have adopted a new framework and are beginning to assess pupils’ reading skills with greater accuracy.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils take part very keenly in learning activities, work enthusiastically and concentrate well. Many pupils are confident and self-assured. Pupils respond quickly to adult guidance. They listen well to other pupils when they speak in class. They enjoy school and value their education. Pupils’ highly positive attitudes contribute strongly to their learning.
• Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to take responsibility. This contributes to pupils’ mature and responsible outlook.
• Adults provide strong role models for positive attitudes and caring relationships.
• Staff go the extra mile to meet the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities or other vulnerabilities. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are fully integrated into the life of the school. Parents of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities praised the care staff take to meet their children’s needs, including from other agencies.
• Bullying is very rare. Pupils have a level high of trust that adults will help them deal with any concerns they have about life in school or at home.
• Pupils feel safe and are secure in school. They can explain the dangers of the internet well. During the inspection, they were highly engaged in a workshop on internet safety.
• Pupils have excellent opportunities to develop their fitness and take part in sporting and physical activities. A high proportion has taken part in dance. Many pupils enjoy walking or running a daily mile on the exercise path around the school grounds. Year 2 pupils were enjoying the exercise on scooters. Pupils really enjoy singing and came out of assembly continuing to sing by themselves.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• The physical school environment is very calm, well organised and cared-for. The positive and purposeful school ethos communicates a very positive spirit and a strong sense of community and collective responsibility. All adults in the school work together closely in the interests of the pupils. The combination of order and care promotes a strong sense of trust and well-being and high standards of behaviour.
• Pupils’ conduct is impeccable. Their behaviour is consistently calm and orderly. They are very polite, friendly and courteous.
• Attendance is well above average and very few pupils are persistently absent. Pupils are punctual to lessons and arrive ready and willing to learn.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From their different starting points, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stages 1 and 2. By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.
• After a good start in the early years, pupils achieve well in key stage 1. In 2018, Year 1 pupils’ attainment in phonics rose, after a dip in 2017. Targeted work with weaker pupils by well-trained teaching assistants ensured that almost all pupils met the required standard in the phonics screening check in 2018.
• In Year 2 in 2017, the proportion of pupils that reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with the national averages. An above-average proportion of pupils reached greater depth in reading and mathematics. In 2018, at the end of key stage 1, attainment in writing increased. However, fewer most able pupils reached greater depth in reading and mathematics.
• In Year 6 in 2017, pupils’ attainment varied between subjects. In reading, for example, pupils reached much higher than average standards in reading, reflecting good progress from their starting points. Similarly, in recent years, pupils have made consistently good progress in writing. Pupils’ achievement in mathematics in Year 6 in 2017, however, declined and was much weaker than in reading and writing. These pupils did not make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders have tackled the reasons for the decline in mathematics. The teaching of arithmetic has been strengthened and pupils now practise their skills more frequently. Provisional results in 2018 indicate that achievement in mathematics has improved, although too few reached the expected or higher standards. Current pupils are making increasingly good progress overall.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress due to prompt identification of their needs and effective action to meet their needs by teachers and teaching assistants. Effective use of the pupil premium ensures that disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as other pupils.
• In recent years, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standards at the end of key stage 2 has been declining. Most-able pupils have not been given enough challenge to enable them to reach their full potential. In reading, for example, not enough pupils acquire the vocabulary and comprehension skills needed to reach the higher standard by the end of Year 6. Leaders are already taking steps to ensure that this trend is reversed. Teachers guide the most able pupils to read texts that are more demanding. Nevertheless, across all key stages, the achievement of most-able pupils in reading, writing and mathematics is still hampered because work sometimes lacks challenge.

Early years provision Good

• Children make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development and they develop good basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Children are well prepared to start Year 1.
• Outcomes at the end of Reception vary from year to year and reflect variations in children’s levels of development on entry at the beginning of the year. Children make good progress and the proportion that reaches a good level of development is broadly average. Some exceed the early learning goals in reading, writing and mathematics. Opportunities to challenge the most able children in literacy are sometimes missed.
• Teachers use their expert knowledge of the early years curriculum to make a thorough assessment of children’s development on entry. Staff identify children’s needs early and provide extra support quickly. Leaders tailor the curriculum well to children’s specific needs.
• The new Reception children have settled well and feel secure. Staff have established clear expectations and routines and children behave very well. Children are keen and willing to learn.
• The well-organised and stimulating indoor and outdoor environments successfully promote constructive play and good development. Children become absorbed in practical activities with sustained concentration. Staff use the outdoor areas well to extend children’s learning and experience. Teaching assistants support individuals well and influence group activity skilfully. Adults use talk effectively to develop children’s language and communication and to check and extend their understanding.
• Well-planned, methodical and imaginative teaching of phonics enables children to quickly grasp letters and sounds.
• Good care and safeguarding arrangements ensure that children are looked after well. Children’s attendance is very good.
• Staff have good links with parents through daily contact, home visits, open days and literacy and numeracy workshops. These promote children’s development well.

School details

Unique reference number 117885 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 10048192 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 211 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Paul Lees Carolyn Jones 01482 307870 www.springheadschool.eriding.net office@springheadschool.eriding.net Date of previous inspection 15–16 October 2014

Information about this school

• It is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average.
• Most pupils are White British.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for SEN and/or disabilities is average.
• The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club.
• Since the beginning of term, the headteacher has reduced to four days a week and the part-time deputy headteacher is acting headteacher for one day a week.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes and carried out some observations jointly with senior and subject leaders.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and reviewed samples of pupils’ books with school leaders.
• They met with pupils, heard pupils read and observed and talked with pupils around school.
• The inspectors met with the headteacher and deputy headteachers and phase and subject leaders. An inspector also met representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors evaluated a wide range of school documents, including the school’s monitoring and evaluation, information about pupils’ progress, and behaviour, attendance and safeguarding records.
• An inspector spoke to several parents before school.

Inspection team

Bernard Campbell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Rajinder Harrison Ofsted Inspector