Scartho Infants' School and Nursery Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • governors have the information that they need to hold leaders to account for the progress pupils make
  • all leaders, but particularly middle leaders, have the knowledge and skills that they need to improve their areas of responsibility quickly and effectively to secure good outcomes for all pupils in all subjects
  • further develop partnerships with parents and carers so that the proportion of pupils who are absent from school reduces to at least average.
• Continue to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, so that more pupils make consistently good progress and reach higher standards by:
  • providing work that challenges all pupils appropriately, particularly the most able, who are capable of achieving more
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to use their reasoning skills and explain their chosen methods in mathematics
  • ensuring that all pupils, particularly lower-ability pupils, apply their learning in phonics more confidently and accurately, not only in reading and writing, but in their work in other subjects.
• Improve children’s experiences across the early years so that they lead to at least good outcomes by:
  • improving the assessment of children’s skills when they start the school, so that there is an accurate understanding of what children can do and that this ensures a more accurate measure is used to track their progress across Nursery and Reception
  • providing a greater level of challenge so that more children, particularly the most able, make good progress.
• An external review of governance 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

• Over time, leaders have not ensured that the quality of teaching is consistently good. As a result, they have not secured good achievement for pupils, particularly for the lower-ability and the most able pupils. However, there are recent signs of success and some improvement in pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1.
• The headteacher and senior leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and priorities for improvement. They recognise that inconsistencies seen across the school need ironing out. Leaders acknowledge that recently introduced changes need to be embedded to speed up the pace of school improvement.
• Subject leaders for phonics, reading, writing and mathematics are enthusiastic and are taking some actions which are helping to bring about improvements in pupil outcomes. For example, the teaching of phonics has been revised and provides a structured and systematic framework for a consistent, whole-school approach.
• Not all subject leaders have sufficient and dedicated time to pursue and eradicate weakness in the subjects they lead. However, some initiatives have been recently applied so it is too early to see the effect on pupils’ progress.
• The local authority has used its limited resources to provide some support in helping teachers to establish accuracy in assessing pupils’ outcomes. However, they have had less effect in analysing the school’s position to tackle its weaknesses.
• The leadership and management of the use of the pupil premium funding is effective. Plans focus precisely on pupils’ needs and barriers to learning. Leaders’ analysis and evaluations show that the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils are improving at a good rate.
• The leader with responsibility for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities has a clear view of the needs of these pupils. She has ensured that they have their needs met through tailored programmes and by drawing on support from a range of health care professionals.
• The additional funding for physical education and sport is used effectively to increase pupils’ participation in a range of competitive sports. Pupils recognise the value of regular exercise in leading a healthy lifestyle. Equally, teachers value the opportunity to develop their expertise and hone their skills working alongside sports coaches.
• The curriculum has been revamped to stimulate and spark pupils’ interests in real-life learning. Pupils enjoy the challenge of researching and exploring questions. For example, pupils took great pride in exploring what makes each and every one of them special. They produced careful and colourful portraits in the style of Pablo Picasso. Pupils enjoy writing for meaningful purposes. Many pupils have had their super hero stories and dinosaur riddles published in print. Further curriculum developments are in the pipeline to further embed pupils’ subject-specific skills across the curriculum.
• Leaders’ work to ensure pupils appreciate the diversity in modern Britain is effective. Pupils develop a solid understanding of other faiths and can explain how religions have similarities and differences. For example, pupils have been immersed in learning about Diwali. As a result, this underpins the school’s approach to pupils’ learning about living in a multi-faith community.
• Most parents are satisfied with the school and the quality of education it provides. Many value the opportunity to visit the school and to take part and share in their children’s learning.
• The response to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire was positive. The responses indicate that morale is high and that teachers are proud to work at the school and are committed to improving the school further.

Governance of the school

• Since the previous inspection, a new chair of the governing body has been appointed. A number of governors have left and new governors are set to be appointed. The change in governors has led to instability and limited governors’ involvement and capacity to hold leaders to account.
• Until recently, governors have not received sufficient and detailed enough information to question senior leaders about the progress that pupils make. However, governors acknowledge that they have not been a visible presence in the school and have not fulfilled their role as a critical friend. As a result, they have not channelled their energies and direct their efforts to address the varying pockets of inconsistencies across the school.
• Governors are keen to develop further their strategic leadership capacity. They are working with senior leaders to explore ways of distributing leadership roles more widely across the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders ensure that there is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe. All staff are appropriately trained in understanding their safeguarding responsibilities.
• Staff are vigilant and know what to do should any concerns arise about pupils’ welfare. Leaders have effective systems for recording concerns and ensuring that support is sought, where it is needed, from external agencies.
• Leaders complete rigorous checks for all staff, governors and volunteers to ensure that adults are suitable to work with pupils. Leaders ensure procedures are meticulous in creating a safe haven for all pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Although there is some effective practice in the school, the quality of teaching is not consistently good enough to enable pupils, particularly the most able, to reach the standards they are capable of.
• Teachers’ planning for pupils’ learning does not effectively meet their varying needs so that they can make at least good progress. At times, the most able pupils complete work that is not pitched highly enough for them. Equally, the least able pupils are not given the support that they need to catch up with their peers.
• Recent changes to the teaching of phonics has had a positive effect. The structured framework is closely adhered to by all staff, which is helping more pupils to blend sounds together to help them in their reading and spelling. This improvement has helped a greater proportion of pupils to reach the expected standard in the national phonics screening check.
• In mathematics, a whole-school emphasis on developing pupils’ calculation strategies is bearing fruit. Pupils have a broader toolkit and are more confident in using a variety of methods when calculating and solving problems. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to use their reasoning skills and explain how they reached an answer.
• An analysis of pupils’ work shows that there are opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their writing skills across the curriculum. There are some examples of high-quality writing, but this is variable across a range of subjects. Teachers’ expectations are not consistently high. In addition, not all teachers insist pupils apply their learned phonics skills across the curriculum. This leads to inaccurate spelling when pupils are capable of spelling words correctly.
• Pupils generally have positive attitudes to reading. They enjoy reading in school and many complete reviews of books that they have read at home. Leaders have been analytic in reviewing the reading provision to support more pupils to achieve the standards that they are capable of. Although work has begun to bring a more systematic way of teaching reading, this initiative is in its infancy and it is too soon to the see its effect.
• Teachers are enthusiastic and have positive relationships with pupils. Most pupils concentrate and apply themselves well. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to review their own and their peers’ work and to give helpful advice to move their learning forward.
• Teachers deploy teaching assistants well. Teaching assistants often work well in tandem with teachers to support pupils. In particular, they provide gentle but helpful support to pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils say that they are happy, feel safe and well cared for in school. They are confident that staff are always there to help them to solve any problems that arise.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They are well taught about stranger danger and understand the potential dangers when using the internet.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying, including name-calling, fighting and cyberbullying. They know bullying is wrong and hurtful to others. Pupils say that bullying is rare in the school. They know that there is always an adult to talk to if they have concerns. They say that incidents are dealt with quickly and fairly.
• Pupils enjoy the challenge of helping others. Their kindness shines through in the money that they raise for charities and through their donation of gifts at Christmas to children in other countries.
• The curriculum helps pupils to explore and be respectful in their different points of view when debating equality. For example, pupils spoke about why everyone is equal and why boys and girls should have the same opportunities in the activities and the uniform offered by the school.
• Pupils have ample opportunities to learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Pupils’ participation in a fun fitness week has helped to reinforce the importance of regular exercise and the value of a balanced diet.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement
• A small minority of pupils feel that they do not have enough challenge in their lessons. On occasions, when teachers’ expectations are not high enough or well matched to their needs, pupils’ concentration wanes and their work ethic lapses.
• The dip in attendance seen at the end of the autumn term has continued. As a result, attendance has declined sharply and is below the national average. Leaders have been explicit in their expectations and have used a range of strategies to reinforce the importance of good attendance to parents. However, more work is needed to reduce the number of pupils who are absent from the school.
• The vast majority of pupils uphold the school’s standards for behaviour. They move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. Pupils are polite, friendly and inquisitive. They display good manners and hold doors open for adults.
• Breaktimes are happy, sociable occasions. Pupils enjoy each other’s company and playing and chatting with one another. Pupils are well supervised and well cared for. Pupils play with great gusto in the wide range of outdoor activities provided at breaktimes.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ progress from their typical starting points, over time, is too variable. Adults do not have a reliable picture to help them assess children’s skills and what children can do when they join either in Nursery or the school. They do not use assessment information precisely enough to ensure that pupils make good progress. Leaders’ expectations have not been high enough, because they have accepted that expected progress is good enough. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics declined at the end of key stage 1 in 2017 to be below those found nationally. Although leaders have responded effectively to these disappointing outcomes and have secured some improvement, not enough pupils are making consistently good progress.
• The most recent assessment information at the end of key stage 1 shows that the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics has improved from 2017. While improving, not enough pupils, particularly lower-ability pupils, reach the expected standard. This means that they are not fully prepared for the demands of key stage 2.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check had declined over the last three years. The most recent assessment information shows a much higher proportion of pupils are achieving the expected standard. This is because this has been a whole-school focus and leaders have been rigorous in rectifying weaknesses seen in the teaching of phonics.
• Work in pupils’ books and observations of learning show that expectations are not high enough and activities are not well matched to pupils’ varying needs. As a result, this slows pupils’ progress, particularly that of the most able pupils.
• The progress of the small numbers of disadvantaged pupils is accelerating. The careful use of funding and strategies to support these pupils is effective. As a result, current pupils are catching up with their peers, and some disadvantaged pupils achieve the higher standards by the end of key stage 1.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are identified and given support both in lessons and in small groups. This helps them to achieve well and experience success, particularly those with emotional needs.
• Pupils have several opportunities to be creative in their learning, and they produce good-quality art work and apply some key mathematical skills in other subjects, including science. Pupils enjoyed the challenge of finding out whether pupils with the longest legs can jump the furthest.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Over time, leaders have not been ambitious enough and have not expected the very best from children as they progress through the early years. Their use of assessment information of children has not been used well enough to ensure that they make good progress from their individual starting points. The school’s information on what are the children’s skills and what they can do when they join the early years is still in the initial stages of development. Adults’ assessment of the children is not fully accurate. The majority of children enter the early years with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. The school’s assessment paints a less positive picture.
• Although most children leave Reception with a good level of development, adults do not use assessment information, particularly for children who join at different times of the year, well enough to keep a close eye on their progress. Over time, very few children exceed the early learning goals. This is because adults do not have high enough expectations that children, particularly the most able, are capable of doing better than the national picture.
• The support provided by adults is variable. When working alongside children, some adults are skilful at questioning children and promoting their language development. However, some adults overlook opportunities to interact and challenge children to the full, particularly when children are learning on their own.
• The teaching of phonics is effective in helping children to recognise letter names and the sounds that they make. Most children make good progress in writing simple words and when reading. However, children are not encouraged to apply their skills confidently enough when working independently. This mirrors the picture in key stage 1.
• Over time, there have been very few children who have SEN and/or disabilities. The very small number of children who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported to make appropriate progress. The pupil premium funding is used well to support the very few disadvantaged children with additional support and resources.
• Children generally behave well and mix positively with one another. They cooperate, share and learn safely alongside each other. Children join in with the wider life of the school, as seen in their participation in the fun fitness week, when they danced with enthusiasm.
• Staff build positive relationships with parents through meetings and home visits. This helps a reciprocal exchange of valuable information and for parents to learn about the work of the school. Parents value the opportunity to join their children at the start of the day. This helps the children to settle well and for parents to support their children in their learning.
• Safeguarding practice is effective in the early years and complements arrangements seen in the rest of the school. The nursery is a friendly and happy place. All welfare requirements are met. Children are safe, behave sensibly and they play alongside each other and share well.

School details

Unique reference number 117956 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 10048193 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Infant and nursery School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 219 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Simon Overal Sarah Mellors 01472 879 634

www.scarthoinfants.co.uk office@sis.nelcmail.co.uk

Date of previous inspection 29 January 2018

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than most primary schools nationally.
• Some pupils join the nursery and school at different times of the year.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is rising but is below the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, including those who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan, is lower that seen nationally.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes across the school. Several lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.A group of Year 1 and Year 2 pupils discussed their opinions about their school and their learning with an inspector.
• Pupils from all year groups read to an inspector.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in the playground.
• An inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors reviewed documents provided by the school, including minutes of governing body meetings, behaviour and attendance records, and records of work to keep pupils safe.
• Inspectors took into account the 42 responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View, including written responses. Inspectors considered the 16 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. An inspector met with parents at the beginning of the school day.
• Current pupils’ workbooks, across a range of subjects and classes, were scrutinised by inspectors working alongside the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

Inspection team

Brian Stillings, lead inspector Rajinder Harrison

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector