Eastwood Village Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Sustain the improvements to pupils’ attainment and progress by:
  • ensuring that an increasing proportion of pupils reach and exceed the age-related expectations
  • maximising the opportunities for pupils to use and apply their newly acquired reading and writing skills across the curriculum
  • making sure that all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ handwriting and presentation
  • continuing to support pupils to read as widely and often as possible
  • continuing to improve pupils’ attendance and reduce persistent absence.
• Further improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by developing sharper and more consistent systems to routinely evaluate, and share with governors, the impact of leaders’ actions on pupils’ achievement.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• A large proportion of pupils leave and join the school other than at the usual times. Additionally, many pupils are new to English and/or education when they join the school. These factors are significant barriers to pupils’ achievement. However, leaders are determined in their actions to be welcoming, inclusive and to provide pupils with a high-quality education for as long as they attend.
• Leaders’ ambition and determination have resulted in continually improving consistency in the quality of teaching and learning. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes have also improved. Effective checks on the quality of teaching and learning are accurately identifying whole-school training needs as well as those for individual members of staff. Effective training includes the sharing of good practice, within the school and through other schools within the multi-academy trust.
• Leaders have organised learning so that there is a firm focus on pupils’ language acquisition and so that learning activities are closely matched to pupils’ needs and abilities. This is instrumental to the progress which current pupils are making.
• Subject leaders, many of whom are new to post as the school grows, are developing well and are bringing a sense of urgency in generating improvements. They are increasingly contributing to improving teaching and raising standards in their areas of responsibility. They are able to make accurate assessments of pupils’ learning. Their work with leaders beyond the school makes sure that assessments of pupils’ learning are agreed with other schools and are, therefore, as reliable as possible.
• A whole-school focus on phonics, this academic year, has been very effective and is resulting in greater staff confidence, consistency of approach and improved outcomes. Leaders prioritise reading and work with families to equip them to be able to read with their children at home. However, they recognise that despite this, most pupils do not read widely and often enough.
• A cycle of quality assurance activities helps leaders to check the progress made with their school improvement actions and is also used to identify and respond to any emerging issues. It involves a range of leaders and results in the setting of appropriate future improvement priorities. However, when the impact of actions is evaluated, this is sometimes in the form of a list of actions, rather than against precise success criteria and related specifically to pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders recognise that parental engagement is critical. Effective links with parents and the community are resulting in increasing engagement with the school. Interpreters are used to support meetings with parents and this means that parents feel welcomed into school. They are keen to take part in the daily breakfast club, workshops and assemblies. Consequently, parents are positive about the school and their child’s education.
• Teachers take responsibility for pupils’ outcomes and are held to account through pupil progress meetings and the appraisal process. Staff are therefore clear about the expectations of them and understand the part they play in improving outcomes for pupils and continually reflecting on the impact of their teaching on pupils’ learning. Staff are positive about their development and feel well supported. They are eager to make a difference to pupils.
• A new arrangement, where leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is led across the local trust schools, is now in place. This has raised the profile of provision for these pupils. The leader is beginning to make sure that funding is used to best effect.
• Leaders have set an appropriate strategy for pupil premium spending, but evaluations are not always rigorous enough to make a clear link between the use of funding and the impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders are determined to provide pupils with a curriculum that interests them and broadens their experiences through trips, visitors and extra-curricular activities. Consequently, pupils are showing enthusiasm about their learning in a range of subjects beyond English and mathematics. There are plentiful opportunities to support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Although pupils’ attendance is below the national average, leaders have implemented a wide range of strategies to combat this. The importance of good attendance is promoted well with pupils and parents. Links with the community are supporting positive relationships between home and school and are successfully improving attitudes about attendance at school. Additionally, leaders do not shy away from taking firm action, such as prosecution, if required. Consequently, pupils’ attendance has shown continued improvement each year. Leaders are committed to securing and sustaining the improvements made so far.

Governance of the school

• Trustees are committed to the school being inclusive and at the heart of the community. They have enabled the school to access the expertise and good practice which is available from local schools, including those within the multi-academy trust. This is supporting pupils’ achievement and building additional leadership capacity. Trustees have secured stability in staffing, ensured that there are ambitious targets for pupils and have been instrumental in creating a culture which is about removing barriers rather than making excuses. By working in partnership with other schools, they have been effective in raising aspirations for the whole community.
• Governors check the accuracy of information from leaders through their regular training, visits to school and involvement in school life. This helps them to provide suitable challenge and support. For example, the chair of governors attends a fortnightly meeting about pupils’ attendance. Challenging questions are asked to make sure that governors have a thorough understanding of attendance and persistent absence figures and that leaders are taking firm action when necessary. However, leaders do not present information about the school’s progress in a consistent format. This limits governors in being able to hold leaders to account with even greater rigour, for example, for the impact of pupil premium spending.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders take their responsibilities for the protection and care of pupils seriously and ensure that there is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe. Leaders have put clear systems in place for safeguarding pupils. Regular training and updates about safeguarding support staff in being alert to possible signs of concern which pupils may present. Staff report concerns promptly to the designated safeguarding leaders, who act swiftly and take effective action.
• Staff are very knowledgeable about the community they serve which helps them to be aware of any potential risks and provide appropriate support for vulnerable families. The school works effectively and promptly with social care and other external agencies to provide suitable care for pupils.
• A weekly open forum for parents, each Friday morning, focuses on different aspects of safety such as how children can stay safe when online. These events help leaders to deliver pertinent messages to parents.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching has continually improved since the school opened. New approaches are becoming more embedded and are providing greater consistency. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are making good progress with their learning in English and mathematics.
• Teaching is particularly effective in identifying pupils’ differing needs and providing appropriate support so that pupils make the necessary gains in their learning. Teachers use assessment effectively to make sure that lessons build on pupils’ prior knowledge. Together with leaders, they keep a close eye on how pupils are progressing towards reaching their challenging targets. This system is effective in identifying anyone who is falling behind and needs additional support or intervention.
• Teaching is highly focused on pupils’ language acquisition, and the priority is for pupils to develop their understanding and use of the English language as quickly as possible. Adults are used well to provide specific support for groups of pupils. Teachers use language frames to scaffold pupils’ spoken and written responses. This helps pupils to use appropriate grammatical structures in their spoken and written language.
• The teaching of phonics is becoming more consistent and contributes strongly to pupils’ language development. Training has led to staff having strong subject knowledge and increasing confidence in their phonics teaching. A range of effective strategies, including the use of visual prompts, support pupils’ development. Teachers make sure that pupils explore their understanding of new words, and this aids their comprehension. However, pupils would benefit from more frequent reading across the curriculum and at home to further their understanding.
• In the early stages of reading, pupils are expected to re-read books to develop their fluency and have books which are appropriately matched to their phonics knowledge. Pupils use their phonics skills to sound out and blend unfamiliar words and they apply this in their writing. There are some missed opportunities though for teachers to model and insist on pupils using accurate letter formation and, as they progress, neat and joined writing. This hinders their writing development.
• Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can, and should, achieve in English and mathematics. Good learning habits have been developed and pupils are keen to participate and share their responses with others. Well-established routines and the use of the classroom learning environment are also effective in supporting pupils’ learning. Consequently, pupils are becoming more involved and independent in their learning.
• Pupils have opportunities to develop their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving through carefully planned units of work in mathematics. A consistent approach, following training for staff, is supporting pupils in making better gains in their mathematical understanding.
• In subjects beyond English and mathematics, there are missed opportunities for pupils to transfer their reading and writing skills for a range of purposes. Expectations are not always as high for the standard of work produced. This means that basic skills, such as handwriting, are not as consistently applied as they are in English and mathematics.

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 and self-assured. They understand about equality and demonstrate respect for other people’s cultural diversity and religious backgrounds.
• When pupils join the school, they are quickly assessed to identify any potential barriers to their learning. Support for pupils’ social and emotional development is sometimes required. This helps pupils be in a better position to be successful in their academic learning.
• Leaders have been proactive in making sure that pupils have a secure understanding of what constitutes bullying and how to respond, should it occur. Consequently, pupils say that bullying is rare. They are confident that adults will support them, should they have any concerns.
• A range of visitors, including the police and charitable organisations, complement the curriculum for safety and make sure that pupils hear regular messages about how to be safe and manage risks.
• Pupils are encouraged to participate in a wide range of opportunities and experiences which are on offer, such as after-school clubs. Roles in school, such as being a football monitor, give pupils a sense of responsibility, and the school council makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ understanding of being involved in decision-making.
• A welcoming breakfast club, open to all pupils and parents, is well attended. It provides pupils with a prompt start to the day and offers a healthy breakfast. This means that pupils are in a good position to learn well when school begins.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Leaders have worked hard to set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. The strategies which have been implemented by leaders have been consistently and rigorously applied by all staff. This means that pupils have a clear understanding of the choices they make and the consequences that follow. They value the rewards system and respond well to the incentives. Consequently, there is a calm atmosphere in school and pupils move around school sensibly, showing respect for each other.
• In the rare instances when a pupil makes the wrong behaviour choice, a discussion about the rule which has been broken and the subsequent impact on others is enough to address almost all situations. Therefore, there have been no fixed-term exclusions this academic year.
• Pupils behave well in lessons. On the infrequent occasions where low-level disruption occurs, it is attended to immediately and, therefore, does not have a negative impact on the learning of others.
• Attendance, while below the national average, has improved each year since the school opened and has risen from 89.6% in 2015/16 to 92.5% so far this year. There has been considerable improvement for pupils who have been here since the school opened. Their attendance increased from 88% to 95%. This shows the impact of leaders’ work with families in raising their awareness of the importance of good attendance.
• Persistent absence figures are much higher than those found nationally but have dropped substantially in the last three years from 41.6% to 21.8%. These figures are adversely affected by the high number of pupils who leave for an extended period of time and then, later, return to school. Few pupils who remain on the school’s roll all year are persistently absent. This is because leaders work closely with each identified family and this usually results in the pupil no longer being persistently absent.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes have shown continued improvement, year-on-year, in English and mathematics across the school due to ongoing advances in teaching and learning. Attainment figures have improved, despite them being skewed by the small cohorts and frequent movement of pupils to and from the school. While attainment has improved dramatically, it remains well below national averages.
• Work for individual pupils in their lessons and books shows that they are making very strong progress, often from incredibly low starting points. The school’s assessment information and case studies confirm that the longer pupils stay at the school, the more they develop their knowledge, skills and understanding and demonstrate rapid progress.
• On joining the school, most pupils have little or no English. This is a significant barrier to them being able to reach age-related expectations. Due to effective teaching, pupils quickly develop their language skills and often make very fast progress with their reading and writing as a result. However, for many pupils and particularly those in key stage 2, despite this strong progress, their attainment lags well behind that of other pupils nationally. Until pupils’ language acquisition is secure, they are often hindered from reaching age-related expectations.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make progress that is usually at least in line with, and often more than, that of other pupils. Likewise, disadvantaged pupils make progress which is similar to that of other pupils.
• This is the first academic year in which there has been a cohort of Year 6 pupils. While attainment in English and mathematics for this group overall is low, many of the pupils have joined the school recently. In comparison, almost every pupil in this cohort who has been at the school since it opened has met the age-related expectations and made incredibly strong progress from very low starting points.
• Similarly, by the end of key stage 1 this year, attainment is very low, with only 26% reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. However, attainment has improved each year and the pupils in that cohort who have been at the school since it opened had a figure of 71%. This represents strong progress from their starting points.
• Effective phonics teaching is resulting in pupils being engaged in their phonics learning because it is accurately pitched to their stage of development. Pupils can see the progress they are making and are proud of their achievements. While reading is prioritised by leaders, not all pupils read regularly enough at home to further support their progress. Additionally, pupils’ learning in subjects beyond English and mathematics does not offer enough opportunities for pupils to practise their basic reading and writing skills frequently enough.
• Leaders agree that pupils’ handwriting is a barrier to pupils’ writing development and have identified this as a priority for development.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader is knowledgeable and experienced and has set high expectations for the staff team. She is accurate in her evaluations of teaching and identifies clear next steps to help teaching continually improve.
• The leader has established systems and routines which are supporting staff in meeting the differing needs of children effectively. Consequently, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception, while below the national average, has seen marked improvement each year. Current children are making strong progress from their low, and often very low, starting points. Disadvantaged children are outperforming their non-disadvantaged peers.
• Staff have high expectations and use their subject knowledge to move children’s learning forward. For example, when questioning, staff do not always accept children’s first response. They challenge them to extend their sentences, reframing children’s comments so that they learn how to use accurate grammar.
• A consistent approach to assessment is used to check children’s understanding and identify their next steps. This results in highly focused learning when children are in adult-led groups. Teachers use time well to provide specific intervention and meet the differing needs of children.
• Children’s language acquisition is integral to the whole curriculum. Staff support this well in their interactions with children. Children are engaged and challenged by staff, who support their thinking and development. Planning is used well so that staff know how to challenge children as they work independently in each area of provision.
• Teachers’ good subject knowledge, along with the use of resources and first-hand experiences, supports children’s phonics understanding. By the end of Reception this year, a much greater proportion of children are at the expected stage or beyond with their phonics knowledge, giving them a better start to their learning in Year 1. However, leaders are aware that there are missed opportunities to develop children’s letter formation in Reception.
• Reading at home is encouraged through an incentive system, but many children still do not do this regularly enough. This hinders their confidence, fluency and understanding.
• Teachers plan provision in response to children’s needs, interests and any gaps in their learning. The indoor and outdoor areas have a wide range of opportunities for children to use and apply their newly acquired skills. For example, a group of boys taking part in a physical activity outside were also consolidating their mathematics learning by keeping a tally of their score.
• Parents are welcomed into school. Stay and play events, dual language signs and a translator who is available at the start and end of sessions help parents to feel involved in their child’s learning.
• Children are well cared for. Rules and routines have become well established so that children listen carefully to adult instructions and concentrate well. Leaders have made sure that the legal welfare requirements are met. For example, in the temporary absence of a paediatric first aid trained member of staff, a member of staff from another trust school has provided this cover.

School details

Unique reference number 140378 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 10048310 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 154 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Ray Griffiths Headteacher Kirsty Ridley (head of school) Mark Young (executive headteacher) Telephone number 01709 374425 Website www.eastwoodvillageprimary.org Email address enquiries@eastwoodvillageprimary.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Eastwood Village Primary School is a new school which was established in September 2015 as part of the Central Learning Partnership Trust. The executive headteacher, who also works across two other schools in the trust, has been in post since the school opened. A more recent appointment of head of school was made in September 2016. The local governing body has some delegated powers and is accountable to the board of trustees for the school’s progress.
• In the school’s first year, pupils were admitted up to Year 4. Therefore, this academic year has seen the first Year 6 cohort.
• The multi-academy trust provides a wide range of expertise to develop school leadership and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. A local hub of three local schools, along with an additional hub of schools in Wolverhampton, provide support, training and quality assurance.
• Almost all pupils are from minority ethnic communities, the vast majority being of Roma heritage. Nearly all pupils speak English as an additional language and many of them have little or no English when joining the school. Pupil mobility is extremely high, and therefore cohorts of pupils continually change. A large proportion of pupils leave and enter school other than at the usual times, with some pupils not having experienced an educational setting before.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above the national average. However, this does not fully reflect the actual disadvantage faced by families in the community, many of whom are not eligible to claim benefits and therefore attract the pupil premium funding.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is just below the national average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan is also less than average.
• The school runs a breakfast club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning throughout the school. Most observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about their experience of school.
• Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders and a range of subject leaders. They met with the chair of the local governing body. A meeting also took place with the chief executive officer and a trustee from the multi-academy trust.
• Discussions took place with a group of teachers about the support and development they receive.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books along with the school’s information on pupils’ achievement, to determine the progress that they are making.
• A range of documentation was considered. This included the school’s self-evaluation, records of the monitoring of teaching and learning, the school improvement plan, information relating to the attendance and behaviour of pupils, safeguarding and child protection records and minutes from governing body meetings. Documents outlining the arrangements for the use of pupil premium funding were also considered.
• Inspectors spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day to seek their views about the school. Only one response to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, was received.
• The 17 responses to the staff survey were also considered.

Inspection team

Kirsty Godfrey, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Larissa Thorpe Ofsted Inspector