West Melton Junior and Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase rates of progress in key skills so that more pupils reach the standards typical for their age by:

using lesson time effectively and providing learning activities that offer challenge to all groups providing plentiful opportunities for pupils to apply and develop these skills in a range of subjects helping pupils to improve the accuracy and presentation of their work through providing constructive feedback in accordance with the school‟s policies.

• Make better use of school information systems to:

check on the progress of all groups of pupils, particularly the most able and those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities identify patterns of poor attendance for individual pupils and groups of pupils so that support can be more effectively targeted analyse behaviour patterns so that policies and strategies can be developed and evaluated more sharply.

• Improve the quality of learning support that pupils receive by:

ensuring that all adults have the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of pupils who need extra help monitoring the effectiveness of phonics teaching to check that it is consistently good.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• There have been many changes in leadership, staffing and governance over the last two years, and this has slowed school development. The current leadership team has only recently been consolidated and therefore has had limited time to bring about change. However, leaders have made a very positive start and demonstrate the confidence and capacity to sustain further improvement.
• Senior leaders have provided strong direction to staff and pupils, and this has been well received. The headteacher has provided clear written guidance as to what is required of all adults working in the school and what pupils need to do to make better progress.
• Leaders have a realistic view of the school‟s performance over time and know that rapid improvement is needed. They have started to address the issues raised in the previous inspection report with vigour. A well-conceived development action plan with measurable outcomes linked to priorities, training and staff appraisal is now in place.
• Leaders and governors have already taken challenging decisions to improve the quality of provision. The key thrust of improvement has been in relation to the quality of teaching. Staff restructuring has allowed new teachers to take up posts for all the key stage 1 and key stage 2 classes this term.
• Leaders have taken a firm line in managing pupil conduct issues. A new policy based on appropriate inducements for pupils, better support for staff and training on teaching management skills has led to much-improved learning attitudes and behaviour.
• New systems have been introduced to track progress. However, while leaders have focused on the attainment of class cohorts over time, they have not analysed the progress of different groups of pupils such as the most able or those pupils who may be disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently they have not been able to use this information to inform teaching strategies.
• Leaders have made concerted efforts using a range of strategies and support to improve attendance. There is now a stronger picture with exclusions dramatically reduced, fewer pupils who are persistently absent, and overall school attendance that is rising. However, attendance levels still remain below those seen nationally, especially for disadvantaged groups.
• Subject leaders are new to their responsibilities but have already formed a clear view of developments required across the curriculum. Senior leaders support them well in guiding their work and in providing time for them to carry out these additional duties.
• Leaders and governors have started to work closely with the Wickersley Academy Trust, which has links to high-performing primary schools, and there are plans to extend these arrangements.
• Leaders have recently revised the curriculum so that it offers more scope for pupils to deepen their learning. Themes are enriched through first-hand experiences such as the Year 4 visit to the Wakefield Mining Museum or by links to other countries. Subject leaders have identified a need to provide more opportunities for practical science and better consistency in the teaching of modern foreign languages.
• There is a well-planned programme of assemblies and opportunities throughout the year to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils are able to talk about the need for rules and about how voting works, but are less knowledgeable about other faiths and cultures. Leaders are aware that they need to broaden this dimension in the thematic work.
• There is a range of extra-curricular activities at lunchtime and beyond the school day. The film, glee and soccer clubs were popular, though the options seem more limited for younger pupils.
• Leaders are starting to target funding to support disadvantaged pupils better. In the past it has been directed more towards social and well-being needs but it is now being increasingly used to provide more focused academic support. Leaders have not analysed in detail the impact of the spending by tracking the progress of the individual disadvantaged pupils or the group.
• The funding for physical education and sport is used well. A sports coach from the high school works alongside staff to develop their skills, as well as providing tuition for the pupils. The number of pupils taking part in inter-school sport has increased and there are also more sporting activities on offer after school, such as hockey, basketball, dance and hoopla.
• Responses from the online Parent View questionnaire and from several face-to-face discussions with parents provide a mixed picture of opinion. The majority of parents are very happy with the provision but a small group of parents voiced concerns about change, communication and welfare issues. However, inspectors found that senior leaders had addressed individual issues appropriately.

Governance of the school

• Governors currently work harmoniously with leaders, but changes in the governing body leadership and membership since the previous inspection have meant that the support they have been able to offer has been inconsistent.
  • A review of governance was undertaken after the last inspection but the membership changes meant that a further review was needed. To their credit, the new governors have recently initiated this.
  • The present chair and governors are fully committed to the school but are shouldering a disproportionate workload. However, they are taking advantage of training opportunities and are starting to provide an increasingly effective challenge to senior leaders. For example, they have requested a report on the use of the pupil premium funding and as a result some of the planned expenditure has been revised.
  • Governors and the local authority have been instrumental in supporting the headteacher in tackling poor teaching and carrying out wholesale restructuring of the staff team.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, and leaders have prioritised the need to ensure that staff are fully informed about how to identify and support pupils who may be at risk of harm. The electronic recording systems that support safeguarding are well understood. Where safeguarding concerns have been identified, leaders have taken prompt and tenacious action to ensure that appropriate support from external agencies has been sought and provided.
• The school internal environment is clean, tidy and secure. New security fencing has been installed very recently to segregate the car park from the pedestrian routes, and as a result access is being more safely managed.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Pupil progress over time has been variable, and the standards reached by many pupils have been below those seen typically. Teachers‟ expectations have not been high enough to challenge pupils and they have not used the school‟s marking and feedback policy precisely enough to pinpoint errors or signpost next steps in learning.
• Work in the previous year‟s books across the school shows a lack of application of key skills across a range of subjects. Written work in other subjects is not of comparable quality to that seen in English and mathematics. Spelling errors have not been routinely identified and teachers have missed opportunities to apply mathematical skills.
• Current teaching is more consistent as a result of better use of resources, careful planning of tasks to provide challenge to different groups and a strong focus on learning and behaviour routines. Teachers follow the new feedback policy closely and, as one Year 5 pupil said, „Teachers help us more when they mark our books now‟.
• Teachers use effective questioning to good effect, exploring the meaning of new words in depth and helping to ensure pupils‟ understanding is secure. This was seen in a Year 5 lesson where pupils were extending the idea of adverbial phrases.
• Teachers are helping with the development of pupils‟ oracy skills, identified as a weakness in the previous inspection. Pupils are increasingly able to explain their thinking, voice an opinion or argue a case. This was seen in a lively Year 6 reading lesson where the class was predicting the next events in a story about medieval knights.
• Leaders have introduced new policies and resources to support the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. These, together with an emphasis on what good work looks like, have created a clear structure for staff to follow. However, work in these areas is at an early stage of development.
• The quality of teaching phonics is variable across school, and leaders acknowledge that training is needed so that all adults in school can follow the new approaches effectively.
• There is a focus on improving reading, particularly for the key stage 2 pupils who have received weaker teaching in the past and whose phonics skills are insecure. These pupils require a lot of support to become fluent and confident readers but are being encouraged to read more through the school‟s reading scheme that also promotes better parental involvement.
• Written work is also improving because teachers are now pitching tasks at the right level and providing appropriate additional resources to assist spelling. However, presentation has been inconsistent across the school in the way that handwriting is taught and modelled and in the setting out of work in mathematics.
• In mathematics some teachers are providing extra challenge for the most able, as seen in a Year 3 lesson when the task was to halve odd numbers. The most able pupils‟ thinking was also stretched in a Year 6 lesson on place value when pupils showed that they could select tasks from the „mild, hot, spicy‟ menu and use rounding to mentally total five-digit numbers.
• However, a few of the most able pupils reported that sometimes work is too easy, especially in the oral mental arithmetic sessions, and that they sometimes have to wait for others to finish if they complete work quickly.
• Teachers set regular homework that varies according to pupils‟ ability levels.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school‟s work to promote personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Learning attitudes are increasingly positive for most pupils because teaching and routines are more consistent. However, there are a minority of pupils who have not yet adjusted to the new expectations and become inattentive in lessons, unless closely managed.
• Pupils are starting to take more pride in their work but there are still inconsistencies evident in work in books and in displays. The focus on improving presentation is relatively recent.
• Pupils like the regular homework provided, the learning experiences beyond school through educational visits to places such as the National Space Centre and the opportunity to meet different visitors who come into school.
• Pupils feel safe in all areas of the school and trust the adults who look after them. They say that there is very little bullying now and that the teachers help them to resolve friendship fall-outs. Some parents voiced concern through the online survey that bullying has not been addressed fully in the past but the pupils said that they get along much better now.
• Older pupils have a clear understanding about how to use electronic communication sensibly, having remembered the safety messages given in lessons and assemblies.
• Pupils know that it is important to maintain a healthy diet and not to eat too many fatty or sugary foods. They were keen to point out that „our school meals are very healthy‟, and appreciated the availability of hot snacks at morning breaktime.
• A wide range of jobs and responsibilities helps pupils to play their part in helping the school to run smoothly. These roles include assembly audio support, playground leadership and librarian duties. An elected student council meets to discuss and present ideas for school improvement, and each class is represented.
• While the work of the school in promoting an understanding about democracy and community contribution is strong, pupils have a weaker knowledge and understanding about other faiths and cultures. Leaders are aware of this and have planned for assemblies and thematic work to better prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
• Staff understand the new systems for recording and managing concerns over pupils who may be at risk of harm, and are able to respond quickly to issues. The headteacher makes every effort to involve outside agencies where families in challenging circumstances need support.
• The school environment is safe and secure for pupils and staff and the headteacher takes parental concerns seriously, such as those about unpleasant dog fouling near the entrance route immediately outside the new main pedestrian access gate.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• The majority of pupils are polite and friendly, conduct themselves well in lessons and display positive learning attitudes. However, where poor behaviour persists for a minority of pupils there is insufficient analysis of any possible underlying patterns or reasons. In lessons that are less engaging than typical, there is some inattention by pupils, largely stemming from shortcomings in teaching.
• Movement around school during the day and at lunchtime is orderly and well supervised. In assemblies pupils listen well and respond enthusiastically when singing the school song „The Power in Me‟. They enjoy joining in with different games and activities in the playgrounds and activity, though occasionally boisterous, is generally good-natured.
• A very small minority of pupils find it difficult to manage their behaviour but are supported well through nurturing activities in the Butterfly Room. This work, coupled with training for staff in positive behaviour management strategies to resolve conflict, has resulted in a dramatic reduction over the last year in exclusions, which had previously been high.
• The new behaviour policy, based on rewarding positive choices, is having a marked effect. Pupils understand the behaviour code and regard it as fair. They enjoy earning rewards, and good habits are becoming the norm.
• Persistent absenteeism has reduced and the attendance of all pupils has improved, though it is still below the national average. Leaders have promoted better attendance and punctuality through additional rewards and by taking a firmer line over term-time holidays. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than that of other pupils and needs closer checks.

Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

• At the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2 too few pupils have reached or exceeded expected standards. Standards were below those nationally in both 2015 and 2016. This is because teaching has not met pupils‟ needs well enough over time and because in 2016 national expectations have risen sharply with the introduction of a more challenging assessment system.
• The school‟s own assessments demonstrate some progress for all year groups over the previous school year; however, progress varied across cohorts. Work in pupils‟ books showed an inconsistent picture of challenge and feedback. Leaders are taking action to inject more rigour into assessment through a new marking policy, and there was clear evidence of acceleration over the last term.
• Despite the low standards achieved, progress from starting points for pupils at the end of key stage 2 in 2016 was above national minimum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress was strongest in writing, an area that the school had successfully prioritised for improvement. In reading the progress was least strong.
• The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is variable. Most pupils are working at standards below those that are typical for their age. Staff are focusing on identifying where understanding is insecure and a programme of same-day interventions is now in place to address this, though the impact is yet to be seen. Those in key stage 1 are making more consistent progress.
• In Year 1 pupils‟ phonics skills showed significant improvement, and the proportions of pupils meeting the standard rose considerably to be close to those seen nationally. This was the result of a new, more structured approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils were less confident, however, in using phonics for reading and spelling further up the school.
• Pupils enjoy talking about their book and their favourite authors from the newly organised school library. Most read fluently and expressively but for some reading remains a struggle. The broad curriculum provides contexts for pupils to read for different purposes, but teachers do not always make the most of opportunities to provide additional practice and support for weaker readers.
• Pupils produce writing for a variety of purposes, including tasks drawn from thematic work. Improvements in the quality and extent of writing for the older pupils are evident but there is little application of mathematics across other subjects and not enough problem-solving activities to deepen learning.
• The most able pupils are now starting to work at greater depth because teachers are taking better account of their needs when planning learning tasks. In a Year 3 class for example, the most able pupils were producing more complex sentences when writing about badgers.
• It is not clear from the school‟s own assessment records whether pupils for whom the school receives additional funding, or less able pupils, are making good progress across all subjects. This is because the school has not analysed the performance of groups closely enough.
• Older pupils generally respond well to their teachers, apply themselves and are taking more of a pride in their work. These improving learning attitudes will serve them well in their secondary education.

Early years provision Good

• Children join the Nursery with abilities that are below what is typically seen on entry. A considerable number of children display speech and language delay and as a response the school has secured additional speech therapy support.
• The experienced early years leader has a clear view of the provision and knows where further improvements can be made. She is determined that every child will succeed, and communicates this to the children; as she said to one child, „It isn‟t that you don‟t know it – you just don‟t know it yet!‟
• The early years leader provides a detailed analysis of the performance of different groups. Recording systems are well developed and assessments are accurate, showing good progress for most groups. The early years leader keeps the governors informed about standards and progress in the early years unit.
• Standards are rising over time. The proportions of children reaching a good level of development have risen over the last three years. Three quarters of the group reached this standard in 2016, which is comparable with proportions generally typical for their age.
• The performance of disadvantaged children in reading, writing and number has been close to or above that of other children nationally for the last two years. All the disadvantaged children reached a good level of development in 2016.
• Learning is based on prepared themes, but there is room for the unexpected as when a child found a caterpillar and the opportunity was seized to explore the world of butterflies. The curriculum is also adapted to take account of differing abilities and groups.
• The learning environment, especially indoors, is well organised, attractively resourced and used profitably. Children delight in the variety of creative activities, and opportunities are taken to broaden children‟s horizons. One Nursery child gleefully announced, „I‟m making a Taj Mahal; it‟s in a hot country‟.
• The outdoor provision provides many opportunities for children to explore on a larger scale, but planning in these spaces does not yet fully support writing development.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on basic skills, and reading has a high priority; a significant training programme is in place to increase staff expertise even further. Staff are keen to establish good writing habits too. In Reception, children are challenged to form letters correctly, and one child was clearly proud when he said „I‟ve done it! I‟ve made the “d” the right way!‟
• There are high expectations for children‟s behaviour, and routines are well established. Children are happy, keen learners who behave well and show kindness to others.
• Home and school communication is very positive. Transition takes place right through the year and induction meetings and taster sessions help smooth the settling-in period. Home-school books provide a responsive dialogue between parents and staff, while the homework ideas promote learning beyond the classroom.
• There are secure systems in place for first aid and medicine administration, and the early years leader attends all safeguarding and speech therapy meetings, so enabling her to support parents and children.
• A few parents mentioned that the handover at the end of the day could be better organised to avoid the crowding of parents and pupils from classes further up the school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number

106917 Rotherham 10019762 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school

Primary

School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils

Community 3 to 11 Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll

176

Appropriate authority

The governing body

Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address

Mrs Rebecca Peel Mrs Zowie Norris 01709 760 538 www.westmeltonprimary.co.uk west-melton.junior-infant@rotherham.gov.uk 8–9 April 2014

Date of previous inspection

Information about this school

• This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Pupils of White British heritage make up around 90% of the school population. There are no other significant ethnic groups represented.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is much higher than average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and children looked after.)
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is much higher 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 and full-time in Reception.
• There have been several changes in leadership since the time of the previous inspection. The headteacher left in 2014 and since then two executive headteachers have joined and left the school. The current headteacher is assisted by an acting deputy headteacher and an acting assistant headteacher. All three acting appointments date from April 2016.
• Three teachers left the school at the end of August 2016 and two are currently on or about to take maternity leave. As a result of restructuring, teacher movement and maternity leave, there were new teachers for every class in key stage 1 and key stage 2 from the start of the current school year.
• New subject leaders for mathematics, literacy, science and physical education took up their responsibilities from September 2016. The special needs coordinator was new to the post in the last school year.
• There have been a number of changes in membership of the governing body. A new chair has recently been appointed and new governors have joined the board. The school and local authority are seeking to recruit new governors to fill remaining vacancies.
• The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 27 lessons or part-lessons across all classes to assess teaching and learning.
• Inspectors listened to pupils from Year 2 reading, as well as pupils from all key stage 2 groups.
• Work in English, mathematics and a range of other subjects was sampled.
• Meetings were conducted with senior leaders, middle leaders, subject leaders, governors, newly qualified and recently qualified teachers and three groups of pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2. In addition, meetings were held with representatives of the local authority.
• Inspectors analysed information from a scrutiny of school documentation. This included published data about pupils‟ progress and attainment, previous inspection and monitoring reports 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 records of staff training and the school appraisal policy, governing body minutes, safeguarding documentation and local authority reports about the school‟s effectiveness.
• The views of parents were taken into account through several informal discussions with them and by analysing responses from the 12 parents who completed the online questionnaire, Parent View. The school‟s own recent parental survey information was also considered.
• 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 20 staff who completed the inspection questionnaire.

Inspection team

James Reid, lead inspector Julia Wright Chris Cook

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector