Dussindale Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 26–27 January 2012 Inspection number 381248 Dussindale Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 128067 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 381248 Inspection dates 26–27 January 2012 Lead inspector Roderick Passant

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 259 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jonathan Emsell Headteacher Jane Worsdale Date of previous school inspection 25 June 2009 School address Vane Close Norwich NR7 0US Telephone number 01603 436180 Fax number 01603 437464 Email address office@dussindale.norfolk.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Nine teachers were seen teaching 11 lessons. In addition, inspectors made a number of shorter visits to lessons and scrutinised a range of work from pupils in Year 4 and Year 6. Meetings were held with: the school’s senior leadership; representatives of the governing body; a group of teachers; the team of staff who manage the Early Years Foundation Stage and a group of teaching assistants. Inspectors held a formal meeting with a group of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and with higher attaining pupils as well as having many informal conversations with pupils in lessons and across the school. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school improvement plan and policies associated with pupils’ safeguarding. They scrutinised the questionnaire

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Introduction

responses from 118 parents and carers, 15 staff and 99 pupils.

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Information about the school

The school is broadly average in size compared to other primary schools. The large majority of pupils are White British; other pupils come from a wide variety of backgrounds with Indian, Pakistani and African heritage pupils forming the largest groups. There is a higher proportion of pupils who are learning to speak English as an additional language than in most primary schools. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those with a statement of special educational needs, is broadly average.

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Information about the school

The school opened as a new school in 2007 and children who then started in Reception have now reached Year 4. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 have joined the school at various points in their school career. Currently, pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. There are two Reception classes. There has been considerable inward mobility of pupils and staff changes as the school has grown. The school has gained Healthy Schools status and the Intermediate International Award.

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Information about the school

A privately-managed playgroup leases a room from the school. It is inspected separately. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school. Teachers and teaching assistants foster good learning across the school. Pupils make rapid progress because adults create a calm, purposeful working ethos which is based on their knowledge of the pupils and the warmth of their relationships with them.  The leadership team of the Early Years Foundation Stage is effective, ensuring that children feel valued and make good progress. The environment is stimulating, all adults are skilled at promoting positive attitudes to learning and there are good partnerships with parents and carers.  Teachers successfully develop pupils’ skills to learn independently. However, personal targets to encourage pupils to take increasing responsibility for their learning are not used consistently.  Teachers’ expectations are high and adults’ enthusiasm and approach motivates and engages pupils effectively. Occasionally, the typically good pace of learning

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Key findings

drops because teaching does not set out clearly enough what the pupils are expected to learn.  Pupils get good quality feedback in the form of marking and dialogue. Most pupils judge that adults help them to improve their work.  Pupils typically conduct themselves well around the school and their good behaviour and attitudes in lessons are important ingredients in their good learning and progress.  The headteacher leads the school very well and has a clear vision for its development. There is a sharp focus on making improvements to ensure that the school is doing all it can to meet the needs of the pupils. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress further by:  setting out clearly in each lesson what pupils are expected to learn along with a clear sequence of tasks and activities;  ensuring the pace of learning does not drop in the transition from one activity to the next;  consistently setting targets for improvement so that pupils are able to take greater responsibility for their learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Although there is a full range of abilities, most children start school in Reception at an earlier stage of development than is typical for their age, particularly in social and early literacy skills. Children achieve well so that by the end of their Reception Year their attainment is broadly average. Good progress continues in Years 1 and 2 and across the school. There is a consistent and improving trend in Year 2 attainment; in 2011, attainment in reading and mathematics was above average. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 continue to achieve well. The school’s concerted efforts to raise attainment in writing are coming to fruition. Standards in writing at the end of Year 2 were broadly average in 2011 but work in older pupils’ books shows a marked improvement.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils in Year 6 are working at a level appropriate to their age in reading, writing and mathematics. From their starting points, pupils are making good progress and achieving well. Inspection evidence supports the views of most of parents and carers who judged that their children’s needs are met, enabling them to make good progress. Inspection findings reflect the view of the vast majority of parents and carers who judged that the school successfully develops their children’s skills in communication, reading, writing, and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ learning skills are fostered well across the school. A history lesson with younger pupils researching Victorian workhouses, a catalyst for pupils’ introduction to the story of Oliver Twist, revealed the teacher’s expertise in arousing and focusing pupils’ curiosity. The result was that pupils carried out their research, picking out and sharing key points with each other. The fictional context for learning (through imaginative enquiry) habitually provides a ‘real’ audience and purpose for pupils’ writing. Opportunities to explore the difference between what is said and what is meant, help pupils to ‘read between the lines’, supporting their comprehension and reading skills. In an English lesson, pupils used their skills to empathise in the imaginative processes leading up to their writing about Mr Bumble. In science, older pupils used creative thinking and cooperative working to compile evaluative,

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Achievement of pupils

reasoned arguments, concerning the evolution of birds’ beaks, which they presented Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

The school targets adult support particularly well to meet pupils’ individual needs, be it challenging higher-attaining Year 6 pupils to work at higher levels in mathematics or supporting an individual through catch-up activities. This accounts for the good progress of higher-attaining pupils, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, pupils learning to speak English as an additional language and pupils who might otherwise be vulnerable to underachievement. Pupils with learning needs particularly value the care and support from adults ‘if you are feeling down’, and the school’s inclusive nature so that ‘we’re not picked on’. They appreciate the help that they receive and the catch-up classes.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils learning to speak English as an additional language are supported well. There are rich opportunities to develop language skills. This is because lessons provide many opportunities for pupils to talk, rehearse, share ideas and listen to each other. Classmates also provide informal support to develop their speaking skills. In addition, the work in linking sounds and letters and building words, clearly effective in the teaching of reading in the school, also provides them with an additional structure to their language work. Pupils with additional learning needs particularly value the support of teaching assistants, who are skilled at developing pupils’ confidence, skills and independence, stressing for example, ‘You have to show me, I’m not doing it for you.’ The school makes very good use of specialist agencies to provide additional support to meet individual needs.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers manage well the mixed-age classes. Teachers and pupils often work together to solve a problem. Teachers and teaching assistants show good subject knowledge. Questioning is skilled and used to challenge and extend pupils’ thinking and to check on learning. Almost all parents and carers rightly judge that teaching is good and that their children are well cared for. Most pupils judge that they learn a lot in lessons and that teaching is good.

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Quality of teaching

Although teachers often use pupils’ interests as a starting point for learning, there is careful ongoing evaluation to ensure a full entitlement and progression of skills in Reception classes against the areas of learning and the National Curriculum with older classes. Teachers are skilled at making good use of a fictional context to foster learning and in judging when they need to step outside the story to focus on specific skills.

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Quality of teaching

In a few lessons, the typically good pace of learning drops. This happens when the purpose of the lesson and the sequence of tasks and activities are not absolutely clear or when transitions between activities are too relaxed. Pupils know how to improve their work because marking is good. The setting of targets for pupils is not consistent across the school.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers make particularly effective use of well-targeted praise to encourage pupils Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

and to foster their self-esteem. Teachers model standard English and teach reading well, so that pupils learn to link letters and sounds and develop strategies to build words. Teachers listen carefully and value pupils’ often extended answers. Pupils have particularly good opportunities to explore difficult moral questions. A good example was the work in geography on a country polluting the river which runs through another’s territory and the subsequent discussion which sprung from this about immigration. There are good opportunities for pupils from differing backgrounds to work together, either in pairs such as in a mathematics lesson working out the perimeter of an irregular shape or in groups such as in science. Pupils talked about visitors to the school who discussed their various religious beliefs. They have a good awareness of ‘green’ issues. These features, along with the links with a school in Zimbabwe and enrichment opportunities in the arts help to extend

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Quality of teaching

their cultural and ethical horizons. Lessons provide good opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils want to learn and enjoy lessons. This is reflected in their above average attendance. Pupils concentrate well and focus on the task in hand. They listen to their teacher and each other particularly well. The focus in the school is for pupils to develop self-discipline rather than to respond to a regimented approach. Most parents and carers rightly judge behaviour to be good. On occasion, lessons are interrupted by the behaviour of a few pupils. However, pupils feel that staff manage these incidents well to minimise the disruption to learning. A very few pupils have emotional or social difficulties and can present challenging behaviour. Staff have clear strategies, are consistent in their expectations and management approaches, involve parents and make good use of specialised agencies. In addition, their classmates also provide strong support. As a result, these pupils learn to manage their anger and frustration more effectively.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school is welcoming; pupils are confident, displaying courtesy and politeness and there is evident mutual respect and support for each other, particularly in the ‘buddy’ system. The school is both inclusive and cohesive so that pupils get on well with each other for almost all of the time. Occasionally, older pupils fall in and out with each other. Systematic bullying of any kind is rare but pupils indicated that should it occur, the school responds effectively. Most parents and carers in their questionnaire response to the question about bullying judged the school managed this well. Almost all parents and carers judged their children felt safe at school.

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Leadership and management

The school’s vision and ethos is shared by all staff who know what the school is trying to achieve. There is a commitment to promoting and ensuring equality, as seen in the work to raise boys’ attainment in writing. The school does not accept any form of discrimination. Morale is high. The school knows itself very well and its priorities for development are accurate. The work to bring about improvement is Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

effective. The school’s leadership is well placed to sustain the school’s ongoing improvement. The governing body has a high profile; it provides clear strategic leadership, a questioning approach and a sustained focus on ensuring that pupils and staff are safe. The safeguarding of pupils meets current government requirements.

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Leadership and management

There is a strong and effective focus on developing the quality of teaching through teamwork, sharing professional skills, training and coaching. As a result, staff are reflective and are keen to develop further. They judge that the school’s leadership does all it can to improve teaching. Targets for pupils and expectations for their progress are challenging, with clear accountability for staff to meet them.

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Leadership and management

Trips, visitors, clubs, extend pupils’ entitlement to the curriculum. The National Curriculum is taught in a particularly creative way which adds additional depth and richness and ensures pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well provided for.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Dussindale Primary School, Norwich, NR7 0US

Thank you for making us so welcome in your school. I would particularly like to thank those pupils who gave up their time to fill out a questionnaire and talk to us. What you had to say was helpful in helping us gain a view of your school.

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Inspection of Dussindale Primary School, Norwich, NR7 0US

This is a good school. You make good progress in your work and achieve well. This is because you have skilled teachers. They have high expectations of what you can achieve. Adults know how well you are doing and this helps them plan lessons which support and challenge you well. They care about you a great deal. You told us they were helpful and we agree with you.

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Inspection of Dussindale Primary School, Norwich, NR7 0US

Besides helping you gain basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, teachers make sure that you enjoy learning by making lessons very interesting and help develop your curiosity and imagination. They help you develop your skills as learners well. I have asked the headteacher to make sure that you all know your targets so that you can take even greater responsibility for how well you are doing. I have also asked teachers to make sure that you make rapid progress in all your lessons by making sure that the pace of learning does not drop.

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Inspection of Dussindale Primary School, Norwich, NR7 0US

You conduct yourself well around the school and your behaviour in lessons is good. There are occasional incidents but you told us that teachers manage them well. Your good behaviour is an important reason why you progress well. The school is very friendly and you get on particularly well and support each other.

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Inspection of Dussindale Primary School, Norwich, NR7 0US

The headteacher leads the school well. All staff are constantly trying to improve the school and make it better for you.

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Inspection of Dussindale Primary School, Norwich, NR7 0US

You are clearly helping to shape this school. You already have helped make it a good school. With your continued help I am sure it will continue to improve.

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Inspection of Dussindale Primary School, Norwich, NR7 0US

Roderick Passant Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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