Duffield the Meadows Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 7–8 February 2012 Inspection number 378539 Duffield The Meadows Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 112690 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 378539 Inspection dates 7–8 February 2012 Lead inspector Jeremy Spencer HMI

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 294 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dianne Reece Headteacher Christine Watkins Date of previous school inspection 11 February 2009 School address Park Road Duffield Belper DE56 4GT Telephone number 01332 840305 Fax number 01332 840305 Email address enquiries@duffieldmeadows.derbyshire.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

Christine Heppleston Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 20 lessons, taught by 12 teachers. This accounted for twelve hours of inspection time. Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and school staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, including pupils’ books and work folders, and looked at a variety of documents, including the school development plan, school policies, attendance data, minutes of the governing body’s meetings, assessment data and planning documentation. Inspectors met informally with some parents and carers and scrutinised questionnaires completed by 98 parents and carers, 12 staff and 104 pupils.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage and almost all speak English as their first language. The proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average. The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. Pupils begin the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage in the Reception class. Pupils are able to attend pre-school and breakfast and after-school clubs on the school site, but these are not managed by the school, and are therefore subject to separate inspections.

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Information about the school

The school has achieved a number of awards including the Activemark award and the International Schools Award at foundation level, and has gained Healthy Schools status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is ina dequate 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, with some significant strengths. The headteacher embeds the ambition of staff well and is very well challenged and supported by the governing body. Consequently, the school has made good progress in addressing weaknesses identified in its previous inspection.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ achievement is good overall, and outstanding in mathematics. In English, pupils’ attainment is above average, but achievement is stronger in reading than in writing. The school has established some effective strategies to address this and early indications are that these are having a positive impact. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length in other subjects, and teachers do not always model writing techniques as effectively as they could. Pupils make a strong start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. A small minority of pupils underachieve in Key Stage 1 and do not achieve the higher Level 3 grades at the end of Year 2.

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Key findings

 Teaching is usually good and sometimes outstanding. Most teachers use assessment techniques well on a day-to-day basis, to ensure that learning is at the right level for pupils. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their very good attendance.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. The school manages the behaviour of pupils with additional needs well, and this ensures that although some disruptive behaviour occurs, its impact upon the learning of others is minimal.

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Key findings

 Leaders rigorously monitor the work of the school and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school well. However, some systems to track pupils’ progress as they move through the school lack refinement.

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Key findings

 Most parents and carers hold the school in high regard. However, some rightly say that they do not receive enough information from the school to help them to fully support their child’s learning. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is ina dequate 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?

 Improve pupils’ achievement and improve the quality of teaching, so that all teaching is good and at least 60% is outstanding, by March 2013, by:  identifying underachievement more efficiently by increasing accuracy in the school’s systems to track pupils’ progress over time, using finer grades of measure  increasing the proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics  accelerating pupils’ progress in writing by providing more opportunities for them to practise extended writing in different subjects, and through improved modelling of writing by teachers  developing the school’s learning platform/website to extend learning opportunities for pupils and provide additional information to parents and carers to further enable them to support their child’s learning.

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Achievement of pupils

A very large majority of parents and carers feel that their children make good progress in their learning and inspectors agree that attainment is above average and progress is good overall.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills above those found nationally. During their time in the Reception class, they make good progress, particularly in the development of their personal, social and emotional development, due to the strong provision. Following the last inspection, the school was asked to make improvements in the use of information about pupils’ starting points, to more accurately ascertain the pupils’ progress over time. The school have successfully developed strong and effective systems to measure pupils’ skills on entry to the school. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well managed and is a significant strength of the school.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ progress in reading and writing slows slightly as they move through Key Stage 1, particularly for the most able. Pupils’ attainment in reading at the end of Year 2 is above average because the school teaches phonics (the sounds that letters make) effectively. Progress is strong for all pupils in mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2 and by the end of Year 6 their attainment, including attainment in reading, is well-above average. Outstanding progress is made in mathematics and good progress in reading. However, progress in writing is no better than satisfactory. The school’s latest assessment data and inspection evidence indicate that progress in writing is beginning to accelerate, due to a successful focus on improving pupils’ sentence construction, spelling and grammar skills. However, the school acknowledge that there is still more work to do to close the gap between Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is ina dequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

pupils’ attainment in reading and writing.

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Achievement of pupils

Different groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because their needs are identified early on and they are given well-organised, good quality intervention and support. The school’s systems to track the progress of these pupils are more sophisticated than systems to track the progress of other pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2, and use fine grades of measure, enabling any underachievement of this group to be recognised efficiently.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enjoy learning and respond very well to teachers’ high levels of expectation. For example, in a mathematics lesson observed during the inspection, Year 1 pupils explored the properties of 3D shapes. Following excellent input and modelling from the teacher, pupils made enthusiastic and accurate observations, as they undertook a range of challenges, very well matched to their ability. As a result, they made outstanding progress in their learning. Teachers’ good modelling of concepts and calculation strategies in mathematics develop pupils’ understanding well, and are a strength across the school. By contrast, teachers’ modelling of writing techniques are not as strong.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good overall, with some that is outstanding, particularly in mathematics. As a result, all groups of pupils achieve well over time. Most parents and carers who responded in the questionnaire said that they felt their children were well taught and inspectors agree with this view. Teachers have high expectations and motivate pupils well. As a result, pupils display positive attitudes to learning. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and typically they plan lessons that are imaginative and well differentiated to ensure suitable levels of challenge. Teachers use questioning techniques very well to assess pupils’ understanding and also to stretch their thinking. A suitably brisk pace of learning is usually maintained. However, in some English lessons, teachers talk for too long, meaning that pupils do not have enough time to produce high quality, extended writing. Although the school

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Quality of teaching

has taken steps to ensure that pupils are given more opportunities to write at length in different subjects, there are inconsistencies between year groups, meaning that some children do not have opportunities frequently enough.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teachers’ marking is good and the school use peer assessments particularly well to support, but not replace, the constructive comments made by teachers. Pupils are aware of their targets, which are written in language appropriate to the age and ability of each pupil. Pupils are also made aware of the teacher’s expectations of their learning in each lesson. This effectively supports their good progress. For example, at the beginning of an outstanding lesson in the Early Years Foundation Stage, the teacher used a hand puppet, Walt, to explain learning objectives and very successfully capture the children’s interest. The learning environment in classrooms effectively supports pupils’ personal development and their achievement is celebrated frequently. Displays reflect the school’s strengths and Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is ina dequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

successes in promoting pupils’ cultural awareness. For example, a display shows that well-established links have been made with a school in Malawi. Pupils are able to explain clearly how the link has benefited the pupils in Malawi and also how it has greatly improved their own understanding of different cultures.

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Quality of teaching

Homework is adapted to meet the differing ability levels of pupils and the school’s learning platform/website is used increasingly well to support pupils’ learning away from the school. However, although plans are in place to make improvements, parents and carers do not receive enough information through the learning platform, or through other means, to fully enable them to support their child’s learning. For example, parents and carers are not familiar with the school’s calculation and handwriting policies.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good. The overwhelming majority of pupils say they feel safe in school, and most parents and carers agree. Incidences of bullying are rare and when they do occur, pupils’ responses suggest that they are usually well dealt with. Although most parents and carers feel that behaviour at the school is of a good standard, a small minority say that lessons can be disrupted by poor behaviour. Inspectors found that behaviour is good in lessons and around the building. Some pupils have additional needs and present more challenging behaviour. On some occasions lessons are disrupted by these pupils. However, the school ensures that they are very well guided and supported and this means that disruptions to other pupils’ learning are minimal and are reducing. The school’s systems to reward pupils’ positive attitudes, including the introduction of the ‘Attitude Acorns’ scheme, are making a positive impact. As a result, pupils are considerate of

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

each others’ needs and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. These attitudes are supporting pupils’ good achievement and are also reflected in attendance, which is consistently above average and improving for all groups of pupils.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher ensures that all members of staff understand how the school needs to be improved, through good communication and well-developed action plans. This is underpinned by frequent, thorough and accurate self-evaluation from school leaders. As a result, staff morale is high and is further supported by regular and appropriate professional development opportunities. This has been a significant factor in driving improvement in pupils’ achievement in mathematics since the previous inspection. Staff are very receptive to training and development and responded very positively to training to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Asperger’s syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This has supported the school’s consistent and effective support for pupils with additional needs well. All safeguarding policies and procedures are securely in place and rigorously applied. The school effectively promotes equality of opportunity and is

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Leadership and management

proactive in tackling discrimination. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is ina dequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

There are some inconsistencies in the systems used to track pupils’ progress as they move through the school. Systems to track most pupils are adequate but lack precision because the grades of measure used by the school are not as fine as they could be. However, the school tracks the progress of those pupils whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable very accurately because finer grades of measure are used.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good because it is broad and balanced and meets the needs of pupils in the school. However, opportunities for pupils to write at length in different subjects are inconsistent between year groups. The curriculum is supported well by a broad range of well-attended extra-curricular activities, including drama, gardening and creative writing. Pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development is good. Their cultural development is particularly well promoted by the school and older pupils are able to talk in depth and with respect about the different beliefs and values held by others.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has developed very effective systems to ensure that it is well informed about the work of the school. This enables it to provide an appropriate balance of challenge and support for the school and is highly effective in helping the school to drive improvement further. As a result, the school’s capacity to build on the effective progress that it has made in addressing past weakness is good.

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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 Duffield the Meadows Primary School, Belper, DE56 4GT

Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we inspected your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and visiting your lessons. What you said to us and told us in your questionnaires helped us to reach the judgement that you attend a good school.

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Inspection of Duffield the Meadows Primary School, Belper, DE56 4GT

Your school is a friendly, happy place where each one of you is known as an individual. We were impressed by the respect you show each other and also with your positive attitudes to learning and good behaviour. The staff care for you well and this, along with good teaching, helps you to make good progress. Those of you who find learning difficult are well supported. You make good progress as you move through the school, particularly in mathematics, because teaching is good. By the end of Year 6 your attainment is above average. This, along with your above average attendance, means you are well prepared for secondary school. Your headteacher and other leaders do a good job and really want your school to improve further.

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Inspection of Duffield the Meadows Primary School, Belper, DE56 4GT

We have suggested some other ways in which we think your school could get even better. We would like your headteacher and staff to:

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Inspection of Duffield the Meadows Primary School, Belper, DE56 4GT

 Make sure that you experience the very highest standards of teaching more often, so that you make better progress as you move through the school, particularly in writing. Also so that more of you can achieve the highest levels at the end of year 2.  Measure your progress more closely to check how well you are doing.  Give you more opportunities to practise writing at length in subjects other than literacy and making sure that teachers show you how to write more often.  Improve your school website/learning platform, by sharing more information with parents and carers to help them to support your learning more effectively.

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Inspection of Duffield the Meadows Primary School, Belper, DE56 4GT

We are sure that you will all keep working hard and doing your best, so that the school can continue to improve. We wish you every success in the future.

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Inspection of Duffield the Meadows Primary School, Belper, DE56 4GT

Jeremy Spencer Her Majesty's 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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