Oulton Broad Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 1–2 March 2012 Inspection number 380954 Oulton Broad Primary School Inspection report

p.1

Unique reference number 124676 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 380954 Inspection dates 1–2 March 2012 Lead inspector Judith Dawson

p.1

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

p.1

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 318 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Scarlett Headteacher Carmel George (acting) Date of previous school inspection 13 March 2007 School address Christmas Lane Oulton Broad Lowestoft NR32 3JX Telephone number 01502 565930 Fax number 01502 514970 Email address ad.oultonbroad.p@talk21.com 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

p.1

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’.

p.2

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.

p.2

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

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors observed 14 teachers teach 19 lessons. They listened to a range of pupils read and analysed the work in pupils’ books. Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body and staff, and inspectors talked informally to parents and carers. 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 the school’s tracking of progress, plans for improvement, teachers’ planning and procedures for ensuring pupils’ protection and safety. They also scrutinised 109 parental questionnaires.

p.3

Information about the school

The school has become a full primary school over the last two years, catering for Year 6 for the first time in September 2011. It is larger than the average primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is lower than in most primary schools but is increasing each year. Almost all pupils are White British. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average. The deputy headteacher is the acting headteacher while the substantive headteacher takes a year’s sabbatical leave. The school’s engagement with parents and carers has been recognised as an exemplar of good practice in a government White Paper. 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

p.3

Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. Its strong caring ethos promotes pupils’ moral and social skills well. The school is not good or better because leadership and management are not effective enough to ensure that achievement and teaching, particularly in mathematics, are better than satisfactory.

p.4

Key findings

 Pupils make satisfactory progress. Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good, ensuring children make good progress. Most pupils now in Year 6 are working at the levels expected for their age in English. Pupils achieve well in reading because they are regularly and robustly taught the sounds made by letter combinations (phonics). Progress in mathematics is satisfactory, but the pace of some pupils’ learning slows because pupils spend too much time repeating skills they have already acquired.

p.4

Key findings

 Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and question them effectively. Some teachers are skilled at planning work that meets all pupils’ needs within brisk and lively lessons, generating rapid learning. Some other lessons are too long and the pace slows, with tasks that do not always challenge all ability groups. Marking and targets are not sufficiently focused on helping pupils to improve their work swiftly.

p.4

Key findings

 Pupils behave well and take care of each other. Their good behaviour is maintained even during extended periods of listening to their teachers. Pupils carry out their pastoral duties conscientiously but have fewer opportunities to organise or take responsibility for their learning.

p.4

Key findings

 Leadership and management are satisfactory. Plans for improving performance appropriately reflect the school’s needs. Leaders monitor teaching and learning regularly but their evaluation of the impact of the necessary improvements they identify is not embedded. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress are not monitored rigorously enough to ensure they are accurate. Good engagement with parents and carers supports pupils’ learning and well-being. 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

p.4

Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement in English and especially in mathematics, by ensuring that:  pupils swiftly move on to new learning once they have mastered skills  teachers’ comments in marking show pupils clearly how to improve their work, and comments in books from both teachers and pupils are followed up  pupils have more opportunities to apply their key skills such as writing and numeracy throughout the curriculum, including extended writing tasks  pupils are provided with more opportunities and encouragement to take responsibility for their own learning.

p.5

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, particularly the monitoring of teaching and learning, by:  consistently evaluating how well all teachers plan for and meet the needs of all groups of pupils  ensuring that assessment at the end of Key Stage 1 and further up the school is rigorous and accurate.

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Children make good progress in the nursery and reception classes because they have good opportunities to initiate their own learning through well-planned activities. This enables them to consolidate and develop the skills they acquire during adult-led sessions across all areas of learning. Throughout Key Stage 1 pupils develop good phonological skills (recognising the sounds that letters make), enabling the majority of them to become confident and expressive readers. Standards in reading are above average throughout the school. Although published data indicate that standards in writing and mathematics are above average at the end of Key Stage 1, the inspectors, working alongside the headteacher, found some inaccuracies in the assessments of pupils’ National Curriculum levels. Pupils now in Year 6 have made satisfactory progress in writing during their time in the school. Throughout Key Stage 2 pupils systematically learn the writing skills they need. However, there are few

p.5

Achievement of pupils

examples of them using these skills in extended writing, either in English lessons or across the curriculum, and so pupils miss opportunities to consolidate and extend their learning

p.5

Achievement of pupils

Where teachers are skilled in identifying when pupils have mastered their learning 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

p.5

Achievement of pupils

and providing more challenge, progress in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills is rapid and pupils are eager to learn more. In one lesson, for example, there was a wide range of practical tasks. The teacher’s skilful checking of pupils’ understanding and their eagerness to share the teacher’s excitement in their learning ensured their skills in multiplying two- and three-digit numbers by 10 developed rapidly. The teacher saw this, and challenged the most confident pupils to divide by ten instead. However, many pupils repeat already mastered skills and their learning slows. This is especially evident in mathematics and applies to pupils of all abilities, not just the most able. In several lessons observed, a few pupils did not make enough progress because the work was not sufficiently matched to their needs.

p.6

Achievement of pupils

The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Pupils with the greatest educational needs generally make better progress than others who have less support. All pupils know when they have achieved the objectives of each lesson and often evaluate their learning. Almost all parents and carers are positive about their children’s progress, although a very small minority rightly express concerns about their children’s progress in mathematics.

p.6

Quality of teaching

The majority of parents and carers who returned questionnaires were very positive about the quality of the teaching, and indicated that their children enjoy the interesting lessons. The pupils also say they enjoy their lessons, although they sometimes find their work too easy. This lack of challenge in some lessons is a key reason why inspectors judged teaching to be satisfactory rather than good.

p.6

Quality of teaching

A strength of the teaching across the school is the consistency with which pupils’ moral and social skills are promoted. In each lesson observed during the inspection, teachers respected their pupils’ views, delighted in their successes and made sure that all were fully included in the lesson. In most lessons, including those where pupils of similar abilities work together, teachers plan different work for the range of abilities in their classes, although this does not always meet the specific needs of some pupils. Teachers generally display good subject knowledge across the curriculum. However, in a humanities lesson observed there was no planning for different abilities or any opportunity for pupils to pursue their own line of enquiry. Teachers provide pupils with an interesting range of topics and some aspects of the curriculum, such as music and art, help to promote pupils’ spiritual and cultural

p.6

Quality of teaching

development. The good quality of singing by the choir is a testament to this.

p.6

Quality of teaching

Teachers and teaching assistants question pupils effectively. Pupils are expected to write neatly and to finish their work. In the best lessons, teachers encourage pupils to make decisions and to bounce ideas off each other to achieve their tasks. In such lessons, teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ abilities. In a lesson in Year 3, for example, the teacher used a comprehensive list of criteria for the use of language as pupils wrote instructions on how to complete a task of their choice, ranging from powerful adjectives to time connectives. She made sure that pupils had the knowledge they needed by briskly completing an example with them. In a few 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

p.6

Quality of teaching

other lessons, however, pupils spend the majority of the time listening to their teacher. This not only challenges their powers of concentration but also limits the time available for them to work independently. Some English and mathematics lessons are too long, lasting 75 minutes. The pace slows to fit the available time in some lessons.

p.7

Quality of teaching

Teachers mark pupils’ work conscientiously, often praising their achievements and suggesting how the work could have been better. However, teachers’ marking and pupils’ targets are not sufficiently focused on helping them rapidly acquire the next steps in learning. Written comments by the teachers are often not responded to, and pupils’ comments are not always followed up.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour is consistently good across the school and there have been very few incidents of bullying of any kind in recent years. Pupils, parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the consistently good behaviour in school. The robust systems for promoting good behaviour are applied consistently well so pupils have a strong personal commitment to ensuring they behave well. As a result, pupils feel safe and know that adults will listen to any concerns. Almost all pupils enjoy school. They are punctual and attendance has been above average for this academic year. Pupils of different abilities and ages get on noticeably well with each other. During the reading club at lunchtime, for example, a boy was listening to a younger girl read. He was enjoying the story and wrote a comment in her reading record book.

p.7

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Adults ensure pupils know how to keep themselves safe. During the inspection there was a focus on technology safety and pupils demonstrated in lessons that they were very clear about the right choices when using the telephone or internet. They have good attitudes to work and enjoy pleasing their teachers. However, in many classes they rarely take responsibility for their learning, either by deciding what they would like to learn about or what they need to do to improve their work. This means that they generally work to please their teachers rather than to fulfil their own ambitions.

p.7

Leadership and management

The governing body, leaders and managers have ensured that the transition to full primary status was smooth. They ensure that all procedures for ensuring pupils’ safety meet government requirements. The members of the governing body are knowledgeable about all aspect of the school’s work and the acting headteacher has appreciated their support and advice during her leadership. Teaching is monitored regularly by leaders and the governing body. This informs professional development, but it has not been sufficiently linked to the impact on pupils’ learning, and weaknesses in assessing standards through the school have led to an overgenerous picture of pupils’ progress in English and mathematics through Key Stages 1 and 2.

p.7

Leadership and management

Equality of opportunity is satisfactory. Discrimination is tackled successfully, but some pupils are not sufficiently challenged or find their work too difficult in lessons. 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

p.7

Leadership and management

The school’s broad curriculum includes a good range of additional clubs and activities, visits and visitors. The school provides residential visits to extend the experiences of the older pupils. The planning for subjects other than English and mathematics is through a range of topics and themes. Pupils enjoy these and they acquire new knowledge. However, there is no overview of the key skills pupils are expected to acquire in these subjects to make sure there is clear progression from year to year. While provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good, it is satisfactory for their spiritual and cultural development. There are strengths in music and art but few opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of the diversity of British or world societies or cultures beyond their humanity studies.

p.8

Leadership and management

The overwhelming majority of parents and carers are pleased with all aspects of the school’s work, especially the way they are kept informed. Their strong engagement is much appreciated and has enabled them to contribute more fully to both school life and their children’s learning. The regular invitations to join their children for lunch are very popular. The good induction systems for children joining the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure they feel secure and confident in school. There is good communication with families, although arrangements for access to children’s records of achievement are more limited and home achievements are not included in them.

p.8

Leadership and management

The school has a satisfactory capacity to improve. Changes in the inspection framework and the nature of the school, which now has pupils up to the end of Key Stage 2, make direct comparisons with the last inspection grades unhelpful. The school has successfully integrated the older pupils while maintaining a strong caring ethos. The systems for monitoring teaching are now well established and subject leaders discuss pupils’ learning with them at the end of lessons. However, the impact of the monitoring on pupils’ learning is not yet sufficiently evaluated and some weaknesses in mathematics identified previously have still not been fully addressed.

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

p.9

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.10

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.11

Inspection of Oulton Broad Primary School, Lowestoft, NR32 3JX

Thank you all for your friendliness and help when we visited your school recently. We all enjoyed talking to you and hearing your views, including those you expressed through questionnaires. You told us you enjoy school and are well cared for. We agree with you that behaviour is good. You are polite, friendly and always ready to help each other. Well done. We enjoyed visiting your happy and attractive school.

p.11

Inspection of Oulton Broad Primary School, Lowestoft, NR32 3JX

Your school provides a satisfactory education for you. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have a good start to school because they have lots of opportunities to learn for themselves. Sometimes the rest of you make excellent progress in your lessons. This is when you work quickly and in a range of different ways. In these lessons, the teachers plan work that meets all your needs and gives you plenty of challenge. Most of you in Year 6 are working at levels similar to your peers in other schools and have made satisfactory progress through the school. Your work in English is better than that in mathematics. We have asked your teachers to do some things to make sure all of you make the best possible progress.

p.11

Inspection of Oulton Broad Primary School, Lowestoft, NR32 3JX

We have asked teachers to give you more challenging work as soon as you have mastered a skill. This will help those of you who told us that sometimes your work is too easy. We want teachers to make sure that you respond to their comments in your books and that they respond to yours. You will need to help them do this. We would also like them to provide you with more opportunities for you to practise your literacy and numeracy skills much more across the curriculum, so that you sharpen them up. We have asked those people in charge to make sure all teachers plan work that meets your individual needs, and that they have an accurate picture of just what you can all do.

p.11

Inspection of Oulton Broad Primary School, Lowestoft, NR32 3JX

We wish you all the very best for the future.

p.11

Inspection of Oulton Broad Primary School, Lowestoft, NR32 3JX

Judith Dawson 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 .

p.11