Gatten and Lake Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 6–7 February 2012 Inspection number 379552 Gatten and Lake Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 118158 Local authority Isle Of Wight Inspection number 379552 Inspection dates 6–7 February 2012 Lead inspector David Curtis

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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 171 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Colin Blyth Headteacher Margaret Henshaw (Acting) Date of previous school inspection 6–7 July 2009 School address Howard Road Shanklin Isle of Wight PO37 6HD Telephone number 01983 862763 Fax number 01983 868864 Email address admin@gattenlakepri.iow.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. Inspectors observed 15 lessons taught by seven teachers. Meetings were held with the senior leadership team, members of the governing body, the school council, and parents and carers. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at data showing pupils’ progress, policies relating to child protection and safeguarding children, and the governing body minutes. The inspectors looked at 63 questionnaires returned by parents and carers, together with those completed by staff and pupils in Years 3 to 6.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller than average primary school, with pupils taught in seven single-age classes. Following reorganisation by the local authority, the school is now an all- through primary school and, as a result, the current Year 6 pupils are the first such group in the school. Data on current floor targets are therefore not available. Most pupils are White British. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, most of whom have moderate learning difficulties, is average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above the national average. The number of pupils who join or leave the school at other than the normal times is higher than in most schools. There is a privately managed pre- school and an after-school club that are run on the school site and these are subject to a separate inspection, not inspected at this time.

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Information about the school

Since the previous inspection, there has been instability in the leadership and management of the school. The acting headteacher joined the school in October 2011 as a consultant headteacher and became acting headteacher in November 2011, when the then acting headteacher went on maternity leave. Following the resignation of the substantive headteacher on 31 December 2011, the governing body has started the recruitment process to appoint a new substantive headteacher. The school is due to move into a brand new building in Autumn 2012. 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

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement.

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Key findings

 Achievement is inadequate because pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 do not make sufficient progress, particularly in writing and mathematics. Standards of spelling, punctuation and grammar are low. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, and Years 1, 2 and 6, achievement is satisfactory but overall pupils do not make sufficient progress during their time at the school.

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Key findings

 Significant weaknesses, including in lesson planning, and the marking and assessment of pupils’ work in Years 3, 4 and 5, contribute to teaching that is inadequate overall. In these year groups, teachers’ expectations are not high enough and pupils are not given sufficient guidance about how they can improve their work.

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Key findings

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, there are strengths in the teaching of letters and sounds (phonics). One parent of a child in Reception wrote, ‘They are challenging him very well through the reading scheme and sounds sheets, and cards sent home, and, as a result, he is making great progress.’

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Key findings

 The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate. Pupils have well-founded concerns that staff are inconsistent in the way in which the school’s behaviour policy is implemented. In most lessons, behaviour is good, although inspectors observed examples of low-level disruption and this has a negative impact on pupils’ learning.

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Key findings

 Since the previous inspection, when the school was judged to be good, senior leaders and the governing body have not ensured a trend of sustained 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

improvement in pupils’ achievement. There has been a lack of rigour in monitoring the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning, especially in those year groups where achievement is inadequate.

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Key findings

 The acting headteacher has secured improvements to procedures for safeguarding children and child protection by making sure that all policies are up to date. In the short time she has been in the school she has evaluated provision and has a broadly accurate view of the weaknesses in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement, especially in Years 3, 4 and 5, by:  improving pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation  improving pupils’ handwriting and presentation of work  improving pupils’ ability to read and understand word problems in mathematics and their application of skills to solve these.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, especially in Years 3, 4 and 5, by:  strengthening the quality of teachers’ marking so that pupils understand how they can improve their learning  strengthening pupils’ understanding of their individual targets for literacy and numeracy  making it clear what pupils are expected to achieve by the end of lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils are confident that behaviour is dealt with consistently and fairly by all staff.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers by ensuring that leaders and the governing body monitor pupils’ performance and the quality of teaching rigorously.

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Achievement of pupils

Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 have been broadly average for the last three years. Inspection evidence, supported by school data, indicates that current attainment in reading remains broadly average, including for the school’s first Year 6 group. Pupils in Year 6 are now on track to make satisfactory progress from their starting points in Year 2, to attain broadly expected levels in English and mathematics. Inspection evidence does not support the perception of most parents and carers that their children make good progress.

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Achievement of pupils

There is significant variation in pupils’ learning in lessons across year groups. In Years 3, 4 and 5 in particular, pupils take insufficient care and pride in their work, with particular weaknesses in spelling, grammar and punctuation. More-able 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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Achievement of pupils

still use capital letters randomly in their writing. In mathematics, too many pupils in Year 4 were observed struggling to understand whether simple mathematical problems required the use of addition or subtraction to solve them. On occasions, pupils cannot sustain concentration, especially when working independently. In these year groups, all groups make insufficient progress, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. The accelerated progress for pupils currently in Year 6 is helping them to make up for previous underachievement.

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Achievement of pupils

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are enthusiastic and particularly enjoy their letters and sounds sessions where they make good progress. In child-initiated activities, they show good concentration, for example in finishing a painting or writing their ‘news’. In Years 1 and 2, all groups show enthusiasm for reading and writing, with boys responding positively to the challenge, for example of being a ‘Level 3 writer’. They sustain concentration well and try hard to meet the targets and expectations set by their teachers. In Year 6, pupils work particularly effectively in groups, with good examples of them listening to and valuing the contribution of each other in discussion. All pupils, including boys, show enthusiasm for reading and researching information about their favourite authors.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is inadequate and the inspection findings do not support the view expressed by the majority of parents and carers who returned the questionnaire that their children are taught well. In Years 3, 4 and 5 in particular, there are significant weaknesses in teachers’ use of marking and assessment. Although pupils have individual targets, these are seldom referred to in lessons and/or marking. Teachers’ use of ‘two stars and a wish’ when marking work is not consistent, particularly in the ‘wish’, which has little impact on improving pupils’ learning. For example, a ‘wish’ (or target) such as ‘check spellings’, is not specific enough and there is no evidence that comments are followed up by teachers in the next piece of work. Pupils’ errors are compounded by poor marking. For example, one pupil completed a worksheet with 20 multiplication sums by adding them; the work was not marked, with the result

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Quality of teaching

that a key weakness in learning was not addressed. Similarly, in ‘Big Write’ books, too many examples are unmarked. In these year groups, planning is not focused sufficiently on what the different groups should learn by the end of lessons; it is driven by activities and not learning outcomes. Expectations of the presentation of the pupils’ work are not high enough with the result that much is poor.

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Quality of teaching

In comparison to Years 3, 4 and 5, teachers’ planning in Years 1, 2 and 6 is more effective and focuses more closely on what pupils should learn by the end of lessons. In the main part of lessons, good support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs results in good progress for this group. However, across the school, teaching assistants are deployed inconsistently at the start of lessons, with some sitting and watching rather than contributing positively to pupils’ 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

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Quality of teaching

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, there are strengths in the teaching of letters and sounds. Day-to-day assessment of children’s learning is good and contributes to their ‘Learning Journals’, where they and their parents and carers can see the progress they make in all areas of learning across the school year.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching does not ensure that the planned curriculum has a positive impact on all groups of pupils, especially as there are weaknesses in literacy and numeracy in three year groups. Overall, teaching has a satisfactory impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

While pupils say that they feel safe in school a view that is supported by most parents and carers who completed the questionnaire, behaviour and safety are inadequate. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the different forms of bullying, including the dangers of cyberbullying. However, their main concern is that they feel that adults in the school, including lunchtime supervisory staff, are inconsistent in the way they implement the school’s behaviour policy. As a result, pupils see that there is unfairness in the way issues and problems are dealt with. Inspection evidence confirms pupils’ views.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Exclusions are rare and there have been no incidents of racist behaviour since 2008. Attendance is broadly average and most pupils arrive at school on time. Low-level disruption was observed in a few lessons and this linked directly to pupils having no specific guidance about what they should achieve by the end of the lesson. Consequently, concentration wavered and a few pupils found it difficult to stay on task without disrupting others.

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Leadership and management

Leadership and management are inadequate. The school has experienced a period of instability in the leadership and management of the school since the previous inspection and this was the main concern raised by parents and carers in written comments. Inspection findings support these concerns because leaders and the governing body have not, during this time, focused rigorously enough on pupils’ learning and the quality of teaching. The governing body had no planned cycle for reviewing policies relating to safeguarding children and child protection, although these policies are now in place and meet current requirements. Procedures for vetting all adults who come into contact with pupils are robust.

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Leadership and management

During the time she has been in school, the acting headteacher has identified key areas of underperformance. However, there is no clear understanding from other key leaders or the governing body of where the school is underperforming, especially in the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. Consequently, the school does not have the capacity to improve, especially as there is no demonstrable trend of sustained improvement since the previous inspection, when the school was judged to be good. 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

Equality of opportunity is inadequate because too many pupils underachieve and there is no evidence to indicate that weaknesses in their skills are addressed by current provision. The curriculum does not meet the needs of all pupils, especially in ensuring progress in literacy and numeracy skills for three of the seven year groups. The promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is weak because it does not ensure that pupils feel behaviour is dealt with fairly and consistently.

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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 Gatten and Lake Primary School, Shanklin, PO37 6HD

Thank you very much for making your contribution to the inspection through completing questionnaires, reading to us and talking to us in lessons and around the school. We enjoyed meeting you. We have judged that your school requires special measures because too many of you do not make good enough progress in your learning. This means that the school will receive additional support and will have a visit from an inspector, usually each term, to check on how well it is improving. I am pleased to say that these are some of the areas in which the school is successful.

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Inspection of Gatten and Lake Primary School, Shanklin, PO37 6HD

 Those of you in Reception, Years 1, 2 and 6 make satisfactory progress in your learning.  In reading, you achieve as well as most children do nationally.  You, and your parents and carers, say that you feel safe in school.

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Inspection of Gatten and Lake Primary School, Shanklin, PO37 6HD

There are a number of very important things that need to be done to improve your school. These are to make sure that:

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Inspection of Gatten and Lake Primary School, Shanklin, PO37 6HD

 those of you in Years 3, 4 and 5 make much better progress  teaching in Years 3, 4 and 5 helps you to understand how you can improve your learning  all adults are consistent in dealing with behaviour  those who lead your school and the governing body check much more closely on how well you learn and are taught.

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Inspection of Gatten and Lake Primary School, Shanklin, PO37 6HD

All of you can help, especially by making a determined effort to improve your spelling, handwriting and presentation, and by asking teachers how you can improve your learning.

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Inspection of Gatten and Lake Primary School, Shanklin, PO37 6HD

David Curtis 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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