Wookey Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 March 2012 Inspection number 380710 Wookey Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 123669 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 380710 Inspection dates 20–21 March 2012 Lead inspector Paul Sadler

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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 96 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Henry Headteacher Clive Rockell Date of previous school inspection 13 May 2009 School address Wells Road Wookey Wells BA5 1LQ Telephone number 01749 673650 Fax number 01749 670186 Email address office@wookey.somerset.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. The inspector spent over four hours observing seven lessons taught by four teachers, and making several shorter observations of pupils learning their letters and sounds (phonics). Meetings were held with staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and a group of pupils. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation relating to pupils’ achievement, school development planning and keeping pupils safe. The responses to questionnaires completed by pupils, staff and by 60 parents and carers were analysed.

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Information about the school

The school is much smaller than the average sized primary school and serves a village and surrounding area. Almost all pupils are of White British ethnicity. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average but has risen since hot meals were reintroduced in 2011. The proportions of disabled pupils and of those with special educational needs are below average. Many of these pupils have more profound needs relating to physical disabilities or to disorders on the autistic spectrum. In 2011 the school did not meet the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

Since September 2011 an increase in pupil numbers has enabled pupils to be taught in four classes, including a separate class for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is a pre-school on the site. This is not managed by the governing body and was not part of this inspection. The headteacher joined the school in September 2009, shortly after the previous inspection.

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. Pupils’ achievement in reading and their behaviour are strengths. Pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics, and the quality of teaching, are satisfactory, hence the judgement that the school is satisfactory rather than good. The school’s performance dipped sharply following the previous inspection but the inspection found that this decline has been addressed and that these aspects are improving strongly due to good leadership and management.  Pupils’ achievement in reading is good, as most are making good progress in this area. Achievement in mathematics and writing is satisfactory and improving strongly as most pupils are now making at least the expected, and often better progress in these subjects. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well, as do children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Teaching is satisfactory. None is inadequate and some aspects, such as the

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Key findings

teaching of reading, are strengths. In the teaching of mathematics, and to a lesser extent writing, insufficient attention is given to the range of needs and attainment within the mixed-age classes. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are taught well, as both teachers and their assistants are effective in helping these pupils to learn well. However, this support is sometimes less successful in supporting larger groups of pupils.  Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to learning. There is little bullying and pupils say that any that occurs is dealt with effectively by adults.  Leadership and management are good as pupils’ achievement and teaching are improving strongly from a low base in 2009. Self-evaluation is accurate and the school leaders are rightly taking highly effective action to further improve teaching and achievement in mathematics and writing. The governing body

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Key findings

challenges and supports school leaders well and meets its duties, such as keeping pupils safe.

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Key findings

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

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics and writing by ensuring that:  the planning of the mathematics curriculum and the resources used enable all pupils to make good progress in the subject  the resources used to support pupils’ writing, for example in structuring what they write, always help them to produce work of good quality.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from satisfactory to good by:  identifying pupils’ individual areas of weakness at an early stage and supporting them to improve  providing training for teaching assistants to enable them to support larger groups and whole classes more effectively.

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Achievement of pupils

Children’s skills and knowledge on starting school are in line with those usually found. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, by the end of which their attainment is above that expected. Children were observed counting up to 12 coins in pairs, developing an early understanding of multiplication. Others were pouring water onto a tile placed on two piles of bricks. ‘We are testing our house to see if it is waterproof’, they said, showing good communication skills and knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Achievement of pupils

In Years 1 and 2 pupils make good progress in reading and by the end of Year 2 their attainment is above average. Most pupils in Year 2 can read a new text with fluency and understanding. In writing and mathematics progress is satisfactory and attainment is broadly average. Pupils in the current Year 6 are attaining well in English and at the expected level in mathematics. Pupils’ reading aloud in class is often of a high standard, as when those in Year 3 read the ‘raps’ they had written with good expression and rhythm. Similar observations and the school’s assessments show that all pupils in the attainment of current pupils, including those in Year 6, is above average, representing good achievement in this area from their starting points. In writing, progress in Years 3 to 6 is somewhat slower than in reading. This is because small but important weaknesses, such as difficulties in identifying where

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Achievement of pupils

sentences begin and end, are not identified and dealt with quickly enough.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment and progress in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 have been below what is expected. Action taken has led to marked improvement, and the school’s records show that current Year 6 pupils are attaining at least at expected levels. However, a few are confused about, for example, aspects of multiplication and of how to apply their mathematical knowledge to solving problems. Parents and carers are generally content with their children’s progress and those whose children are disabled or have special educational needs are, rightly, especially pleased with their good progress. There is no discernible difference in the achievement of other groups of pupils, such as those known to be eligible for free school meals. All pupils show a good understanding for their age of matters such as the variety of faiths and cultures in the world, and of the need to care for the environment, reflecting their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching has some significant strengths. Techniques such as encouraging pupils to read or speak aloud, and the use of questions directed at specific pupils or groups are used well to encourage good progress among pupils of all ages and abilities in the class. Teachers are effective in helping pupils to work independently and collaboratively, as when pupils in Years 1 and 2 learned the basics of writing a report, grouping the facts they had discovered about polar bears into suitable sections. Homework is used well, a point with which most pupils and their parents and carers agree. Teaching assistants generally provide effective support, especially to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. However, when working with larger groups they are sometimes too ready to give answers, especially when the work is mathematical in nature.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers have recognised that weaknesses such as slow progress in developing problem-solving skills exist, especially in the teaching of mathematics, and effective action has been taken leading to improvement. For example, there is significant good teaching, such as in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and none is inadequate. Parents and carers are satisfied with the quality of the teaching. In mathematics, teachers have rightly investigated the use of a wider range of resources; however, some of those in use are confusing to pupils as what they are required to do is not clear. On occasions teaching is not moved on quickly enough to challenge older and more able pupils in the class. In the case of writing, pupils have stimulating tasks but younger or less able pupils in the class are sometimes given insufficient help to structure their writing and hence make the best possible progress. While assessment

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Quality of teaching

and marking are used well to identify pupils’ current attainment and to set broad targets for improvement, they sometimes lack the precision necessary to identify and tackle small weaknesses, which would enable pupils to make more rapid progress. This level of precision is, however, present in the teaching of reading, especially when pupils learn their letters and sounds (phonics), and has led to good progress in this aspect of pupils’ learning.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils behave well, both in lessons and around the school. They show respect for each other and for adults. The social development of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is enhanced by their many opportunities to learn and play together. The way older pupils support younger ones in the playground is a positive feature of their behaviour, and so is the help they give disabled pupils. Both these examples reflect their good moral and social development. In lessons pupils collaborate well, listening to one another’s contributions and making constructive comments. This feature was a particular strength when pupils in Years 3 and 4 were working in pairs to write a ‘rap’. On rare occasions, pupils lose interest in their work, especially when they find they are confused by what they are asked to do.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that any bullying is restricted to occasional name-calling. They say they can approach adults, who are effective in resolving such issues. They have a good understanding of other types of bullying and of how it might arise. In particular, they are very aware of the dangers of cyber-bullying and have a good understanding of how to use the internet safely. They also receive good instruction on safety when, for example, cycling or pursuing watersports. Pupils and their parents and carers rightly have a high level of confidence in the way the school promotes good behaviour and keeps pupils safe. The school’s records show that behaviour has been consistently good over a significant period of time. Pupils’ attendance is average and improving rapidly due to effective work with parents and carers that has ensured that previously high levels of persistent absence have been eradicated.

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Leadership and management

When the current headteacher arrived attainment at the end of Year 6 in both English and mathematics was low. Attainment and pupils’ progress have improved well since that time and are improving further in 2012. Lower attainment in 2011 was attributable to the small number of pupils involved, several of whom were new to the school. The introduction of a more rigorous approach to the teaching of reading has led to rapid improvements in achievement in this area. There have also been significant improvements in the teaching of writing and mathematics, with all pupils now making at least satisfactory progress. In the case of mathematics, identifying the most appropriate resources and planning a curriculum that meets the needs of all has proved a particular challenge. Nevertheless, there is a determination among all staff to succeed, and monitoring and evaluation of the subject rightly have a high priority and have led to improvement. In all other respects, the curriculum is

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Leadership and management

good. Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to learn, in and out of school, for example through clubs and residential activities, which also reflect the good provision is made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Leadership and management

Relationships are good throughout the school. All staff, the governing body, parents, carers and pupils share a common objective for the school to succeed. They rightly believe that there is a good pace of improvement in teaching and pupils’ achievement. Staff performance is managed well and, in the main, the development needs of staff are met. The areas identified for improvement at the previous inspection have been successfully tackled. This, together with improvements in achievement, shows the school’s capacity for further improvement. No group of pupils demonstrates less than satisfactory overall achievement, and the good progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs shows the school leaders’ and staff’s commitment to equality of opportunity and intolerance of discrimination. The school leadership and the governing body meet requirements for safeguarding pupils, for example by ensuring that all adults working with children are

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Leadership and management

rigorously checked, and that the site is fully secure.

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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 Wookey Primary School, Wells BA5 1LQ

Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school recently. I especially enjoyed talking with you, seeing your work and hearing your views.

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Inspection of Wookey Primary School, Wells BA5 1LQ

Yours is a satisfactory school. The most important things about it are:

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Inspection of Wookey Primary School, Wells BA5 1LQ

 You make good progress in your reading and satisfactory progress in your writing and mathematics.  Children in the Reception class make good progress because of good teaching.  In key Stages 1 and 2 teaching is satisfactory and improving. Teachers are good at helping you learn on your own or in groups, and they use questions well.  Those of you who find some of the learning difficult make good progress, partly because of the good ways in which the teaching assistants help you learn.  I agree with you and your parents and carers that you behave well and that there is very little bullying at school. You told me that the adults help you to sort out any problems.  You also told me that you enjoy the many activities such as sports, camps and clubs.  The school is well led because it is improving and everyone keeps you all safe.

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Inspection of Wookey Primary School, Wells BA5 1LQ

To make the school even better I have asked your headteacher and teachers to:

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Inspection of Wookey Primary School, Wells BA5 1LQ

 Improve the resources you use to help you learn, especially in mathematics.  Make sure that you get help to improve anything that is slowing your learning down, such as confusing worksheets. You should ask for help if you find something difficult.  Give the teaching assistants more training in helping the whole class, or large groups of you, to learn quickly.

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Inspection of Wookey Primary School, Wells BA5 1LQ

Paul Sadler 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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