Wormley CofE Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 28–29 September 2011 Inspection number 379412 Wormley Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 117400 Local Authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 379412 Inspection dates 28–29 September 2011 Reporting inspector Duncan Ramsey

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 380 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karen Trew Headteacher Christine Hall Date of previous school inspection 2 February 2009 School address Cozens Lane East Wormley Broxbourne EN10 6QA Telephone number 01992 303331 Fax number 01992 303332 Email address admin@wormley.herts.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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Twenty one lessons were observed taught by 13 teachers. Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, members of the governing body and two groups of pupils. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at the relevant documentation including that on pupils’ attainment, progress and attendance, evidence of the school’s monitoring and lesson plans. Inspectors considered 127 responses to the parental questionnaires issued during the inspection. They also analysed questionnaires completed by pupils in Key Stage 2 and members of staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 What is attainment on entry to the school and what is the level of progress children make within the Early Years Foundation Stage?  What has caused the recent improvements in results at Key Stages 1 and 2?  Are more able pupils making sufficient progress?  How effective is the curriculum in engaging pupils and in helping all groups make at least good progress?

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Information about the school

Wormley Primary is larger than most other schools of its type. Most pupils come from White British families. The proportion from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average. Only a few speak English as an additional language. A small proportion of pupils come from a Traveller heritage. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those pupils with a statement of special educational needs is average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for a free school meal is above average and has increased since the last inspection. A high proportion of pupils join or leave the school between Years 3 and 6. There is a new deputy headteacher. The school has gained Healthy Schools status, the International Schools Award and the Eco Mark. 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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Main findings

This is a good school which has made significant improvements in the last two years. The headteacher has created an ethos of high expectations and has ensured that all staff are working hard towards achieving challenging targets. She leads by strong example and has developed an effective team. The appointment of a new deputy has strengthened the school’s capacity to continue making improvements. The school has several strengths. Pupils say that they feel exceptionally safe at all times, as one pupil said, ‘Our teachers really care about us’. The school is a model of best practice, where everyone feels safe and secure. The quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding. This is because there are particularly good systems in place to ensure pupils are supported exceptionally well in their personal development and well-being. The implementation of these support programmes has played an important part in

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Main findings

the recent school improvements. Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles extremely well and say physical education lessons are fun and exciting. The school has a welcoming atmosphere and is developing its partnerships with parents and carers successfully.

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Main findings

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and respectful. They show concern for others and are proud of their efforts to raise money for charity. They have concern for the local community which is evidenced in their enthusiasm for the partnership with a local retirement home and their desire to keep the local area clean from litter. Spiritual development is good as a result of the well-planned programme for acts of collective worship and the partnerships with two local churches. There is an excellent programme to help pupils learn about a wide range of religions but the school has not yet fully implemented plans to help them develop their knowledge of the United Kingdom as a multicultural society.

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Main findings

Pupils achieve well academically, so that by the time they leave the school in Year 6 attainment is average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start to school life and then continue to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout Key Stage 1.

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Main findings

The vast majority of teaching is good, resulting in good learning and progress for all groups of pupils. Lessons are delivered with enthusiasm and pupils are motivated and excited to learn. Relationships between teachers and pupils are strong and ensure all classrooms are positive places where pupils feel confident to ask questions and make progress in their learning. Sometimes the planning of lessons, does not 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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Main findings

provide enough challenge for the more-able pupils, to help them reach higher levels by the end of Year 6.

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Main findings

Attendance is good and has improved recently. Significant efforts are made to engage with pupils from all communities and the school’s efforts to help Traveller families feel welcome are particularly effective. The behaviour of pupils is good. They work well in class and act sensibly at break time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the range of learning opportunities for the more-able pupils so that more of them reach the higher levels in English by the time they leave school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency and robustness of assessments in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that they can be used more accurately to support teaching and learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Fully implement the action plans that have been prepared for all year groups to help further improve the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the United Kingdom as a multicultural society.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Throughout the school, pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well. Work in lessons and books shows that most pupils are making good progress. The school has correctly identified that the progress and attainment of more-able pupils in English is an area for development. Pupils respond well in classes and a very high proportion reach the expected level in both English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. This prepares them well for work in secondary school. The progress of pupils who join school late is also good because there are well-thought out systems in place to help them settle into their new school. Pupils work well on their own and in groups and enjoy a wide range of activities. For example in one Year 1 lesson, pupils were excited about investigating shapes, by using a magnifying glass displayed on an interactive whiteboard. Creative teaching like this is widespread and ensures most pupils are highly motivated towards learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress and are supported well by learning assistants. In most lessons, tasks are matched well to their individual needs. Effective additional well-targeted support is provided to assist learning and, combined with good leadership in this area, means that these pupils make better than expected progress. Additional adults are effective at explaining new concepts to pupils so that they fully understand what is expected of them. The progress of Traveller pupils is also good because they are fully integrated into school life. 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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe. The programme for developing pupils’ awareness of the internet is of a very good quality and they talk confidently of how to avoid dangerous situations. Pupils are very positive about developing healthy lifestyles and they greatly appreciate all the sporting activities that the school offers. Year 6 pupils are particularly pleased to be able to take part in the sport of fencing. Older pupils take on responsibilities such as helping in assembly and acting as play supervisors during the lunch break. Pupils make a good contribution to the local community. The school council plays an active role in school life and pupils enthusiastically raise funds for a variety of charities through enterprises such as the school fete and the Christmas bazaar.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Attendance is above average because of the effective systems that the school has put into place, which includes phone calls on the first day of unexplained absence. Lessons are started promptly and pupils enter school in a quiet and purposeful manner. Pupils are prepared well for secondary school and future life as they develop their basic skills appropriately. Pupils have good personal qualities, including enterprise capabilities which are developed through mini-businesses and planning their own class budgets.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 1 Pupils’ behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1 The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils are highly motivated and engage enthusiastically in lessons because they are

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low 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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How effective is the provision?

delivered in an interesting way. The quality of relationships in class is excellent. Teachers often demonstrate good subject knowledge and provide clear explanations to the pupils. In one lesson, a video clip was used effectively to support pupils thinking about three-dimensional shapes. Pupils respond well to the tasks given to them and this results in highly motivated and engaged learners. However, lessons do not always provide enough challenge for the more-able pupils, so too few reach the higher Level 5, particularly in English. Where lessons are strong this is because there is good pace, inspiring teaching and a close match between the work set and the pupils’ ability. For example, in one class a Year 5 pupil exclaimed ‘Wow, I can!’ when a teacher helped her understand how she could extend her writing with more complex words. Where teaching is not as strong this is because activities are not sufficiently matched well to different abilities so progress is slower for some pupils.

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How effective is the provision?

Planning throughout the school is generally good but it varies from outstanding to satisfactory. In the best cases, planning identifies the learning objective within lessons as well as identifying the specific roles of the teacher and teaching assistants. Although the school’s marking policy is implemented fully and the work is marked regularly with useful comments so that pupils understand the next steps in their learning, this is not consistently applied.

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How effective is the provision?

The new curriculum has been thoughtfully planned with the pupils’ interests at the heart of its development. Each year, pupils are consulted on the broad curriculum content. Teachers use the ideas provided to help them plan activities that are interesting and relevant to the pupils. This approach has created a curriculum that motivates and ignites pupils’ imagination. One example is the way in which Year 5 pupils were delighted by the idea of writing gruesome recipes, and produced highly imaginative ideas for ingredients. In discussions, pupils said they greatly appreciated the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. The older pupils spoke in glowing terms of their residential trip. One pupil said ‘It was one of the best experiences of my life’. The extra-curricular provision stretches from the Nursery to Year 6.

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How effective is the provision?

The school provides outstanding pastoral care. All staff are fully committed to ensuring that the school is highly inclusive. The school effectively identifies pupils who could be in danger of underachieving and have in place an excellent programme to support pupils so that they can reach national expectations by the end of Year 6. This has been effective in accelerating progress for these pupils in their reading, writing and mathematical skills. A range of additional support systems are in place to help pupils. An excellent example is the counselling service for those pupils who have behavioural difficulties that affect their learning. This service provides effective support for those pupils who are potentially vulnerable and ensures that they can take part fully in classes. These pupils make good progress. In addition there are a variety of classes to support parents and carers to help them to become more

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How effective is the provision?

involved in school life and to give them greater confidence in supporting their children educationally and emotionally. The breakfast club and after school club are managed well providing a range of stimulating activities for 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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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher has led the school successfully through a period of change so that standards have risen significantly for all pupils. Other school leaders are strong, as is the governing body. All leaders share a clear vision for the school with high expectations. There is a clear agenda for school improvement towards high targets. The school’s improvement plan which is produced termly identifies a range of actions which are planned well to make the school better. Challenging targets are set for each year group and leaders work hard to make sure these are met. Leadership is particularly good at supporting the development of teaching and learning by providing advice and support to teachers. This is one of the reasons the school has moved forward so much in the last two years.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The quality of the school’s self-evaluation is good. Data is collected and analysed in order to identify how well pupils are doing. Detailed monitoring of all groups of pupils takes place with the information being used to plan a range of support programmes for those who are falling behind. This information is also used well to set challenging targets for improvement. The governing body has a high profile within the school and the links between members of the governing body and key school roles, such as health and safety, have been successfully developed. They have made a range of excellent appointments and worked hard to create a school ethos of high expectations for all.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school is very successful at engaging with parents and carers, and works hard to value the different communities attending school. Provision put in place to support the development of community cohesion is mixed. Pupils know their local community well and have opportunities to find out about life abroad, but their knowledge of the United Kingdom as a multicultural society is limited. The school has developed good partnerships to promote learning and treats all pupils and groups of pupils equally. Procedures to safeguard pupils are exemplary and this means the school is a very safe place for pupils to attend. The school has very good systems in place to ensure all appointments are made safely, and pupils’ opinions are actively sort. For example, pupils are involved in the development and writing of school risk assessments, which inform the high quality assurance and risks assessment systems. All staff have a

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How effective are leadership and management?

clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in this area and senior leaders 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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How effective are leadership and management?

are highly skilled at dealing with issues relating to safeguarding.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children join the school with varying ability levels but overall their skills and knowledge are below those expected for their age. They make good progress and by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, they reach average levels of attainment. This is an improvement on previous years. The development of their personal skills is particularly well supported by the setting. For example, Nursery pupils appreciate the responsibility they are given to take the register and feel proud that they can do it well. Teaching and learning are characterised by good relationships between staff and children. There is a good ratio of adults to children which means the children get lots of individual attention. Children support each other well. They take turns and are learning to play well together. The children take pride in tidying up their environment and keeping it safe.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed. This has contributed to the recent improvements, such as the planning which is effective at responding to the needs of children. Staff, particularly in the Reception class take every opportunity to assess and inform their practice using evidence from observations of children to decide what they do in their next activity. The consistency and robustness of assessments could be developed further in order to fully inform the learning taking place so that leaders can have a better understanding of the progress children are making. Children quickly develop positive attitudes to learning. This is partly as a result of good links between the Early Years Foundation Stage and parents and carers. Welfare arrangements for children are fully in place so that they are looked after in a safe, caring environment. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Around 33% of parents and carers returned the inspection questionnaire. The majority are extremely positive about all aspects of the school. A small proportion of responses raised a concern about how effectively the school deals with unacceptable behaviour. This concern was investigated by inspectors who found pupils’ behaviour to be good during lessons and at break times. 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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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Wormley Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 127 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 380 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 65 51 61 48 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 76 60 47 37 1 1 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school informs me about my child’s progress 61 48 57 45 6 5 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

My child is making enough progress at this school 59 46 60 47 7 6 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The teaching is good at this school 61 48 60 47 2 2 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school helps me to support my child’s learning 59 46 57 45 7 6 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 58 46 65 51 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 40 31 71 56 1 1 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 51 40 66 52 7 6 1 1 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 47 37 56 44 8 6 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 38 30 74 58 2 2 2 2

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 46 36 71 56 2 2 3 2

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 64 50 58 46 3 2 2 2

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.  The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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

Inspection of Wormley Primary School , Broxbourne EN10 6QA

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

Thank you for making is welcome when we visited your school. We were impressed with your good behaviour and polite manners. After spending time finding out about your school, here is what we found.

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

 You have a good school where pupils make good progress in all areas of learning.  The leaders in your school have helped improve the school in the last two years.  The school provides a very safe environment for you all.  You have a good understanding of what it means to live a healthy lifestyle and you enjoy your physical education lessons a lot.  All the adults in school care for you and they give you good guidance about how to get better.

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

In order for the school to keep improving we have asked the teachers to think about providing more challenging work for those who find school work quite easy, and to help you all learn more about this country as a multicultural society. We have asked some of your teachers in the Early Years Foundation Stage to further develop the way they assess pupils so that they can be helped to make even better progress.

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

Duncan Ramsey 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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