Twineham CofE Primary School

Age group 4−11 Inspection date(s) 3−4 May 2012 Inspection number 395735 Twineham Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 126011 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 395735 Inspection dates 3−4 May 2012 Lead inspector Julie Sackett

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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 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 89 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Annie Hirst Headteacher Vanessa Baber Date of previous school inspection 11 February 2009 School address Church Lane Twineham Haywards Heath RH17 5NR Telephone number 01444 881207 Fax number 01444 881048 Email address office@twineham.w.sussex.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in educatio n 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 observed nine lessons and part lessons taught by five teachers. Discussions were held with senior staff, teachers, members of the governing body, parents and carers and pupils. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation including the school’s improvement plan, policies and records of pupils’ progress and attainment. The inspector considered 47 questionnaires from parents and carers, as well as questionnaires from staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

Twineham Church of England Primary School is much smaller than the average primary school. Pupils are taught in a combination of single and mixed aged classes. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic groups is lower than average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school other than at expected times is above the national average. The school has achieved a range of awards, including Activemark and Enhanced Healthy School status. The school does not meet the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

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

 Twineham is a good school. It is not yet outstanding because occasionally lessons are not sufficiently challenging, especially for more able pupils in mathematics, so that achievement is not outstanding. Assessments of pupils’ progress are regularly completed by teachers but tend to be over-cautious, so do not always accurately reflect pupils’ achievement.  Pupils’ achievement is good. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They continue to make good progress overall as they move through the school so that their attainment by the end of Year 6 is typically above average in English and mathematics. Below average attainment in English in 2011 was an exception to this usual pattern of attainment, with inspection evidence indicating that attainment will return to above average levels in English in 2012. Pupils make slightly slower progress in mathematics than in reading and writing.

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Key findings

 The quality of teaching is good overall and continuing to improve, with some which is outstanding. Teachers know individual pupils very well and ensure that differing needs are met well in most lessons. However, occasionally teachers’ expectations are not sufficiently high and planned tasks provide insufficient challenge for the more able pupils, particularly in mathematics, so that pupils’ progress in this subject is sometimes slower than in reading and writing.  Pupils are polite, courteous and behave outstandingly well. Their positive attitudes to learning are reflected in attendance rates which are consistently above average. The school’s strongly inclusive and nurturing ethos means that pupils valued and exceptionally safe. They demonstrate a very well developed and mature understanding of how each can play a part in ensuring their own safety.  Senior leaders have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and

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Key findings

development needs. Secure procedures are in place to lead and monitor the quality of teaching and the school’s performance. 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement to outstanding by ensuring that lessons consistently meet the needs of all pupils, especially for more able pupils in mathematics.  Increase the rigour and reliability of systems to track pupil progress by ensuring that assessment data are consistently accurate.

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Achievement of pupils

Most parents and carers expressed satisfaction with the progress their children make and inspection findings support the view that pupils achieve well. Good achievement identified at the last inspection has been sustained and all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress overall, regardless of their ability. Small cohorts and variations in pupils’ starting points mean that standards fluctuate slightly each year. For example, whilst attainment by the end of Year 6 is typically above average in English and mathematics, in 2011 standards in reading at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 were slightly below average. Evidence shows that attainment in reading for the current Year 2 and Year 6 pupils is above average.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter school with skills which vary from year to year. For example, sometimes children start Reception with starting points which are in line with expectation, whilst at other times children’s starting points are slightly below expectation. Children make good progress overall, especially in their ability to link sounds and letters and in the development of early writing skills. The school has developed a consistent and systematic approach to the teaching of phonics (how letters and sounds are linked), with close attention paid to individual needs. In a lesson observed in the Reception and Year 1 class, the teacher skilfully responded to differing needs so that more able children were appropriately challenged, while those who needed more help were successfully supported to succeed. As a result of this approach, children rapidly develop the confidence to read and to commit their ideas to paper. For example, one child correctly and confidently wrote his own name and

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Achievement of pupils

drew a picture, happily explaining that it was ‘a letter for Winston the Wolf, because he likes to eat letters and words’.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils of all ages and abilities told the inspector how much they enjoy reading. They are proud of the role they have played in identifying books recently purchased to update the school library. The teaching of reading, including phonics, to support pupils throughout the school means that pupils of all abilities tackle unfamiliar texts with increasing confidence.

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Achievement of pupils

In mathematics, pupils’ past work and progress within lessons illustrates the good progress they make. The school has recently increased the range of practical equipment available and this is already having a positive impact on pupils’ ability to 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

tackle problem-solving tasks and use a range of strategies. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage were able to choose how they were going to solve a series of subtraction problems successfully, with some opting to use practical resources whilst others opted to use the ‘counting on’ method with their fingers. The mathematics curriculum is well balanced and includes regular opportunities for pupils to apply their learning to investigations so that pupils become increasingly confident in the manipulation of basic skills in different contexts. In Year 6, for instance, pupils confidently tackled an investigation into number patterns, successfully identifying a rule to help them to predict a sequence of numbers. However, whilst pupils make good progress overall in mathematics, their progress is sometimes slower than in reading and writing. This is because occasionally teachers’ expectations are not

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Achievement of pupils

sufficiently high so that planned activities sometimes provide insufficient challenge, particularly for more able pupils.

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Quality of teaching

Most parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire feel that their children are taught well. Inspection evidence found that teaching is mainly good and sometimes outstanding, so that all groups of pupils achieve well over time. Professional development is carefully considered and has been successfully used to increase the proportion of good teaching since the last inspection. For example, improvements in the quality of marking since the last inspection mean that teachers’ written comments consistently support pupils to improve their work. Learning intentions are shared well and staff ensure that pupils know what they must do to be successful in a particular activity. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are taught well and provided with well-targeted support, enabling them to make progress in line with their peers.

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Quality of teaching

The impact of the good curriculum is evident in the way that teachers effectively use their confident subject knowledge to plan lively, interesting and well-paced lessons. As a result, pupils enjoy lessons and develop very positive attitudes to learning. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, pupils relished hearing stories of Hercules and eagerly responded to the opportunity to write about his battles. Generally, learning is matched well to pupils’ needs. This was evident when a group of Year 6 pupils of different abilities was successfully supported by a teaching assistant to produce a report for the governing body about their recent residential trip. However, very occasionally expectations are not sufficiently high, particularly of more able pupils in mathematics, so that planned activities are not challenging enough and pupil progress slows. Teachers regularly provide opportunities for pupils to discuss their

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Quality of teaching

ideas with a partner and this contributes well to their social development. For instance, pupils in Years 2 and 3 enthusiastically discussed and created an imagined conversation between two mythological characters which enabled them to formulate a script.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Most parents and carers feel that pupils behave well and almost all agree that their 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

children are kept very safe at all times. One parent reflected the views of many when she said: ‘The caring, holistic atmosphere means that each of my children can be who they are’. A few expressed concerns about standards of behaviour or bullying. Pupils’ behaviour during the inspection, both in lessons and around the school, was outstanding and evidence indicates that this is typical over time. Pupils are enthusiastic and motivated learners and this is reflected in above average attendance rates. Relationships are strong and pupils respect each other, as well as adults. An example of this was seen in a music lesson, during which pupils listened attentively to their classmates whilst they performed and then offered sensitive and positive ideas to help them improve their work further.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Throughout the school, staff have good strategies to manage behaviour and the school’s behaviour management policy is applied calmly and consistently. Pupils feel safe and develop an excellent awareness of how to keep themselves and others safe. The older pupils are appreciative of improvements made in the school grounds to ensure their safety. Pupils are aware of different types of bullying, such as cyber bullying, but insist that bullying never occurs. They are confident that if they did have any concerns about bullying, or anything else, these would be taken seriously by adults and dealt with sensitively and promptly.

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Leadership and management

The school’s provision of a balanced and well-rounded curriculum is central to the school’s ethos. The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils are treated equally, regardless of ability or background, and any discrimination is tackled rigorously. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively which contributes to pupils’ consistently excellent behaviour and good achievement. All parents and carers feel that their children are well looked after. One wrote: ‘This is a truly amazing school where every child is valued and respected.’ A few parents and carers who returned questionnaires expressed concern about communication. Inspection evidence suggests that the headteacher and her staff are regularly available to speak with parents and carers and that any queries or concerns are dealt with appropriately. Safeguarding is given a high priority so that arrangements are secure and meet statutory requirements.

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Leadership and management

Effective procedures are in place to monitor and improve the school’s work. Developments are planned and have a positive impact on pupils’ achievement and well-being. Performance management is used effectively to monitor the quality of teaching and address any weaknesses. Well-targeted professional development has successfully increased the proportion of good and outstanding teaching. The governing body is knowledgeable about the school’s work and undertakes a range of activities to monitor the impact of improvements. Governors challenge and support leaders effectively. Teachers regularly evaluate the progress made by individual pupils and the pupil tracking system has been updated so that it is more effective. However, occasionally teachers’ assessments are overly cautious so that data does not fully reflect the quality of pupil progress which is clearly evident in their work and in lesson observations.

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Leadership and management

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

The commitment of the headteacher, her staff and the governing body has ensured that the school has steadily moved forward since the last inspection and that pupils’ good achievement has been sustained. The school has successfully responded to the key issues identified at the last inspection. For example, group reading sessions have been updated so that they are more focused; a systematic and consistent approach to the teaching of phonics has been established and teachers and teaching assistants have attended training. As a result, pupils are enthused by reading and make good progress in the development of literacy skills. The quality of teachers’ marking has improved so that pupils are regularly given feedback to help them improve their work and they actively respond. These factors reflect the school’s good capacity for continued improvement. Age group 4−11 Inspection date(s) 3−4 May 2012 Inspection number 395735

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 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 to 31 December 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

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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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 Twineham CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath RH17 5NR

Thank you for your help and for talking to me during the recent inspection. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with you and seeing your work. I am writing to tell you about my findings.

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Inspection of Twineham CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath RH17 5NR

 Your school provides you with a good education.  You behave exceptionally well and show high levels of respect for each other and adults. You work hard and are keen to do well.  I agree with you that your teachers do a good job and that you make good progress because of good teaching.  You told me that you feel very safe and well cared for, and I agree with this.  Your headteacher and her staff know you well and are keen for you to do even better.

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Inspection of Twineham CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath RH17 5NR

I have asked your school to make sure that you all make the best progress you can, especially those of you who find some mathematics lessons easy. I have also asked your teachers to be even clearer about how well you are doing in your work.

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Inspection of Twineham CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath RH17 5NR

All of you can help by continuing to work hard and by listening carefully to what your teachers say.

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Inspection of Twineham CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath RH17 5NR

Julie Sackett 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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