Deanshanger Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 15–16 May 2012 Inspection number 380329 Deanshanger Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 121813 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 380329 Inspection dates 15–16 May 2012 Lead inspector Michael Sheridan HMI

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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 372 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Floyd Headteacher Stuart Churchill Date of previous school inspection 26 November 2007 School address The Green Deanshanger Milton Keynes MK19 6HJ Telephone number 01908 268920 Fax number 01908 268120 Email address bursar@deanshanger.northants-ecl.gov.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

Michael Sheridan Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed teaching in 24 lessons, taught by 15 teachers. Inspectors observed small group work, discussed learning with pupils and listened to pupils read. Meetings were held with pupils, teachers, senior and middle leaders and governors. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at pupils’ attainment data, work in pupils’ books, school improvement planning, teachers’ planning and the school’s evaluation of teaching and learning. Inspectors considered the views of pupils, staff and 150 parents and carers as expressed through inspection questionnaires.

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Information about the school

This is larger than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is in line with the national average. There is a privately run day care nursery that is housed in a separate building on the school site. This is subject to separate inspection arrangements. The school meets the current floor standards which are the minimum standards expected by the government for attainment and progress. 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

 This is a good school. It is not yet outstanding because pupils’ achievement in mathematics is not as impressive as it is in English and there are some small but persistent inconsistencies in the way that positive playground behaviour is promoted.  Standards of attainment are above average and have improved, particularly in reading and writing at Key Stage 1. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make at least good progress and some make exceptional progress. In mathematics, there has been some underachievement, particularly for higher ability girls. The actions that the school has taken means that this gap is closing but achievement in mathematics remains nearer to average overall.  The management of performance of teaching is having a very positive impact on the quality of teaching and the development of leadership. The headteacher is particularly skilled at identifying individual’s strengths and developing these.

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Key findings

Most teachers are exceptionally reflective and committed to their own professional development. Leaders coach and develop staff effectively, particularly when the quality of teaching falls below the high expectations that are set. This is why most lessons lead to at least good progress for most groups of pupils.  Most teaching is good with some that is outstanding. Teachers plan interesting and challenging activities that capture pupils’ imagination. Good use is made of topics in the curriculum to link different subjects and develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy. In the few lessons where teaching is satisfactory, activities are less well matched to pupils’ needs and guidance is used less effectively to help pupils improve their work.  Pupils’ behaviour is often exceptionally good, particularly in lessons. Pupils’ demonstrate attitudes to work that make a significant contribution to the positive, hard working atmosphere. A few pupils become overly boisterous

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Key findings

when on the playground. This behaviour quickly improves with gentle reminders from teachers but not all staff have the same high expectations of behaviour, particularly at lunchtime. 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 achievement in mathematics to be consistently significantly above average by:  using assessment data to identify gaps in knowledge and adapting teaching quickly to plug these gaps  challenging pupils to use and apply their mathematical knowledge more consistently and progressively  rolling out the successful interventions and extension groups that currently exist in Year 2 and Year 4 so that pupils in all years groups have opportunities for high quality consolidation and additional challenge  providing greater opportunities to talk about mathematics, so pupils can explain their thinking and develop a deeper understanding of concepts  ensuring feedback and marking is always useful and helps pupils improve their work.  Ensure that all staff supervising pupils consistently follow the school’s policy for behaviour and have the highest expectations so that:  behaviour at playtimes does not become too boisterous

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 all pupils learn to play sensibly and make consistently good decisions about their conduct.

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Achievement of pupils

Almost all parents and carers agree that their children are making good progress. Inspectors agree. Pupils achieve well, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. From broadly average starting points, pupils make good progress to reach standards of attainment that are above average overall. Pupils make a very strong start in the Early Years Foundation Stage so they are well prepared for the challenges of Key Stage 1. Achievement in reading and writing is particularly strong with some pupils making outstanding progress in some lessons. Reading is taught very effectively. Most pupils reach or exceed the expected level by the time they finish Year 2 so they are well prepared to access the curriculum in Key Stage 2. Pupils enjoy learning to read and use their knowledge of the sounds that letters make effectively to read unfamiliar words. Pupils who are at risk of not reaching the

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Achievement of pupils

expected level in reading are given additional support so they become confident readers and catch up well. As a result, pupils reach above average levels of attainment by Year 6.

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Achievement of pupils

Teachers concentrate on the features of successful writing and teach these skills to pupils effectively. As a result, pupils become competent writers. A sharp focus on developing grammar is being successful in developing pupils’ understanding of increasingly complex sentence structures. Consequently, their writing grows in maturity. Progress in mathematics is good for most groups of pupils but some higher 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

ability girls do not make the gains they are capable of. The school readily acknowledges that the whole-school focus on developing writing and phonics has meant that mathematics has not been a significant target of school improvement. Work in books shows that there are no endemic weaknesses in the teaching of mathematics but there are some inconsistencies in the additional support given to pupils who fall behind and to the most able pupils. In some year groups, small group sessions have been trialled to support pupils in danger of falling behind and to extend the most able mathematicians. These sessions are proving effective at closing the achievement gap between higher attaining boys and girls.

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Quality of teaching

Most of the teaching in school is good with some that is outstanding. Almost all parents and carers state that their children are taught well. The quality of relationships between pupils and their teachers is impressive. Learning is brisk and pupils work hard to meet their teachers’ high expectations. Where teaching is best, activities are matched with precision to pupils’ individual needs. In one writing lesson, Year 2 pupils all worked for a sustained period of time on a piece of creative writing. Pupils have individual targets which are precisely matched to the next steps in their learning. Pupils of differing abilities, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, were able to talk about the ways that they were trying to meet their target in their work. Each pupil was able to show where he or she had made improvements in his or her work based on their target. This strong understanding of how to improve work was further enhanced by the teacher’s and

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Quality of teaching

teaching assistant’s well-judged and helpful verbal feedback, given to pupils throughout the lesson.

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Quality of teaching

Topics are used well to capture pupils’ interests. Through topic work, pupils develop an in-depth knowledge around a subject which is used to improve the content of writing. In Year 6 pupils have written high quality letters to a survival expert, using the knowledge they have acquired through their current survival topic. Through such topics, teachers build pupils’ sense of wonder and this promotes their understanding of the world. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported well by teachers and teaching assistants. There is a relentless focus on meeting these pupils’ individual needs so that they achieve well in class and in small group sessions.

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Quality of teaching

Reading is taught well with regular opportunities to read for a range of purposes. Children learn effectively the sounds that letters make, in groups that are tightly focused on the current attainment levels of pupils. This means that teaching is precisely matched to pupils’ needs. Extra sessions are effective at increasing reading confidence for pupils in danger of falling behind. In a few classes, teaching is satisfactory rather than good. This is because the focus on improving work is less well developed in these classes. Marking and verbal feedback do not provide the same high quality challenge and guidance to improve work. As a consequence, pupils are not as sharply focused on improving what they have done. In these lessons teachers deliver appropriate lesson content and pupils tend to work hard. However, 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

teachers tend to talk too much and pupils have insufficient opportunities to talk about new concepts and explain their thinking. While much of the teaching of mathematics is good, opportunities to encourage pupils to apply their mathematics in increasingly complex ways are inconsistently developed.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour and safety are good overall. In many classes, pupils’ attitude to work is impressive and has a significant impact on the rapid progress many make. Attendance is above average. Pupils arrive punctually and ready to learn. Pupils are typically considerate of each other, work well together in groups, remain focused on tasks and try hard. As pupils mature, their empathy and appreciation of others develops well. Almost all parents and carers are of the view that behaviour is good at this school and that their children feel safe. School records and the testimony of pupils’ show that bullying and racism are rare and dealt with quickly. Pupils develop an acute sense of right and wrong and can often be seen making good decisions about their behaviour around school and in class. Pupils generally respond quickly to teachers’ gentle reminders about behaviour on the rare occasions when these high standards are not met.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

In some classes, pupils find it harder to remain fully focused because they are more reliant on the teacher for reassurance and support. Where this is the case, teachers work well to develop emotional resilience and a positive work ethic by providing a careful balance of encouragement and challenge. While behaviour around the school is typically very positive, some staff, particularly at lunch time, are less effective at challenging silly behaviour. Because of this, the behaviour of a small number of pupils becomes overly boisterous and they sometimes become rough and use play equipment inappropriately. While pupils say that problems at lunchtime are sorted out quickly, a small proportion of parents and carers expressed some concerns about the effectiveness with which the school deals with incidents at this time. Inspection evidence shows that more serious incidents are dealt with effectively by teachers but

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

the causes of small bumps and accidents are not always robustly investigated. Great care has been taken to provide a site that is welcoming and secure. Pupils learn about how to stay safe. They know the dangers that they may face and talk with maturity about the steps they can take to stay safe and avoid dangers. Pupils have a good sense of safety when using technology and know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.

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Leadership and management

The overwhelmingly positive response from parents and carers is testimony to the effectiveness of leadership in this school. Leadership, including governance, is good overall with aspects that are outstanding. The headteacher leads with high expectations of all. Professional development is regular and effective in improving the quality of teaching. Performance management is used effectively to support teachers in their development and challenge underperformance. Senior leaders are reflective and analytical in their evaluation of the school’s effectiveness. As a result, 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

school improvement planning is sharply focused and effective. Improvements in the provision for the teaching of reading and writing are impressive with pupils meeting the school’s challenging targets. Recent work to improve the consistency of mathematics teaching is beginning to narrow the gaps that exist in some parts of the school. Capacity to continue improvements is good.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good because it provides a range of memorable experiences that promote pupils’ academic achievement along with their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils talk warmly about the outstanding range of enrichment activities that take place, such as residential visits and numerous clubs and societies. Activities within the curriculum are planned carefully to make good use of the topics being studied. Writing is particularly well developed across the curriculum; for example, pupils demonstrate their historical knowledge through well researched pieces of writing.

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Leadership and management

Equalities are promoted effectively. The school has robust systems for monitoring the achievement of different groups and individuals. The school acts decisively to identify reasons for any inequality and eradicate underperformance. Arrangements for safeguarding are robust and effective, meeting all statutory requirements. Governors meet their statutory duties and monitor the work of the school effectively.

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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 Deanshanger Primary School, Milton Keynes MK19 6HJ

You may remember that I came with two other inspectors to inspect your school recently. This letter is to let you know our findings.

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Inspection of Deanshanger Primary School, Milton Keynes MK19 6HJ

We found that you go to a good school. You work hard in your lessons and make good progress, particularly in your reading and writing. We found that most of you do well in mathematics but some of you do not make as much progress in mathematics as you could do. Your school has plans to improve the way that some of you are taught mathematics and we think that these improvements will be useful. One of these improvements is to give you better feedback on your work and to give you the opportunity to talk more about mathematics so you can get to grips with difficult new concepts. You can help yourselves and your teachers by responding to the feedback you are given and working hard to explain your understanding.

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Inspection of Deanshanger Primary School, Milton Keynes MK19 6HJ

We are confident that you will work hard because we saw you doing this in class. We were impressed with your behaviour and enthusiasm in class. You were really interested in what you were learning about and worked hard. Well done. Some of you told us that behaviour was not always good and that some children get away with being silly at lunchtime. We were pleased to hear that bullying and racist behaviour is rare but we did see a few children get quite boisterous when playing. It is important that all of you try really hard to behave well at lunchtimes so that you do not get too rough. This does not mean that you cannot enjoy yourselves. We have asked your school to make sure the adults supervising you at lunchtime remind you to behave well. We saw when teachers remind you to behave well, you did so quickly. It is important that you do this for all adults in school.

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Inspection of Deanshanger Primary School, Milton Keynes MK19 6HJ

I would like to finish by saying thank you to those of you who talked with us during the week. Your views were really important to us. I know that I have talked about the boisterous behaviour of some pupils but I want to finish by saying how impressed I was with the way that most of you conduct yourselves. Your maturity and common sense are impressive. You have my best wishes for the future.

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Inspection of Deanshanger Primary School, Milton Keynes MK19 6HJ

Michael Sheridan Her Majesty’s 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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