The Bay Church of England School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 21–22 May 2012 Inspection number 382006 The Bay Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 136013 Local authority Isle Of Wight Inspection number 382006 Inspection dates 21–22 May 2012 Lead inspector Diane Wilkinson

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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 425 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Lovell Headteacher Duncan Mills Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected School address Grove Road Sandown Isle of Wight PO36 9BQ Telephone number 01983 403284 Fax number 01983 402492 Email address admin@baycep.iow.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors visited 26 lessons and observed 19 teachers. Inspectors observed the school’s work, heard a sample of pupils read and looked at analyses of pupils’ progress, development planning and monitoring, local authority reports, a range of policies and procedures, curriculum planning documents and a sample of pupils’ work. They also scrutinised questionnaires returned by 93 parents and carers.

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Information about the school

The Bay is a larger-than-average sized primary school which was formed as part of a re-organisation from three-tier to two-tier education in the local authority. It opened in September 2010, when an interim headteacher was in post. The current headteacher and new leadership team have been in post since September 2011. The school is based on two sites. That in Grove Road accommodates Years 2 to 6 pupils. Those in Reception and Year 1 are based at the Carter Street site. The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage with a very small minority speaking English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, is broadly average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. Comparisons with government floor standards are not applicable as there were no pupils old enough to take part in

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Information about the school

the Year 6 national assessments in 2011. The school runs its own breakfast- and after- school club which were also inspected. The St John’s Pre-School shares the Carter Street site. It is run by a private provider and is subject to separate inspection. 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

 The Bay Primary is a good school. In a relatively short time, senior leaders have ensured that the teaching and curriculum are good and that pupils achieve well. It is not yet outstanding because teachers do not always extend the activities well enough during lessons to develop pupils’ understanding further. Too often marking does not indicate how well pupils have done nor how to improve. Curriculum planning fosters the development of important reading, writing and mathematics skills, but provides few opportunities for pupils to use these in other subjects.

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Key findings

 Throughout the school attainment is rising and it is above average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is outstanding. As a result their achievement is excellent helping to close the gap with other pupils especially well, the majority reaching average attainment levels.

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Key findings

 Lessons are well planned, with adults explaining things clearly and questioning pupils well to ensure they learn new things quickly. Some staff have high expectations of pupils and set new challenges throughout lessons.

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Key findings

 Pupils enjoy school, work hard and behave well. Their capacity to work together in pairs or groups supports learning well. Rare bullying incidents are successfully tackled. Pupils feel very safe in school including in the breakfast- and after-school clubs and when moving between the two sites.

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Key findings

 The school benefits from a strong headteacher and senior leadership team whose very effective support has driven forward improvements in teaching well over the past year. The governing body has been successful in supporting the setting up of the new school. There is a strong sense of purpose amongst the school community. Continuous improvement to performance is ensured through rigorous and accurate self-evaluation and good development planning that targets weaker aspects well. 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?

 In order to raise achievement, improve the curriculum and teaching to outstanding through:  taking every opportunity to build on pupils’ learning during lessons through setting increasingly challenging activities  ensuring that marking consistently indicates to pupils what they have achieved and how they can improve their work  improving curriculum planning so that it provides a good range of opportunities for pupils to use their reading, writing and mathematics skills in subjects such as science, history and geography.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter Reception with skills below those typical for their age, with particular weaknesses in reading, numeracy and emotional development. Progress is good, with the large majority attaining the expected levels by the end of the year. Throughout the school, good opportunities for discussion ensure pupils’ oral communication is good.

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Achievement of pupils

The overwhelming majority of parents and carers agree pupils do well due to the hard work and commitment of staff. In reading, writing and mathematics, attainment is above average by Year 6. The teaching of the sounds letters represent (phonics) is well taught in the younger classes. Most Reception children read simple words and, by Year 2, pupils’ good knowledge of different sounds helps ensure attainment is above average. By Year 6, pupils read fluently and accurately, comprehending well. A wealth of opportunities for encouraging and practising writing ensures most Reception children write accurately in sentences. Year 2 pupils use adventurous vocabulary and write well in different genres. Good handwriting and accurate spelling is encouraged throughout the school so presentation is good. Pupils are good at writing instructions, for example on ‘How to play Quidditch’, based on the Harry Potter books. When pupils are given the opportunity to write in different subjects,

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Achievement of pupils

factual writing, as in Reception children’s ‘Bug Books’ and the excellent vocabulary used by Year 4 pupils for a science topic, is good. However, this does not happen often enough.

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Achievement of pupils

A strong focus on calculation skills helps Reception children compare numbers and quantities accurately. By Year 2 pupils’ understanding of place value is used well in calculations and in working with capacity, time and money. However, the overuse of worksheets limits their ability to apply these skills in different situations. By Year 6, pupils’ accurate calculation supports good work with decimals, measures or data. Year 4 pupils’ data handling and investigation skills were considerably strengthened in a science lesson where teaching was good, scattergrams helped identify links 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

Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported well and make at least good progress. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make rapid progress due to strong teaching and activities that meet their needs exceptionally well.

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Quality of teaching

Lesson planning is good, with activities generally well matched to the levels at which different pupils are working. Group work, supported well by teaching assistants, enhances pupils’ social development. Teachers’ explanations and demonstrations and their effective questioning help all pupils learn new things easily. As a result, important skills, including for reading and writing, are well taught. For example, Year 6 pupils skilfully use different techniques and language such as in persuasive letters or play scripts. Their stories, for example about ‘The Invisible Cloak’, use metaphors and similes well to describe the setting and action. Parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire or spoke to inspectors agree that teaching is good, with one typically writing, ‘I am most grateful to the school for all the help it has given my children’.

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Quality of teaching

Resources such as the interactive white boards are used effectively to engage and motivate pupils. They enjoy learning, although if the pace slows, particularly during group or independent work, a few lose concentration. Pupils clearly recognise how important learning is to their future, but some staff do not fully capitalise on this, taking too long to reinforce previous learning or omitting to set further challenging work when pupils have completed a task well. This limits progress.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils’ progress over time is very regularly and rigorously checked both by class teachers and senior staff. This helps ensure swift intervention is made if progress slows and effective strategies introduced to address weaknesses. This is one reason why the teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is outstanding. The highly talented staff that the school has employed and trained to support these pupils make an excellent contribution.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils’ individual and lesson targets are used well to support progress. Older pupils constantly check these against their progress, evaluating what they need to do next. However the quality of marking is too variable. At its best, in Year 6 and for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, pupils’ work is exceptionally well marked, providing excellent advice on how to improve. However, too often marking merely indicates that pupils have completed a task.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ good behaviour in lessons and around the school helps support learning and makes the school a very happy and safe place to be. Pupils and their parents or carers fully endorse this view, reporting that bullying in any form, name calling and 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

fighting are infrequent, is not an issue and that, on the very rare occasions it does occur, it is dealt with speedily and effectively. ‘We have full confidence in the headteacher and staff’, is a typical comment. Pupils and their parents and carers are well aware of all the procedures in place to help keep the pupils safe, including when moving between the sites. Good relationships between pupils and staff are founded on respect and consideration for others. Pupils are polite and courteous to staff and visitors alike and were very keen to discuss their activities with inspectors. Excellent support for pupils who find good behaviour difficult includes them exceptionally well in school life. Skilful support staff ensure that those pupils who find learning difficult recognise and celebrate the progress they make, consequently developing self- esteem and a willingness to work hard and tackle their weaknesses successfully.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ good attitudes to learning and a commitment to hard work are a strong feature in all lessons. There are occasions, however, when staff do not build on this to keep pupils focused during individual or group work, especially by setting them new challenges. The school has done exceptionally well in decreasing poor attendance or punctuality and attendance levels are now above average. Behaviour in the breakfast and after-school clubs, which pupils enjoy, is uniformly good.

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Leadership and management

As a result of good opportunities for professional development and strong performance management, teaching quality has improved well over the past year. This ensures that staff, who until recently were at different schools, now teach ‘The Bay’ way, with a strong focus on meeting individual pupils’ needs. The success of this is evident in the excellent provision, supported exceptionally well by senior leaders, for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Amongst all staff there is a strong determination to improve teaching quality further, for example in improving marking. The governing body supports and challenges the school well, including through their effective role in monitoring and improvement planning. Good self-evaluation and development planning have raised attainment and improved behaviour. In the short time available, key areas were correctly tackled first such as ensuring that the basic skills were consistently well taught. Improvement planning

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Leadership and management

now focuses on ensuring more lessons are outstanding. Strengths in leadership demonstrate the capacity to address remaining weaknesses.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum provides effectively for the needs and interests of different pupils and ensures they acquire important reading, writing and mathematics skills well. Planning more opportunities for pupils to use these skills, especially in other subjects, is now a priority. It promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well as is evident in pupils’ good behaviour and relationships, and the respect they show to pupils from different backgrounds. This helps ensure that the school’s strong commitment to preventing discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity is met well. Safeguarding arrangements including the vetting of staff, child protection, staff training, and the prevention of bullying fully meet government requirements. The attention to pupils’ safety on both sites, including in the breakfast- and after- school clubs and in moving between sites is exemplary.

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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 The Bay Primary School, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 9BQ

Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We very much enjoyed our time talking to you and seeing all the things you do. I particularly want to thank the pupils who gave up their time to read to or talk to us and who filled in questionnaires. We judge your school to be good and are pleased that you and your parents and carers think so too.

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Inspection of The Bay Primary School, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 9BQ

Here are some of the things we found that were especially good about the school.  You make good progress and attainment is above average by the end of Year 6. Those of you who have extra help in school make excellent progress because of the exceptionally good support you receive.  Teaching is good and the interesting activities planned help you to do well.  Staff take very good care of you including in the breakfast- and after-school clubs and when you have to walk between sites.  Behaviour is good. You are friendly and polite and get on well together. Any bullying is dealt with really well and we are impressed how little there is.  Your headteacher and other senior leaders support your school well. Together with staff and the governing body they keep a very careful check on how well the school is doing and are good at planning for improvement.

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Inspection of The Bay Primary School, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 9BQ

Here are some of the things we have asked the school to improve.  We have asked your teachers to give you work that always helps you make even better progress, and to make sure that marking always helps you to improve your work.  We have also asked them to make sure you have enough opportunities to practise your new reading, writing and mathematical skills, especially in other subjects.

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Inspection of The Bay Primary School, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 9BQ

You can help by always trying to do your very best.

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Inspection of The Bay Primary School, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 9BQ

Diane Wilkinson 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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