Willington Primary School

Willington Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 28–29 May 2012 Inspection number 378790 Unique Reference Number 114066 Local authority Durham Inspection number 378790 Inspection dates 28–29 May 2012 Lead inspector Clive Petts

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 236 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Olwyn Gunn Headteacher Stephen Cornforth Date of previous school inspection 2 October 2008 School address Chapel Street Willington Crook DL15 0EQ Telephone number 01388 746414 Fax number 01388 745658 Email address willington@durhamlearning.net 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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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 after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Clive Petts John Pattinson Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 14 lessons taught by nine class teachers. They also observed intervention activities for small groups of pupils, talked to different groups of pupils about their learning and scrutinised in detail the work in pupils’ books. Inspectors checked pupils’ reading across the age range. In addition, inspectors held discussions with pupils, members of the governing body, staff and the designated local authority school improvement adviser. The inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a range of documentation, including the school’s records relating to pupils’ progress and achievement, evidence relating to leadership and management, monitoring and evaluation, records of behaviour and safeguarding. They also took into account the questionnaires returned by 129 parents and carers, 60 pupils and nine staff.

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Information about the school

Willington is an average-sized primary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage with none at the early stage of learning English as an additional language. More than twice the average proportion of pupils is known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or those with a statement of special educational needs is much higher than average. There is a higher than average proportion of pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable. The school meets the current floor standards which set the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress. The school extends its services in that it provides a breakfast club each day. The school has achieved the Eco-Schools and International School awards. It is also working towards the Rights Respecting School award. A new Chair of the Governing Body was appointed at the start of the academic year and a new deputy headteacher in January 2012.

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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

■ Willington is a satisfactory school. It has made good progress in securing improvements, because strong leadership has established a positive and stimulating climate for learning. Parents and carers appreciate the high quality of care and support their children receive. Pupils’ progress is accelerating and attainment is rising but the school is not yet good because it has yet to secure pupils’ consistently good achievement or ensured an overall good quality of teaching. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Key Findings

■ Children enter the Nursery class and settle quickly, happily and confidently making satisfactory progress in developing their skills. Across the school, pupils make satisfactory progress but improving progress overall. Their progress is accelerating because leaders have taken positive action to enrich the quality of the curriculum in order to raise attainment. This includes boys’ better achievement in reading.

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Key Findings

■ Much of the teaching observed during the inspection was good. Despite this, over time its impact has been satisfactory because challenge and pace in lessons have been inconsistent. Currently, some lessons do not fully exploit the much improved curricular opportunities.

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Key Findings

■ Pupils behave well and feel safe. The happy, friendly family atmosphere promotes pupils’ positive and frequently considerate attitudes, including in lessons. Any inappropriate behaviour is dealt with swiftly by the school. Attendance is improving and is now above average.

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Key Findings

■ The strong leadership team has made certain that this friendly community shares a common sense of purpose and promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Many aspects of the school’s work continue to improve. The deputy headteacher is effectively leading teaching and, as a result, the staff’s performance and skills are increasingly well developed. A shrewdly led governing body holds the school to account in positive ways. Through effective self-evaluation senior leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

■ Accelerate pupils’ progress and boost their achievement further by:  making certain that all activities are closely matched to pupils’ varying needs  ensuring that tasks are thought-provoking and keep pupils engaged throughout lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

■ Ensure that all teaching is consistently good or better by:  ensuring that the good challenge, pace and variety increasingly evident in lessons becomes even more common practice  fully exploiting the stimulating curricular opportunities to enhance pupils’ independent learning skills  increasing the opportunities for more creative learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage  consistently providing pupils with well-defined steps to help them improve their work.

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Achievement of pupils

The positive action to enhance the richness of learning experiences is resulting in improvements in the rates of progress for all groups of pupils. The rigorous systems to check pupils’ development demonstrate that inconsistencies in the patterns of progress are being successfully tackled, although progress is satisfactory over time. The needs of individual pupils are increasingly accurately identified, including those who need additional help, support and challenge. The school’s strong focus on improving early reading and writing, strengthened with a widening range of first-hand experiences, is improving skills more consistently, especially for boys. For example, older pupils demonstrated considerable confidence, skills and enjoyment working alongside Royal Shakespeare Company artists performing the ‘Merchant of Venice’ in a workshop session. In the large majority of lessons observed, pupils’ enjoyment of learning was evident, especially when fun approaches were

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Achievement of pupils

adopted that capture and hold their interest.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Nursery class with skills which are well below those typical for their age. Their speech and language skills are often underdeveloped. Children make satisfactory progress working towards the skills expected of them for their age, although their progress in their early reading and writing is less strong. Although attainment by the end of Year 2 is currently below average, it is rising as pupils’ progress accelerates. Historically, overall attainment in Year 6 has been below average but currently pupils’ better progress means that in Year 6 they are on track to reach broadly expected standards for their age. However, despite recent improvements, achievement over time remains satisfactory. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also achieve satisfactorily and their rate of progress is quickening as intervention and support are increasingly well targeted.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment in reading by the end of Year 2 is broadly average. Positive action taken to improve the quality of the teaching of the relationships between letters and the sounds they make has helped to improve pupils’ language and literacy skills. Younger pupils are increasingly confident and skilled in making sense of new words. In Year 6, much progress is being made to foster pupils’ enjoyment of reading and in enabling pupils to discuss their views more deeply about an author’s style. Pupils’ attainment in reading at the end of Year 6 is broadly average.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers enjoy excellent relationships with pupils as a consequence of the positive school ethos and the high expectations for pupils’ engagement in their learning. Securely improving teaching is demanding more of pupils and, as a result, pupils are responding positively, especially in those lessons that are challenging and enjoyable. All parents and carers feel that their children are taught well. Increasingly thoughtful approaches, which capitalise on the improved range of curricular experiences, are stimulating and holding interest more effectively. Partner talk promotes much enjoyment and opportunities for pupils to consider their own ideas and views and think about those of their friends. This successfully promotes pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Despite improvements, teaching is satisfactory because the impact of the initiatives implemented is not yet fully evident in a consistent pattern of good progress and achievement.

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Quality of teaching

When progress is fastest, imaginative, fun approaches successfully engage the interest of pupils. Thought-provoking questioning which is well matched to individual abilities encourages pupils to explain their ideas and justify their thinking. For example, a group of boys were engrossed in creating a frequency table of letters and words from a newspaper article. Wider curricular opportunities enable pupils to apply and practise their skills in a range of subjects. However, at times these opportunities are not always fully exploited to build on pupils’ prior learning or to fully promote their independent learning. Positive marking is helpful but does not consistently detail steps for improvement. When progress is slower, tasks are not always well matched to age, ability and needs and too much time is sometimes spent on the same task. Teachers’ questioning does not always probe pupils’ knowledge and understanding sufficiently to promote their consistently good progress. For

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Quality of teaching

example, in the Nursery and Reception classes not enough opportunities are provided for children to think creatively and work independently to pursue their curiosity both in and outdoors. Thoughtful use of progress information ensures that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully included in all activities and make the same satisfactory overall progress as their peers.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour is good and is characterised by considerate, thoughtful and sensible attitudes. Along with their improving attendance, this adds to the strong moral and social ethos of the school. Pupils describe that any inappropriate behaviour, including bullying, is very promptly dealt with by staff. Conversations with them show that they are knowledgeable about different types of bullying and that they are confident approaching any member of staff if they have a worry, concern or feel intimidated in any way. Pupils’ trust and confidence in staff is evident throughout the day. At social times, pupils play together happily and demonstrate a clear grasp of the boundaries that are set for them. Pupils collaborate really well together in classroom activities and display confidence managing their own behaviour. Those potentially vulnerable pupils, including those that arrive at other than the normal times, benefit from well-focussed guidance and support.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ personal development is very well supported, with an interesting programme of first- hand experiences, including a residential experience for older pupils. The breakfast club provides a calm, cheerful start to the day. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to acquire sporting, artistic and cultural experiences and skills thorough a wide range of interesting visits and visitors. For example, the Comenius project funded student to provide classroom support and to teach Spanish. Pupils report that they feel safe and all parents and carers agree. They talk confidently about how to stay safe and avoid danger, including when using new technology. The school and eco councils relish the opportunities to take responsibility and take pride in their actions improving facilities and the quality of their environment.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has maintained a firm focus on school improvement since the previous inspection. This is proving very effective. Ambition and desire for sustained improvement are shared amongst senior leaders and the whole staff. Staff are appreciative that their contributions are valued. They are reflective and respond readily and swiftly to feedback and professional development. The deputy headteacher has very quickly enhanced the established system of monitoring teaching and learning by using findings highly effectively and nurturing staff confidence and skills. The systematic checks on pupils’ progress are quickly identifying any slips in progress and prompt corrective action is helping to promote improved teaching and greater consistency in the pattern of pupils’ progress. The recently strengthened governing body is proactive in checking on the school’s performance. The growing confidence of subject leaders is adding well to the drive for improvement. As a

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Leadership and management

result there is a good capacity to secure and sustain further improvements.

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Leadership and management

Effective collaborative working, such as that with the shared Parent Support Adviser, adds to the drive for further improvement, for example, in effectively reducing persistent absence. The good curriculum provides pupils with varied, interesting and often rich learning experiences. This contributes well to the pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. However, there are occasions when experiences could be exploited even more to boost achievement and foster independent learning skills, such as in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The school enjoys excellent links with parents and carers and the local community. Almost all parents and carers welcome the improvements that have taken place in the school. The developing range of cultural experiences, for example, learning about the main character in the Merchant of Venice, promotes pupils’ good understanding of the diverse world around them. Equality of opportunity is satisfactory and strengthening, as the

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Leadership and management

unevenness in the pattern of pupils’ achievement and attainment is being successfully addressed. Any discrimination is tackled effectively. Safeguarding requirements are met with much good practice adopted.

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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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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 ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Willington Primary School, Crook, DL15 0EQ

We want to thank you all for the happy, friendly and polite welcome that you gave the inspection team when we visited your school to see how well you were learning. We thoroughly enjoyed our time talking to you.

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Inspection of Willington Primary School, Crook, DL15 0EQ

Willington is a satisfactory and improving school. We were impressed with the excellent relationships your school has with your parents and carers and the way your staff encourage and support you to work hard. We were pleased by your good behaviour and the high-quality support that you receive. You describe how safe you feel and happy as a result. In discussions, it was obvious you take much pride in helping your school to improve and your contributions were impressive.

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Inspection of Willington Primary School, Crook, DL15 0EQ

The headteacher and the governing body have taken positive action to ensure that the school has improved. This can be seen in your better progress and standards, including in boys’ reading. We have asked the school to reduce further any variations in the rate of your progress. We have also asked your teachers to provide more activities which interest you, to test your thinking, knowledge and understanding and to encourage you to work independently. We would like them to share their best practice to make certain all of your activities are well-matched to your interests and needs. This includes the work set for younger children. We have also asked that your teachers’ use of questions constantly checks and probes your thinking, and to ensure that no opportunities are missed to practise your reading, writing and number skills. Finally, we have asked that your teachers provide you with distinct steps for

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Inspection of Willington Primary School, Crook, DL15 0EQ

improvement, so that your skills are improved with every new piece of work.

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Inspection of Willington Primary School, Crook, DL15 0EQ

You can all play your part by attending regularly and continuing to work as hard as you can. I wish you the very best for the future.

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Inspection of Willington Primary School, Crook, DL15 0EQ

Clive Petts 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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