Waterfield Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 16 Nov 2012

Waterfield Primary School Waterfield Gardens, Bewbush, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 8RA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write at length or to expand their vocabulary so their writing is more interesting.  Activities and planning in mathematics do not cater for real-life contexts to enliven the pupils’ interests.  There are not sufficient opportunities for pupils to investigate science topics and ideas through practical activities.  Pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics has not been consistent over time as there has been too little good or high quality teaching. For example, lessons do not allow enough opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning or reflect on their progress.  Senior leaders and governors are keen to improve further, but plans for action are not always precisely focused on those areas which need improvement the quickest.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children start well in the Early Years Foundation Stage as a result of good teaching and an exciting learning environment.  Pupils behave well because behaviour is well managed. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and they are courteous to each other and enthusiastic supporters of the school.  The headteacher has created a shared vision of improvement with pupils, parents and staff.  Pupils are aware of how to stay safe and how to deal with potential bullying in and beyond the school.  Staff provide a range of good quality support activities which help some pupils make accelerated progress as their social and emotional needs are catered for well.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher and one observation with the deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors made a number of short visits to other lessons.  Discussions were held with two groups of pupils, a group of parents who requested to meet the inspection team, the Chair of the Governing Body, two other governors and subject leaders and senior leaders.  The lead inspector held a telephone discussion with school’s local authority officer.  Inspectors took account of the 11 responses received to the Ofsted on-line survey (Parent View).  Inspectors analysed a range of documentation including the school’s plans for improvement, health and safety arrangements, including checks on staff appointments, records of checks on teaching, information relating to pupil premium funding and records of pupils’ progress and attainment.

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Inspection team

David Storrie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kevin Hodge Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The number of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional funding provided by the government) is average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is average and the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special education needs is above the national average.  The school has a breakfast club which is managed by the governing body and was visited during the inspection.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, so that it is at least good in Years 1 to 6 by July 2013 by:  reducing the length of teachers explanations to the whole class so pupils can get on with their tasks quickly and make more rapid progress  provide more opportunities for pupils to talk at length about their learning to help increase their understanding and confidence about what they are doing  involve pupils more in planning the wider curriculum, so that their interests and ideas are catered for more effectively.  By July 2013, improve the rate and consistency of pupils’ achievement in Years 1 to 6 in English and mathematics by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to write at length and extend their written vocabulary  ensuring pupils use their secure number skills within real-life mathematical contexts  developing pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding through having more frequent opportunities to conduct science investigations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 The headteacher, staff and governors should increase the pace of improvements in teaching and achievement by:  ensuring that plans for action focus on the most important priorities for improvement, such as those which promote high quality teaching and lessons to ensure pupils’ more rapid achievement and learning.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because pupils’ progress across the school has, over time, been inconsistent caused by variations in the quality of teaching. This has resulted in uneven rates of pupils’ achievement in Years 1 to 6.  Children enter the school in the Nursery with a lower level of knowledge and skills than is typical for their age. The consistently good teaching, maintained from the previous inspection, along with a vibrant and exciting outdoor area, helps promote children’s early writing and number and social skills well.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive support in classes from teaching assistants and have support groups with a special needs teacher. As a result of provision, pupils are making increased progress in some year groups, but this is not yet consistently good across the school.  While some pupils make increased progress, partly because of improvements in planning and the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

quality of teaching, this is still too patchy across Years 1 to 6. Some year groups make quicker progress than others. For example, there is some underachievement for pupils in Years 4 and 5, while pupils in other year groups are making more rapid progress.  Pupils generally tackle writing tasks with some enthusiasm. Pupils’ work indicates the pupils currently have too few opportunities to create longer pieces of writing to really show off their skills and ideas.  Mathematics has been begun to be woven into other National Curriculum subjects. However, some mathematical activities are too predictable and do not always build on what the pupils already understand or relate to everyday situations.  Although inspectors saw some past examples of science investigations, and pupils’ basic science skills were being catered for, these are not completed regularly enough to ensure pupils achieve well over time.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often throughout the school, resulting in enthusiastic attitudes from pupils. By the time pupils reach Year 2, and by the end of Year 6, they recall favourite authors and some testify to how they have changed their attitude to reading significantly after discovering some famous children’s authors to read.  Pupils who join the school whilst in the early stages of learning English as an additional language are well supported. Well planned support to cater for their specific needs has ensured that over time pupils make good progress.  Pupil premium funding has been planned, providing focused teaching support and additional help in the form of one-to-one tuition. School checks on progress show that this is beginning to narrow the gap in attainment for eligible pupils and their peer group, but the reduction is not yet fully making up sufficiently for past underachievement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching over time requires improvement as there is not enough evidence that it is consistently good in promoting pupils’ more rapid progress. As a result, not all pupils have made consistent strides forward in their learning.  In the Nursery and Reception class children’s welfare needs are catered for well which means the children are happy and settled. Early letter sounds and combinations (phonics) are taught systematically and to good effect. The vibrant outside area enables children to develop their physical and creative skills and children enjoy acting out the story of The Three Little Pigs, both with puppets and in creating shelters outdoors. Children enjoyed counting and writing up tickets for the class puppet performance.  Where teaching requires improvement, teachers often take too long explaining concepts. Pupils in these lessons do not sufficiently discuss their learning or thinking and this slows their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

progress. It also reduces the time pupils have to get on with their tasks.  Improvements in the quality of teaching have had an impact on accelerating progress in Key Stage 1 and some groups of pupils in Key Stage 2. For example, pupils in a Year 2 writing lesson really understood the concept of creating a fantasy setting. This learning was particularly effective as it was part of an ongoing study about dragons and pupils made good progress as a result. However, this level of learning is not always the case and pupils do not always understand how their learning builds upon previous lessons. This means they are not able to be as responsible for their own learning, slowing their progress.  Pupils enjoy activities which revolve around using information and communication technology (ICT), although this tends to be in separate lessons within the computer suite. Pupils reported a desire to use their skills in the wider curriculum to help them learn in other subjects more

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

regularly.  Although science lessons are planned weekly, activities are not always frequently focused on scientific investigations to enable pupils to be excited in solving more problems using open- ended investigations.  The school has a consistent approach to marking which provides clear guidance to pupils about their progress against their next steps in learning. This has ensured pupils are aware of what they must do next to improve their work. There is not always enough time, however, for pupils to reflect on teachers’ marking or to discuss work with classmates in order to identify how they can accelerate their progress further.  Teachers do not currently plan activities which always capture the imagination and interests of pupils as some are not always relevant or based on everyday situations. Though generally enthusiastic about school and their learning, pupils explained they would be more inspired if

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

they had more involvement in planning their lessons.  Activities which are designed to support pupils eligible for the pupil premium are effectively helping to narrow the attainment gap with other groups of pupils. A good range of pastoral support is also provided, for example counselling for pupils who have specific issues that may be a barrier to their learning and development. This is enabling these particular pupils to make more rapid progress.  Pupils felt mathematics teaching had got better over the last year as they were now ‘using more methods to solve calculations’. ‘They are treating us more like grown-ups, rather than just using number lines.’ The way pupils use and apply their mathematical skills has improved since the previous inspection, although this is not yet the case for all pupils in every class across the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in the playground, the lunch hall and around school is good. Pupils play and work well together, showing respect and courtesy. Positive attitudes are evident in lessons and, as a result, pupils are ready and willing to learn. However, in some lessons, the attention of some pupils can wander and they behave poorly, as a result of overly long explanations from teachers.  Pupils say that instances of bullying are very rare and that when it happens it is robustly dealt with. ‘Bullying is not allowed here. Our headteacher deals with it quickly!’ No evidence of bullying was found during the inspection and parents did not raise any concerns in this area  Pupils are keen to do well in their learning and are proud of their school. Not surprisingly, pupils enjoy coming to school and their attendance has improved to average levels. The school takes attendance seriously and a scheme where pupils can win a bike if their attendance is high has

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

proved very popular in maintaining levels of attendance.  Teaching has resulted in pupils understanding how to stay safe in a range of local environments, such as the Mill Pond and around the railway. They are aware of the dangers posed by internet and social media sites. Pupils understand what bullying is and the variety of forms it can take. They are confident in what to do if they are being bullied.  Parents and carers who responded to Parent View, and the small number who met with inspectors, were positive about the school and raised few concerns about behaviour. They felt the school deals effectively with any issues should they arise.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement as there is still variation in the achievement of pupils across Years 1 to 6, with progress that is not yet consistently good in English or mathematics. The leadership team is working hard to ensure all pupils are treated equally and that there is no discrimination.  Teaching has shown signs of improvement, with more effective teaching over time which is beginning to accelerate progress in basic skills within English and mathematics. However, these improvements are not yet fully secure and mean there are still variations in achievement across year groups, particularly within Years 3 to 6.  The mathematics curriculum has been reviewed since the monitoring visit in January 2011 to allow pupils more opportunities to use and apply numbers in a variety of contexts. However, the curriculum is not yet effectively linked to real-life contexts and pupils’ views are not sought as

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The leadership and management requires improvement

part of planning so that activities can be tailored more effectively to their needs and interests.  The school development plan is a detailed document that draws upon different areas of the school’s performance. However, there are too many priorities across a wide range of school aspects and they are not always focused precisely on those crucial areas of teaching or the curriculum.  Pupil premium funding has been used to support pupils who are eligible with a range of activities and support for their needs. Leaders have completed some basic evaluation of how well this funding is helping pupils to improve. However, the leadership is not yet analysing the use of the funding to ensure it is used to target pupils most in need.  The headteacher has established a clear vision which staff and stakeholders understand and support. Staff indicated in their questionnaires that they enjoyed working as a team and felt that

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The leadership and management requires improvement

they were supported effectively through ongoing training and support.  The local authority has ensured there has been an effective package of support since the school’s monitoring visit in January 2011. The authority has provided additional guidance and insight to help improve the quality of teaching and has also helped strengthened the quality of governance.  The school works well with parents and offers a range of workshops, for example mathematics workshops for parents who speak English as an additional language.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, including how the school’s performance compares to others. The support of a local authority consultant governor has enhanced support to the school. Further professional training from the local authority is helping to pinpoint areas that governors need to develop. Governors

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The leadership and management requires improvement

understand the importance of pupil premium and how it is currently being allocated, but have only recently started to ask more probing questions about how funds are allocated to best effect. That said, additional funding for learning mentors and councillors is proving to be valuable in supporting vulnerable pupils. Governors have a clear understanding of the way teachers’ performance is managed and understand the link between pupils’ progress, the quality of teaching and its impact on salary progression and promotion. They are conscientious about ensuring that health and safety aspects are provided for, such as staff vetting, site security and health and safety when pupils leave the school site. Governors do not tolerate discrimination in any form and deal with it quickly should it occur.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 125953 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 402366

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 242 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Finnie Headteacher Kaye Gilzene Date of previous school inspection 15–16 October 2009 Telephone number 01293 548014 Fax number 01293 548014 Email address head@waterfield.w-sussex.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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

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School details

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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School details

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

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