Washingborough Academy

Washingborough Academy School Lane, Washingborough, Lincoln, LN4 1BW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 Achievement is good and improving. As a result, standards are rising and are now above average in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Pupils, including children in Nursery and Reception, make good progress because teaching is typically good, with some that is outstanding.  Leadership and management are good. The headteacher’s commitment has been at the heart of the continuing improvements to teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They feel very safe at school. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are impressive, as is their sense of responsibility towards each other and adults in the school.  A good range of extra and interesting activities, such as sport, art, music and outdoor visits, broadens pupils’ learning.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. Their attendance is above average.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The progress made by some pupils of average ability in reading and writing is a relative weakness. They do not get enough opportunities to practise reading, and their grammar and spelling require improvement.  There is not enough outstanding teaching to speed up pupils’ achievement further. Teachers do not always check progress closely enough in lessons, and their feedback on pupils’ performance is not always precise enough to help improve it.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 lessons or parts of lessons, three of which were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with a randomly selected group of pupils, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, as well as senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current and recent progress, planning and monitoring files, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  The 32 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire were taken into account, together with the responses to the school’s own survey of parental opinions. Additionally inspectors talked with 12 parents and carers informally in the playground.  Inspectors also considered 18 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Krishan Sharma, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alan Brewerton Additional Inspector Anne McAvan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Washingborough Academy is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportions of pupils who are supported through school action, and at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs, are below average.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is lower than average; it has started to rise recently. This extra funding is provided by the government to support certain pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school does not make use of alternative provision, that is, none of its pupils are taught elsewhere.  There is an after-school club, but it is not managed by the governing body and was not part of this inspection.  The school became an academy on 1 April 2012. When last inspected in October 2009, the

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Information about this school

predecessor school – known as Washingborough Primary School – was judged to be satisfactory. The current headteacher and deputy headteacher held similar leadership positions in the predecessor school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all pupils of average ability make consistently strong progress in reading and writing by:  planning regular reading activities for them in different subjects  developing their fluency and stamina through reading for extended periods  strengthening their understanding of the underlying meaning of the texts they read  building up the accuracy of grammar and spelling in their writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make more teaching outstanding, so that pupils in all age groups make rapid and sustained progress, by making sure that all teachers:  regularly check pupils’ understanding in lessons by asking searching questions  give pupils more precise feedback on their performance, and how to improve it.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Nursery with skills and knowledge that are broadly at the levels expected for their age. They make a good start in the Nursery and Reception and develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills well. Good progress continues as pupils move through the school, although it is more consistent in Key Stage 2 because all the outstanding teaching is currently in this part of the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion of pupils making better than expected progress compares favourably with the national picture in writing and mathematics, but slightly less so in reading. Pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics has improved and was above average at the end of Year 6 in 2012.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ knowledge of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is strong because it is now being taught across the school. Despite pupils’ confident skills in tackling unfamiliar words, a few, particularly those of average ability, do not read with fluency and their skills in understanding the meaning of the text they read are not always secure.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in writing is consistently strong for most pupils. The work seen during the inspection shows that pupils write for a good range of reasons and understand how to make their writing more interesting and sophisticated. Some pupils, particularly those of average ability, do not use grammar properly and their spelling of common words is weak.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are well developed. They communicate clearly with each other in lessons, and confidently express their feelings and give their opinions.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in mathematics is good. Pupils enjoy working with numbers and can explain how they work out their calculations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress made by disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is similar to that made by their classmates. The extra help they get is carefully planned to meet their specific needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the 2012 Year 6 tests, the gap in attainment between pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups was slightly larger than that seen nationally. The school’s current data show that they are beginning to make faster progress to close the gap. The pupil premium funding for this year is being used well to ensure continuing improvement. Small groups of pupils receive extensive support with their specific needs in reading and writing, and extra one- to-one help is being provided to a small group to boost their learning in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, and in Key Stage 2 some of it is outstanding. It has been the key factor in the school’s success in raising standards. In addition to improving pupils’ basic skills, teaching successfully and systematically promotes pupils’ skills in reflecting on everyday experiences and developing their personal conduct.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Typically, teachers insist on high standards of work and behaviour, and plan suitably challenging activities for different groups of pupils. They ask searching questions to extend pupils’ understanding, fire their interest and encourage learning in partnership with others.  In the Nursery and Reception classes, adults successfully promote children’s independence in the classroom and outdoors. Adults are adept at observing and assessing children’s progress, and use the resulting information well to plan the next steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the very best lessons, teachers’ explanations are precise and reflect their strong subject knowledge and passion for teaching the subject. Teachers pass on their enthusiasm for learning to pupils and continually challenge them to do better. They regularly check that pupils’ progress during lessons is good, and give specific feedback. These features are not as strong in all lessons, particularly in Key Stage 1.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonics is regular and systematic and it is making a difference to pupils’ skills in tackling unfamiliar words they meet. However, a few, particularly those of average ability, do not spend enough time reading and the books used are mostly fiction, so the opportunities for these pupils to develop reading through other subjects are limited.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The skilful teaching of writing reflects the school’s success in strengthening teachers’ expertise. Step-by-step guidance in planning for writing and the practical support given through constructive marking ensure that the quality of writing continues to improve for most groups of pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and those supported by pupil premium funding, is specifically aimed at improving their basic skills and equipping them to participate fully in all learning activities. The help and guidance provided by teachers and teaching assistants are effective in closing the gap in the attainment between these and other groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils demonstrate excellent attitudes to work in lessons. They value adults’ support and show respect for them. Pupils relate with each other very well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Children in the Nursery and Reception respond enthusiastically to all the activities adults provide for them. They enjoy their freedom to make choices and move around responsibly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is impeccable and is consistently well managed. This demonstrates the school’s success with its planned programme for helping pupils to understand the importance of values (ideas that guide the choices they make and their behaviour) in their lives. Parents, staff and pupils rightly feel that this approach has created an exceptionally positive climate for learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel safe and secure. They clearly understand what they have to do if they have any worries and concerns. Pupils say that bullying is rare and it is dealt with promptly, if and when it occurs. They have a very good understanding of what constitutes different types of bullying, including name-calling or inappropriate use of the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is above average. Senior leaders continue to promote regular attendance and punctuality with vigour.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s current performance shows that the senior leaders’ focus on securing improvements in pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching has been successful. Strong systems for checking performance at all levels make sure that a good capacity to improve further is now well established.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ progress is checked and analysed regularly, and the resulting information is used to provide extra help for those who need it. To ensure that all groups continue to get a fair deal and have an equal chance to make the most of what the school offers, senior leaders maintain a constant review of their performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Performance management arrangements, which include decisions about teachers’ pay, take suitable account of the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning and achievement. Ongoing staff training is invariably linked to the school’s priorities for development. A good range of opportunities for teachers to work alongside each other provides time for shared reflection on classroom practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 The range of taught subjects and additional activities generally caters well for pupils in developing their basic skills. Senior leaders are fully aware of the need to adapt the provision for reading and writing to better meet the needs of some of the average-ability pupils. Additional activities such as visits, including visits to various places of worship, sport and music promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has an extensive range of links with parents. Parents appreciate easy access to staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Most parents are satisfied with the information they receive about their children’s work, and feel their concerns are listened to.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governors have a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and are increasingly aware of the details of its weaknesses. Governors regularly look into the information about pupils’ progress and achievement, and use it to understand how well the school is doing in relation to other schools. They also keep themselves informed about the quality of teaching. They fully understand the need to finalise their deliberations on performance management arrangements that link teachers’ performance to their pay. They manage the budget well and have a good grasp of how pupil premium funds are being used to support eligible pupils, and the difference this is making. They bring a good range of professional skills to their role, and are ready to seek further training to help them support and challenge senior leaders even more effectively. The governors make sure that safeguarding procedures meet current national requirements.

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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 137977 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 402782

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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 Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 275 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kate Caldwell Headteacher Jason O' Rourke Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01522 801355 Fax number 01522 801356 Email address enquiries@washingboroughacademy.org 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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