Westfield Primary Community School

Westfield Primary Community School Askham Lane, Acomb, York, North Yorkshire, YO34 3HP

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Inspection dates 31 January–1 February 2013

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Standards and pupils’ achievement have improved since the last inspection. By the end of Year 6, most pupils make good progress from their individual starting points which are often below what is expected typically when they start at school.  Teaching is good, particularly between Years 1 and 6. Lessons capture pupils’ interest and enthusiasm and the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics are taught well.  Pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, thrive and make good development in their personal skills because of the quality of support they receive.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and are keen to complete their work. Almost all pupils behave well and know how to keep themselves and others safe.  Each pupil’s progress is tracked very closely. If any individual starts to fall behind, help is given.  The headteacher’s sustained effort and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

determination to improve all aspects of the school, coupled with support from other leaders and the governing body, have brought about improved pupil achievement and successfully eradicated weaknesses in teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In the Reception classes, children’s progress in writing is not as good as it is in other areas of learning.  There is not enough outstanding teaching because teachers do not provide enough demanding work for the more able pupils.  The quality of teachers’ marking and feedback is stronger in English than it is in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 23 lessons of which three were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, the inspection team made a number of short visits to lessons.  General observations were undertaken across the school to observe pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, and the additional support provided for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, the headteacher and the school’s staff, including senior and subject leaders. In addition, the lead inspector met with two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 51 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as four letters from parents.  They observed the school’s work, looked at a range of documents including the school’s view of its own performance and improvement plans, information about pupils’ current progress,

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Information about this inspection

planning and monitoring files, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors heard pupils read, talked with them in lessons and evaluated a large sample of their work.  Staff views were taken into consideration through scrutiny of questionnaires completed by 45 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Lindsay Hall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Barbara Martin Additional Inspector Rosemary Batty Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools. The school provides for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is much lower than the national average. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families, is well above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Nearly half the teaching staff has changed since the previous inspection and eight were new to

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Information about this school

the school at the start of this academic year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  making sure teachers plan work that is demanding enough for those pupils who are more able  ensuring that the quality of teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils is as good in mathematics as it is in English.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and the curriculum in the Reception classes, so that children make at least good progress in all areas of learning, especially in writing by:  ensuring all activities have a clear learning purpose and always match children’s varying needs  making sure more emphasis is placed on teaching children how to form letters correctly and giving them more chances to use and apply their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make by undertaking writing tasks.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Nursery and Reception classes with skills below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in their personal, social and physical development. Many also make good progress in their language development because staff involve children in conversation, promoting the use of language. However, in the Reception classes, children do not yet make good progress in writing. This is because daily opportunities to develop children’s writing skills are missed and activities are not always well matched to children’s needs.  Between Years 1 and 6, pupils make good progress and, by the end of Year 6, pupils reach average standards in English and mathematics. Most parents who responded to the online questionnaire agree that their children are making good progress and are taught well. Although most pupils make good progress, occasionally the more able pupils do not find the work they are

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The achievement of pupils is good

given hard enough and, as a result, do not always make the progress of which they are capable.  Standards have risen since the last inspection, which reflect strong improvements in the quality of teaching. The school’s current assessment and progress data, together with a wide range of work in books, indicate that most pupils across the school are on track to reach or exceed national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, for their ages by the end of Key Stage 2. This represents good progress in relation to pupils’ generally below average starting points.  Pupils make good progress in reading and they read widely. Reading is promoted well and features prominently in all areas of the school. Recently, the regular purchase of comics and children’s magazines for pupils to read in the dining hall at lunchtime has encouraged the recreational enjoyment of reading and they are proving very popular. Pupils say they enjoy

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading and can discuss and give opinions about what they have read. Many read at home and to a range of adults in school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because of the focused support from teaching assistants and effectively used practical resources. Well-trained staff teach specific literacy and numeracy programmes and the ‘Children’s Champions’ support pupils’ emotional well-being, all of which contribute to these pupils’ good progress. Effective use is made of additional funding to teach and support the many pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium. This, for example, shows in the national test results for those pupils who are known to be eligible for a free school meal in Year 6 in 2012, where a higher than average proportion achieved the higher Level 5 compared to the proportion of pupils eligible for a free school meal nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good overall and has improved since the last inspection. Strong and trusting relationships between staff and pupils and the way in which teachers organise their classrooms ensure that pupils are motivated and participate well in lessons.  Classrooms are bright, stimulating places to learn and teachers plan exciting lessons for pupils, which successfully engage their interest. In a Year 4 science lesson, pupils were fully involved making electronic circuits as burglar alarms. All pupils spoken to by inspectors during the inspection said they enjoyed learning.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is usually good. Books are marked regularly. Teachers mark pupils’ literacy work in detail, providing pupils with a clear idea of how to improve their work. However, the marking in mathematics is not as strong. Although good work is acknowledged and praised, not all teachers make helpful comments to pupils as to how they can improve their

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The quality of teaching is good

work or reach the next level.  In most instances, teachers ensure that tasks are varied according to what different pupils need to learn next. The tasks set for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, for example, are modified to help them improve. Occasionally, the more able pupils are not fully challenged because they are set tasks that are too easy for them and which do not build well enough on what they already know and can do.  Where teaching is less effective, pupils have to wait for the teacher to check their work or give them something else to do before they can move on. This reduces the amount of work pupils complete and slows the pace of learning.  In the Reception class, the activities on offer both inside and outside do not always have a clear learning purpose and are not always well matched to the children’s needs. Although the teaching of how to read, to hear and to say letters is good, the formal teaching of how to accurately form

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The quality of teaching is good

the letters in children’s writing is not good enough to ensure children make good progress in early writing. Children are not given enough chances to use and apply their knowledge of the letters and the sounds they make by undertaking writing tasks.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The parents who completed the online survey strongly agreed that their children feel safe, are well cared for and enjoy school. These views reflect the inspection findings. This is because of the positive ethos and the good attention given to pupils’ care, welfare and safety, especially supported by the ‘Children’s Champions’. The school has worked successfully to improve attendance, which is now in line with the average for primary schools nationally.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle very well into the school. This is because of the warm, caring relationships which adults have with them. Children feel safe, confident and behave well. They play well together, readily share and take turns.  Pupils behave well in lessons. This enables them to learn without disruption. Pupils cooperate well together. They are polite and respectful to adults and one another, sharing positive working

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

relationships. They are very aware of the sanctions in place if their behaviour does not meet the school’s expectations, but see the rewards they receive as far more important and motivating. Many enjoyed a visit to the cinema as a reward for good behaviour last term.  Pupils work hard and their disciplined behaviour makes a good contribution to their progress and achievement. However, when pupils have completed their work they do not take the initiative to immediately ask the teacher for further work and some lesson time is wasted.  Pupils are polite and confident in conversation with staff or visitors. They have very positive views of the school and talk enthusiastically about the many aspects of school life they enjoy.  Behaviour around the school is a real strength. Pupils insist bullying is rare. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying, such as cyber-bullying and the hurt caused by

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

name-calling. Discussions with pupils confirmed that very little bullying occurs in school.  A strong sense of community and positive attitudes are reflected throughout the school and this provides a strong basis for pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a clear plan and ambition for developing the school. She is extremely well supported by the deputy headteacher and together they lead a team committed to secure continued improvement. As a result, the impact of developments since the previous inspection has been considerable. Pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching are now good and the school is well placed to improve further.  Staff work closely as a team and morale is high. The school is committed to their continued professional training in order to support their development as teachers.  Teachers’ performance is managed well. It is checked regularly using information from lesson observations and how well pupils are doing to decide whether teachers should be paid more. The headteacher and governors have worked together to successfully tackle underperformance and to appoint a teaching team to raise standards.  Although those responsible for leading subjects have been in place for a relatively short time,

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The leadership and management are good

they have already made a strong contribution to improving teaching by focussing on improving the quality of teachers’ planning and marking. This has been particularly effective in the good quality of marking and feedback to pupils in English. However, they are yet to ensure that these best practices are consistently well applied in mathematics.  The curriculum supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through, for example, music, the arts and the study of different religions. An active partnership, such as exchanging letters with a school in Qatar, develops pupils’ knowledge of the lives of others around the world. Pupils also have the opportunity to go on residential visits and on day visits to places of interest, such as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The school helps pupils develop a clear moral code through the acceptance of clearly defined boundaries of what is right or wrong.

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The leadership and management are good

School assemblies offer pupils the chance to reflect on their behaviour and think about how this affects other people. However, further changes are needed to the curriculum in the Reception Year to make sure that children make good progress in their writing skills.  The local authority provides effective light touch support for the school, which recognises the strengths of the leadership team and the improvements made in recent years. They have supported the recruitment and induction of new staff and provided effective training to support professional development of teachers.  The school makes sure that there is no discrimination and that pupils have equal access to learning and can achieve well whatever their background or ability. Pupils’ progress is regularly reviewed and closely monitored so that additional support is provided quickly where progress slows. Pupil premium funding is used effectively to make sure that eligible pupils have the

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The leadership and management are good

support they need. Additional teaching assistants are employed and there is also support for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and family support staff.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has had many new members since the previous inspection. They are now well trained and have a good level of involvement in the work and development of the school. They challenge leaders about pupils’ progress and have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The governing body works alongside senior leaders to gauge the impact of the school’s improvement plan on raising pupils’ achievement and also receive regular reports from the headteacher to keep up-to-date. The governors know about the quality of teaching and salary progression of staff. They are aware of how the pupil premium funding is spent and look carefully at its impact on pupils’ achievement. The governing body

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The leadership and management are good

undertakes its statutory duties effectively and procedures to safeguard pupils meet current government 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 133374 Local authority York Inspection number 406515

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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 563 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Elam Headteacher Tracey Ralph Date of previous school inspection 11 May 2011 Telephone number 01904 555295 Fax number 01904 785786 Email address westfield.primary@york.gov.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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