Shelley Primary School

School report Shelley Primary School Wickhurst Lane, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, RH12 3LU

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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.  Most teaching is good, and some is outstanding. Leaders have ensured there is a strong focus on making sure each lesson includes the good features that have been identified by leaders and agreed with the teachers.  Pupils’ progress has been improving and is good across the school. As a result, pupils reach standards that are above average, particularly in English. Their achievement is good.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is strong and gives pupils a good start to their learning.  Pupils behave well. They like being at school and enjoy the topics around which the teachers plan the work for pupils.  Pupils feel safe and well looked after. They get along with one another well.  Key issues raised at the previous inspection and through the monitoring visit by Ofsted have been addressed successfully.  Senior leaders have well-established routines to check how effective teaching is, and how

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

well the pupils are doing. Teachers receive helpful feedback, good opportunities for professional training and clear guidance about what is expected of them.  Governors keep a close check on how the school is tackling issues that have been raised. They challenge the school where necessary and make sure that all statutory requirements are met.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 While attainment in mathematics is above average, it is not yet as high as in English, because pupils do not make such rapid progress and fewer pupils reach the higher levels.  There is not yet enough outstanding teaching across the school; the pace of work in a few lessons is too leisurely.  The most-able pupils do not always get enough opportunities to identify what they need to do to stretch their skills and knowledge. At times, they are too content doing less difficult work than they could manage.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons or parts of lessons, taught by 11 teachers. Work with groups of pupils, led by teaching assistants, was also observed. Some of the observations were undertaken together with senior leaders from the school.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, both during lessons and over time. They discussed with pupils their understanding of their targets, the feedback from teachers and how they are helped to succeed.  Inspectors met with leaders from across the school, pupils, members of the governing body, and with a representative from the local authority.  Parents and carers spoke informally to inspectors at the start and end of the school day, and inspectors also reviewed the 54 responses to Parent View, the online survey for Ofsted. The views of staff were also considered.  Inspectors looked at a range of the documents detailing the work of the school, including the school’s own self-evaluation, minutes of meetings, evidence of training undertaken and plans to

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Information about this inspection

bring about improvements. They also looked at documents to ensure the safety of pupils, as well as records about managing behaviour.

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Inspection team

Andrew Saunders, Lead inspector Additional inspector Christine Bennett Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school, with mixed-age classes in all year groups.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including pupils supported through school action, is average; the proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  Most pupils are White British. A very small number of pupils are from a range of other heritages. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language; none of these pupils is in the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families, is below average.  The school makes no use of alternative provision for its pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the rate of progress in mathematics, to match the rapid progress in English, by:  increasing the sense of urgency for pupils so that they work more quickly and complete more work in each lesson  giving pupils more opportunities and encouragement to respond to the high-quality comments that teachers make in their books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  giving the most-able pupils more opportunities to decide for themselves what they need to do to reach the highest levels they are capable of, and time to get on with this  encouraging all pupils to set themselves challenging targets about how much work they do during each lesson.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Over the past three years, pupils’ progress has improved because of the strategies introduced to improve teaching and increase the accuracy of teachers’ efforts to check how well pupils are doing. As a result, progress is consistently better than expected from when they start school.  By the end of Year 6, standards are above average, impressively so in English. Results in mathematics are also above average, but not yet quite as high as those in English. Together with their good progress, this means that pupils achieve well.  More pupils than average reach the expected levels in English and mathematics, and far more than expected exceed these levels in English, most notably in their reading.  A higher proportion of pupils than average exceed the expected levels in mathematics. A very few pupils are working more than two years ahead of their age, but they do not always get enough opportunities to decide for themselves what they need to do to take their work to these

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The achievement of pupils is good

higher standards.  Pupils become confident readers because the teaching of phonics (the linking of sounds and letters) is developed effectively across the school. The provision of interesting books and positive role models from all the adults around them mean that pupils love reading.  Good progress is typical in all year groups. Teachers make sure that pupils of different abilities, or different year groups within the same class, are challenged well in most lessons.  Very occasionally, progress slows, particularly in mathematics, because pupils work at too leisurely a pace. Where learning is most effective, pupils respond to the comments teachers have made in their books. However, this is not always the case and there are some missed opportunities for pupils to improve their work and learn from what they did previously.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are helped to succeed because the

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The achievement of pupils is good

support they receive is carefully evaluated to check it is effective. Consequently, they make good progress and catch up with other pupils. Many of them have become confident enough in their skills and knowledge that they no longer need extra support.  The extra adult support, specialist training and additional opportunities to attend special events for pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding enable these pupils to make at least as good progress as other pupils. Senior leaders look closely at how these opportunities help them to improve their confidence and learn well. Based on the average points scores, these pupils perform better than pupils nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Consistently good teaching across the school ensures that pupils make good progress over time and achieve well. This judgement fits closely with the senior leaders’ views about teaching. Records of monitoring teaching are thorough.  Senior leaders make sure teachers get feedback that helps them to know what they need to improve, and follow up these aspects quickly. Where teaching requires improvement, good support from leaders and colleagues helps teachers make the necessary changes.  There is a positive attitude of self-reflection about teaching, and staff readily identify things they can do to improve their own practice. Teachers and teaching assistants share ideas about what makes learning most effective and are keen to build these strategies into their lessons.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to keep track of how well pupils have understood what they need to do, and provide help where it is needed or increase the level of

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The quality of teaching is good

challenge for pupils who are finding the work easy.  Adults are particularly effective in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where leaders have developed a good system for recording a wide range of evidence to demonstrate the children’s development. This is used to plan what the children might do the next day, to encourage them, or to suggest other resources they might like to use.  The most-able pupils are usually given work that is more difficult compared with other pupils. In the best lessons, they have opportunities to make their own decisions about what work they should do, but they are not frequent enough, and they are not always sure what their work should look like when they are working at the highest levels.  Teachers are confident in using the school’s systems to record their evidence about pupils’ progress. They use this accurate information to set targets for each pupil. Pupils and adults work

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The quality of teaching is good

together to decide when a pupil has achieved a particular target, and what they should move on to next.  All adults have high expectations for the quality of work pupils do in their books. Teachers mark work regularly, following a clear set of guidelines, which pupils also use when they mark their own or each other’s work. Teachers write encouraging comments, and give pupils something more to do to improve their work. However, pupils do not always get enough opportunities to respond to these comments.  Teaching assistants are particularly well informed about the needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and use carefully considered approaches to support them. They make sure that these pupils do as much of the work as possible for themselves, developing their independence and confidence. This helps to ensure the pupils’ good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour around the school is good. Pupils are polite to adults, kind to one another and show respect for each other’s views. They enjoy being at school, and their attendance is high.  Pupils’ good attitudes towards learning mean that they quickly settle down to their work. However, there are times when pupils are not determined enough to finish as much work as they can during each lesson and a few pupils are occasionally restless when the level of challenge is not high enough.  Pupils understand the school’s systems for managing behaviour well. Adults apply them consistently, so pupils are very clear about what is expected of them. They remind each other what they should be doing and respond well to this.  The interesting topics teachers choose around which to focus the work mean that pupils stay engaged and almost all their behaviour is good during lessons.  When they get the chance to work together, they do so cooperatively. They particularly like it

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

when they give each other feedback about where they have succeeded in their work, including thoughtful comments about how they could improve further.  The school fosters strong relationships well. There are good opportunities for pupils to think deeply about moral issues, rights and responsibilities, or about different beliefs. This means that pupils are confident in expressing their views and listening to the views of others.  Pupils say that they feel safe at school, and know how they can keep themselves safe, particularly when using the internet. They feel that bullying is very rare in their school, and should it happen, adults would deal with it quickly. They say there is always an adult they can talk to if they are worried.  Parents and carers said that they feel the school is welcoming, listens to any concerns and responds to these quickly. They said that their children enjoy being at school and that the use of

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection and the subsequent monitoring inspection visit by an inspector, the school has carefully addressed the issues raised. As a result, teaching has improved, the rate of progress has increased and standards at the end of Year 6 have risen.  The headteacher and senior leaders have made sure that the plans to bring about the best learning opportunities for pupils are shared by other leaders and teachers. They have provided training so that teachers are confident to lead the subject areas for which they are responsible. Senior leaders work hard to model the best practice they expect from other teachers.  The topics pupils study and the way they develop their skills are carefully planned, particularly to ensure that pupils in mixed-age classes get appropriate teaching and knowledge when they need it. At important points of change for the pupils, there are excellent strategies to make these

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The leadership and management are good

transitions as smooth as possible.  Parents and carers feel that the school is led well, and that they receive help to understand the school’s approach to particular topics, such as reading or mathematics.  The positive attitudes pupils show towards each other, whatever their background, and the opportunities to think deeply about the beliefs and lifestyles of others, promote equality of opportunity well. The focus on learning about their own rights and responsibilities, as well as the many sporting, cultural and musical opportunities, cater well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated in the school.  The local authority has helped school leaders to make sure that their views about the effectiveness of the school are accurate, to develop better provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and to improve the methods used to teach mathematics. This support is no

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The leadership and management are good

longer necessary as the leadership of the school is effective and shared more widely.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed about how well pupils are performing, because they request and receive accurate information about all aspects of teaching and learning. They have undertaken their own training to make sure they understand what data show about the standards reached by pupils at different stages and against pupils nationally, and to consider the implications of trends over time for different groups of pupils. They increasingly spend time in school themselves, gathering first-hand information about what pupils think about their learning and finding out the views of parents and carers. This allows them to challenge the school, alongside giving their support. They make sure that the finances of the school focus on giving pupils the best possible opportunities, especially pupils eligible for the pupil premium.

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The leadership and management are good

Together with the headteacher, they have ensured a close link between teachers’ pay and their performance. They have checked that all statutory requirements are met, including the requirements for keeping pupils safe, and that staff are trained to understand their responsibilities in this regard.

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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 125820 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 402355

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 232 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anne-Marie Seden-Smith Headteacher David Bird Date of previous school inspection 6–7 July 2010 Telephone number 01403 265343 Fax number 01403 271340 Email address office@shelley.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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