Engaines Primary School and Nursery

Engaines Primary School St Osyth Road East, Little Clacton, Clacton-on-Sea, CO16 9PH

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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

 The quality of teaching is not yet good enough to ensure that pupils make good progress.  In some lessons, work is not well matched to pupils’ ability levels. In these lessons, opportunities for pupils to work on their own are limited.  There are some weaknesses in the teaching of the links between letters and sounds.  Marking does not always show pupils how they can improve their work and pupils do not always act on what marking tells them.  Teachers in charge of subjects need more time to check the quality of teaching and learning and thereby accelerate pupils’ progress.  Staff have had few opportunities to watch colleagues teaching well and use the good ideas to improve their own teaching.  Governors do not use data well enough to check on how well the school is doing. This means they do not know exactly what to focus on to challenge the school’s leaders.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils have good attitudes to learning because staff know and care for each individual.  Pupils feel safe in the school.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They work and play together harmoniously and are keen to learn.  The new headteacher and senior leaders have accurately identified the need to improve teaching and achievement and are taking effective steps to do that.  Some teaching is good or outstanding.  There is a good range of after school clubs.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 13 lessons taught by 11 teachers and 3 lessons in which groups were supported by other adults.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, governors, staff, a representative from the local authority and groups of pupils.  They took account of the 39 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning and carrying out the inspection, and also spoke to parents and carers in the playground.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents including its development plan, data on pupils’ progress and attainment, monitoring and self-evaluation procedures, a range of policies and arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils.  Pupils’ books were examined in lessons and in a separate work scrutiny with senior staff.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading.

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Inspection team

St.John Burkett, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Michael Sutherland-Harper Additional Inspector Cecelia Davies Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding to help pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and children whose parents are in the armed forces) is below the national average. There are no children from forces families currently in the school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2012. There has been recent turbulence in staffing, with teachers leaving or due to leave.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning by ensuring that teachers:  challenge pupils by always making sure work is closely matched to their ability levels and plenty of time is allowed for pupils to work on their own  together with teaching assistants, have increased opportunities to observe what colleagues do best in the school and in other schools  mark and give feedback consistently to show pupils the next steps they need to take to improve their learning and ensure that pupils always act upon the advice given.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make adequate time available for subject leaders to keep a check on progress rates within their subjects or areas of responsibility to ensure that they improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ skills in reading and writing by more effective teaching and giving them more practice of the links between sounds and letters.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide governors with an increased understanding of data and how to use it in order to challenge rates of progress across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 An external review of governance should be taken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because rates of progress from the time when pupils join the school, while improving, are not yet consistently good or rapid enough, especially in reading and writing. This is because too many pupils require further support with their understanding of letters and the sounds they make (phonics). Their limited understanding of phonics slows progress in the younger age groups.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the Reception class with the skills and knowledge expected for their age. Progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage is not yet consistently good, but is improving. Teachers are tracking the children’s progress in more detail so they have a better base to help them match activities to abilities. Progress rates across Key Stage 1 are rising in both English and mathematics but are not yet consistently good.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress has also risen through Key Stage 2, so, by the end of Year 6, an increasing proportion of pupils are reaching standards in line with, and in some cases above, national expectations in English and mathematics. The school’s current data show that pupils are on track to improve upon last year’s results.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make steady, and sometimes good, progress in reading. The teaching of reading has developed throughout the school because pupils’ skills are consolidated in small-group work on reading with expression and comprehension. Pupils supplement their skills by reading at home and in small groups, and become increasingly confident readers by the time they leave the school. However, some weaker teaching of the sounds that letters make slows down progress in both reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress rates in mathematics are improving because activities are now more practical and concentrate on problem-solving and everyday situations. In a mixed-age Year 5 and 6 lesson, pupils enjoyed analysing and predicting number patterns created by sequences of shapes.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils because they are well supported in class and through additional sessions, and their progress is regularly tracked.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupil premium funding is used well by the school; for example, to provide for extra support for learning in small groups and to ensure that they can attend trips and the breakfast club, where they have opportunities to use laptops and watch educational programmes to consolidate skills in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 As a result of this good use of funding, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority make progress similar to, and sometimes better than, other pupils. 1n 2012, the pupils known to be eligible for free school meals left about a term behind other pupils in English and mathematics, but this is significantly less than is the case nationally. There were no Year 6 pupils in the care of the local authority.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although the quality of teaching is rising, and an increasing amount is good with some outstanding, further improvement is required in a number of areas. For example, where teaching is not yet good, teachers sometimes talk for too long. This means that pupils do not have enough time to work independently at work that challenges them, and so develop skills to help them work alone.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Tasks are not always closely matched to pupils’ ability, and this can mean the pace of work drops. However, the match is better for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Activities are adapted to meet their particular needs and support is regularly available, including on a one-to-one basis.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and often present topics in an engaging way. The positive relationships between teachers and pupils mean that pupils are keen to learn. The vast majority of parents and carers believe that their children are taught well, but inspectors found that the quality was more variable.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the best lessons, teachers use questioning well and secure the interest of all pupils throughout. In a Year 2 lesson on how to use adjectives well, progress was rapid because the teacher involved pupils in a quickly changing series of engaging group activities to identify an animal from imaginative clues given. However, opportunities to observe and share best practice across the school are currently limited for both teachers and teaching assistants.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Books are regularly marked and presentation is generally good. However, marking and feedback to pupils are not consistently used to indicate the next steps they need to take to improve their learning, nor is sufficient opportunity available for them to act upon the advice given.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is good in classrooms and across the school because pupils are clear about the school’s expectations. Rules are consistently applied and reinforced in assemblies.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils work well with each other and with adults, and value the rewards for good behaviour which the school offers. They enjoy school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the online survey believe that behaviour is good, and are unanimous in their view that pupils are safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe. They say that bullying is very rare, and there is always an adult available to sort out any difficulties that arise. They are aware of the different types of bullying, such as name- calling.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are supported well by the school. For example, provision of specific extra-curricular activity such as the ‘Nessie’ group and good modelling by staff ensure the safety and good behaviour necessary for full integration of all pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. Pupils work collaboratively in groups and engage with activities well. They listen carefully and comment helpfully on others’ work when given the opportunity.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good opportunities to contribute to the running of the school, such as being on the school council, arranging displays to help them learn, or helping to organise charity days.  Attendance is broadly average. The school has worked with families to ensure that attendance rates are rising over time. Persistent absence rates are falling. Pupils are punctual and exclusions are rare.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new headteacher has quickly and accurately identified those areas requiring further improvement. During a period of some staffing turbulence, and together with colleagues, she has implemented a range of measures that are resulting in improvements to achievement and teaching; these include putting in a new structured system for reviewing teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subject leaders are developing their roles, and have increased responsibility within their areas for improving progress, particularly in English and mathematics. However, they have limited time for this work and for meeting together to discuss common trends. As a result, they are at an early stage of regularly checking on progress to ensure that achievement continues to rise.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Rigorous systems for managing the performance of staff have been put into place by the new headteacher. These ensure that all staff are carrying out duties as specified in the Teachers’ Standards. Staff know that they have responsibility for the progress of the pupils with whom they work.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has worked closely and successfully with the local authority to identify areas requiring improvement in order to increase achievement and improve teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has focused successfully on improving the way that English and mathematics are taught, and offers a broad range of subjects for pupils to study. These subjects are supplemented by good, well-attended, extra-curricular activities, including sport, music and art.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school benefits from close links with its local community and businesses. Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong and apply this to their good relationships with each other. The school has yet to link with other countries to reinforce multicultural understanding, although French is taught in the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The recently appointed Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body recognise the need to raise the level of challenge that governors offer to the school, for example, through an enhanced understanding of data and what it shows about progress rates. Governors are supportive of the school, through work with clubs and in reading with pupils, and bring in a good understanding of the local community. They have a developing understanding of the systems for managing staff performance and how these are linked to the progress of classes. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s finances, particularly relating to the judicious use of the pupil premium. Governors now have a growing understanding of their role due to the good quality of information provided by the new headteacher. However, their view of the pupils’ rates of progress has been too optimistic.

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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 115314 Local authority Essex Inspection number 401511

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 269 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Eleanor Serghiou Headteacher Jackie Irwin Date of previous school inspection 27 May 2010 Telephone number 01255 860210 Fax number 01255 861838 Email address admin@engaines.essex.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

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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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