Worlaby Academy

Worlaby Academy Low Road, Brigg, Lincolnshire, DN20 0NA

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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’ progress requires improvement, especially in mathematics.  Teaching requires improvement. Learning in lessons is sometimes not good enough and some weaknesses, such as giving pupils work which is too easy, hold pupils back.  The curriculum is not yet good. There are too few opportunities for pupils to engage in practical tasks or develop important skills, such as in information technology.  Some sessions linking letters to the sounds they make are not brisk enough to help pupils improve their reading rapidly.  Leadership and management require improvement. There are too many improvement priorities to ensure that progress towards their achievement can be rigorously checked and deadlines are not always clear.  The governing body is not focused enough on pupils’ performance, and subject leaders and teachers are not yet fully accountable for attainment and progress.  Leaders’ monitoring of lessons does not focus

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

sharply enough on how well pupils learn.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils feel safe and like their school.  There is a family atmosphere and relationships at all levels are good.  Pupils behave well in classrooms, the playground and around the school.  The principal and staff are committed to driving forward improvement.  New initiatives, such as improved arrangements for tracking pupils’ attainment, are starting to accelerate progress.  Some pupils make good progress in English.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector visited seven lessons taught by four teachers and one lesson taught by the academy principal. Two of these lessons were joint observations with the academy principal.  He held meetings with governors, teachers and pupils.  The inspector listened to three pupils in Year 2 read.  The inspector observed pupils’ work in all classes. He studied a range of documents including: the academy improvement plan; the academy’s own evaluation of its work; attendance information; records of the monitoring of lessons undertaken by the principal; documentation relating to pupils’ safety and the academy’s analysis of data on pupils’ progress.  He also took account of the 16 responses on Parent View.

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Inspection team

Derek Pattinson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Worlaby Academy is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below what is typical nationally.  There are no pupils at present who speak English as an additional language.  More pupils than in other primary schools join or leave outside the usual times.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is above average.  The school meets the government floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There has been recent staffing turbulence and new appointments have been made since the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By September 2014, eliminate teaching that requires improvement and ensure that some of the good teaching becomes outstanding in order to drive forward pupils’ achievement, especially in mathematics and for more able pupils by: - seeking out and implementing outstanding practice - checking that activities, especially for more able pupils, are always challenging - injecting greater pace into some lessons and reducing the amount of ‘teacher talk’ so that pupils have as much time as possible to work independently - giving pupils clear steps to success and more opportunities to talk about their learning - checking that marking, especially in mathematics where it is weakest, always gives pupils clear guidance on how to improve and take the steps needed to reach their targets - ensuring that pupils always have opportunities to share what they have learnt, and how challenging they found the work - checking that all lessons which help pupils link letters to the sounds they make are brisk and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

enable pupils to practise and repeat sounds often, building carefully on prior learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management in order to increase the pace of school improvement by: - setting clear deadlines for a reduced number of priorities in planning for improvement and checking rigorously their impact on raising pupils’ standards - focusing more clearly on how well teachers help pupils make good progress when checking on the quality of teaching and pupils’ books - ensuring that the governing body focuses more sharply on pupils’ performances to help it more effectively hold the school to account and lead its direction - making all subject leaders and teachers fully accountable for pupils’ standards and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on work already started to improve the curriculum by: - increasing opportunities for pupils to solve problems, develop literacy and numeracy skills and undertake practical tasks ensure that pupils have more opportunities to use information technology and engage in sporting activities - making further links between subjects and with the outside world to help bring learning alive.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The skills and abilities that children have when they enter the reception class changes from year to year. Some enter school with language and social difficulties. However, they are usually at levels which are typical for their age. They make expected progress as they move through their reception year, although recent evidence indicates that progress is starting to accelerate under the good leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage coordinator.  Pupils’ progress overall as they move through Years 1 to 6 is mostly as expected in English and mathematics – for most pupils, including those who are disabled or have special educational needs. However, progress is better in English than in mathematics because of better teaching.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have fluctuated widely over recent years, reflecting the small size and changing nature of cohorts. For example, attainment in English and mathematics

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

was lower in 2012, especially in mathematics, following improvements in previous years.  In English, pupils increasingly write for a range of purposes, such as, book reviews, diaries and narratives and some are starting to make good progress. They make expected progress in reading as they learn to read increasingly accurately and fluently for pleasure, information and enjoyment. However not all sessions linking letters to the sounds they make are brisk and purposeful to ensure that pupils make good progress in developing their early reading skills.  In mathematics more than in English, gaps in performances between different groups, such as boys and girls, have been wider than the picture nationally until very recently. The arrival of a new coordinator has resulted in a substantial and successful drive to accelerate progress and narrow gaps in performance compared to the same groups nationally. Furthermore, the system

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the school uses to check on the progress pupils make enables leaders to set challenging targets and to give support where it is most needed. Nevertheless, pupils’ progress in mathematics is still too variable.  Pupils who are supported by pupil premium funding did less well than their national counterparts in English and mathematics in 2012 and less well than others in the school. Nevertheless, here too gaps are starting to narrow because of the more rigorous approach to checking pupils’ progress, enabling support to be given where it is most needed.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 All teachers successfully establish good working relationships with their pupils. As a result, teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well, often with the skilled use of encouragement and praise. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development underpins the school’s work and is effectively promoted.  Teaching assistants are used well to support less-able pupils and those with special educational needs, helping them make similar progress to their classmates.  Teaching is best where the pace is brisk, time is used well, pupils of all abilities are challenged and pupils’ understanding is regularly checked as the lesson proceeds. Successful learning also takes place when pupils know what they are required to learn and are given clear steps to success to help them move forward. However, in the less successful lessons some of these positive features were not seen.  Although good teaching was seen during the inspection, no teaching was judged outstanding.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ marking in English gives praise where it is due and provides pointers on how pupils can improve their work, such as through reference to their targets, in order to help them make faster progress. However, this is much less evident in mathematics.  Pupils are not always clear about what they have to learn, how to succeed or how well they are doing, which reduces their ability to take their own initiative in moving their learning forward.  Children in the reception class are immersed in learning when they are required to search for different solid shapes to find out about their properties. However, teachers sometimes miss opportunities to bring learning alive by enabling pupils to engage in practical tasks, solve problems and use information technology to extend their learning.  Activities are sometimes too easy or hard and teachers sometimes spend too long on explanations. This restricts the time for independent work and for pupils to share what they have

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

learnt and to say how challenging they found the work. As a result, progress slows.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is good. This is confirmed by behavioural records, observations and discussions with pupils.  Behaviour in lessons is almost always good, such as when pupils in Year 5 and 6 calculated the perimeters of shapes and wrote a balanced argument using persuasive techniques. However, occasional restlessness occurs when lesson introductions are too long.  Behaviour is, nevertheless, almost always managed well. Pupils say they like the reward system, involving the regular use of merits and traffic light colours. They understand the sanctions and consider the ‘six star school promise’ to be fair, and say that ‘it works’. Examples of inappropriate behaviour are rare and are not allowed to impinge on learning.  Most parents and pupils are unreservedly positive about behaviour. Pupils describe the school as a place where there are good relationships and pupils from all backgrounds work and play cooperatively without bullying or racism.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils know about different forms of bullying, such as bullying that can occur using the internet, but say that it occurs rarely, and when it does, they are adamant that ‘it is dealt with well’.  Pupils move around the building sensibly, such as where corridors are narrow and sometimes restrict movement. Their conduct around the school is good. For example, pupils enter the hall for assemblies quietly, listen respectfully and answer questions politely.  Pupils say they enjoy coming to school and all adults help them learn. This helps to explain the good punctuality and attendance, which fluctuates from term to term, but is now above average.  Pupils feel safe and secure in school and understand the importance of adopting safe practices. For example, they comment positively about gates always being locked throughout the day.  Assemblies and class discussions reinforce the importance of working together and contribute

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

well to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which is given strong emphasis. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The principal provides an effective steer for the school’s work. She has the support of colleagues and the regular and effective support of the education adviser of the academy sponsor. All staff are committed to continued improvement.  Most priorities for development focus on issues to raise standards and accelerate progress, although there are too many to ensure that there is enough rigour in the pursuit of them. Furthermore, timescales to achieve them are not always clear and their impact on pupils’ academic development are not always checked, which slows the drive for further school improvement.  Subject leaders are at different stages in developing their subjects. Some can now make informed judgements about what needs doing. For example, the numeracy coordinator is new, but has made a good start in focusing on the needed drive to raise standards in mathematics. Nevertheless, this work is in its early stages. None are yet fully accountable for pupils’

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The leadership and management requires improvement

attainment and progress. They do not make sufficient use of information gained from regular checks of pupils’ books and observations of learning in lessons.  Checking on test results and other information helps leaders identify how well pupils are doing and enables them to give support for those who are falling behind. The school’s targets for improvement are based on an increasing range of appropriate evidence but they have not yet had full impact on improving pupils’ progress.  Leaders check on teaching but checks are not regular enough and focus too much on how teachers teach rather than on how well pupils of different abilities learn. As a result, leaders have a too rosy view of the quality of teaching and other aspects of the school’s work.  Arrangements for the performance management of teachers’ work are secure and well established. Teachers’ professional development is given appropriate emphasis.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders are working hard to improve the curriculum. For instance, when Year 5 and 6 pupils wrote a newspaper report about life in a Kenyan village, the activity helped bring the curriculum alive and break down barriers between subjects in meaningful ways. However, such instances are too few. The development of literacy and numeracy skills through the school’s chosen themes is not given enough emphasis. Pupils also say that they would like more information technology and sport.  Safeguarding and child protection procedures meet requirements. For example, arrangements for site safety are secure.  Most parents are supportive of the school. However, a very small number do not believe the school is well led and managed or that their child is well taught and making good progress. Inspection judgements are that these areas require improvement.  The governance of the school:  The supportive governing body has worked hard to develop strong links with the local

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The leadership and management requires improvement

community. Best-value principles of financial accountability are applied well and financial management, now undertaken by the academy sponsors, is good. Nevertheless, it does not yet focus enough on seeking to improve pupils’ progress so that it can more effectively hold the school to account and lead its direction. Governors have sufficient involvement in consideration of the quality of teachers’ work and their pay. However, they do not do enough to assure themselves that pupil premium funding is spent to good effect.

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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 138520 Local authority North Lincolnshire Inspection number 408781

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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 School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 69 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Tucker Principal Joanne Milnes Date of previous school inspection 24 February 2011 Telephone number 01652 618351 Fax number 01652 618351 Email address j.milnes@worlabyacademy.org.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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