Fleet Wood Lane School

Fleet Wood Lane School Wood Lane, Fleet, Spalding, PE12 8NN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  Leaders and staff have improved key areas of the school’s work, particularly the teaching of English and mathematics, so that pupils now achieve well whatever their starting points.  Standards in English are improving and set to be above average this year. Pupils are also making faster progress in mathematics.  Pupils behave well and often impeccably, and they are keen to learn. This has helped to raise standards.  Children in Reception make a very good start to their education and thrive in the stimulating environment in which they are taught.  Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have a clear understanding of their targets and how to achieve them.  Most parents and carers are pleased with what the school offers and feel that their children are kept safe.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some pupils are not clear about how to apply their existing knowledge and skills when they are set a problem in mathematics.  Teachers sometimes give more-able pupils too much help and direction when they carry out investigations in mathematics, so they do not learn to think for themselves. This restricts their progress.  Teachers’ marking does not give enough information about how pupils should improve, and pupils do not routinely respond to these comments.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited nine lessons and made brief visits to three other sessions, during which pupils were withdrawn for extra work on letters and sounds (phonics). All of these were observed jointly with the headteacher.  He held discussions with pupils, the headteacher, teachers, three governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector examined a range of documents, including a summary of the school’s self- evaluation, the school improvement plan, policies aimed at keeping pupils safe and information relating to the managing of teachers’ performance.  The views of 34 parents and carers were analysed through the Parent View website. The inspector also spoke informally to parents and carers to seek their views about the school.  The views expressed by the 16 staff, who returned a questionnaire, were considered.

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Inspection team

Keith Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion at school action plus, or who have a statement of special educational needs, is above average.  An average proportion of pupils is supported by the pupil premium. In this school, these are pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language are similar to that found in most schools.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school after the Reception year is much higher than average.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school works collaboratively with six local primary schools and is currently in a soft

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Information about this school

federation with another local school. The headteacher acts as consultant headteacher for that school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning by:  helping pupils to understand which mathematical skills they should use when they solve a problem  providing better opportunities for more-able pupils to devise their own investigations and solutions to problems  ensuring that marking gives pupils clear information about their next steps and that teachers provide them with enough time to respond to these comments in lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment and progress in Year 6 dipped after the last inspection. Some pupils underachieved in English in 2011 and in mathematics last year. As a result of steps taken by the school to improve teaching and learning, pupils are now making faster progress. Those in Year 6 are well on track to reach above average standards in English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in mathematics is a little lower than in English but, nevertheless, it is higher than the average standards reached last year. However, the progress of more-able pupils slows when they are given too much direction by teachers, for example when solving mathematical problems.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join Reception with skills that are broadly typical of this age-group. They make good progress so that, by the end of Reception, most reach and a few exceed the goals expected of them. Children quickly learn to work independently and they make a very good start to learning to read.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Across the school, pupils make good progress in reading. By the end of Year 2, attainment is broadly average, and it is above average by Year 6. Older pupils read widely and use their skills well to help them learn. Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is checked carefully, and those needing a boost to catch up receive extra help from teaching assistants.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well. Those who have significant needs are well supported, fully included in lessons and make good progress towards their targets.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Last year, the attainment of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding was considerably lower than that of other pupils, by more than 20 months in English and 12 months in mathematics. This year, across the school, the gap has closed and they are performing at similar levels to other pupils. Leaders have made good use of pupil premium funding to provide extra support for literacy and numeracy, and this approach has worked well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those speaking English as an additional language achieve well. The school makes all pupils welcome, irrespective of their background, and staff ensure that all pupils are able to learn well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Improved teaching has helped to raise pupils’ attainment and ensure that they make good progress. A strong focus on improving pupils’ mathematical skills, and giving them real-life situations in which to practise them, has helped increase pupils’ confidence. The school has rightly identified that some pupils are still not sure which skills to use when they solve a problem.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading and writing is good. Teachers have a good knowledge of teaching early reading skills, and phonics sessions are brisk and purposeful. Pupils have good opportunities to write during their topic work, although teachers do not always highlight spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes sufficiently in other subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants have created a positive climate in which pupils learn well. Pupils are well-motivated and they respond well to the praise they are given, one beaming as he was described as ‘a master of the split digraph’. Lessons run at a brisk pace and, because pupils behave well, teachers are able to concentrate on helping them to improve.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers keep a close check on pupils’ understanding during lessons. They question thoughtfully and clear up any misunderstanding quickly. The quality of marking is good, although teachers’ comments do not always point out how pupils need to improve and there are few examples of pupils actively responding to teachers’ suggestions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of pupils of all abilities. They usually provide harder work for more-able pupils, although sometimes they give too much direction about how these pupils should tackle their tasks. This is particularly the case when they investigate or solve problems. Teaching assistants make a strong contribution to the learning of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and those pupils who find learning difficult.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Their positive attitudes to learning have contributed strongly to their improved progress this year. Most pupils concentrate fully and try hard to succeed. On rare occasions, a few allow their attention to wander and their learning slows.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Good behaviour is rewarded well by staff, and pupils understand the sanctions used when pupils misbehave. New pupils are welcomed and soon settle into school life. Older pupils support the younger ones well. Pupils readily take on extra responsibility and the work of the school council is appreciated by other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they enjoy school and they like the way that teachers make lessons interesting. They particularly enjoy those lessons with a practical element, such as science. Although levels of enjoyment are high, attendance levels have been below average in recent years. Stout work from leaders and governors, particularly in reducing the number of holidays taken in term-time, has seen attendance rise this year, and the current rate is above average. Ensuring that this improvement continues rightly remains a priority for the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe, and their parents and carers agree. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe in-and-out of school, including when using the internet. Initiatives such as the anti- bullying week help pupils to be aware that bullying takes a variety of forms, and they know how to respond should it occur. Pupils say that incidents of bullying are rare and are dealt with well by staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 Improvements to the work of senior leaders, a strong focus on identifying weaknesses and a concerted effort to secure improvement have ensured that the underachievement seen in previous years has been tackled successfully. Leaders evaluate the school’s work frankly and systematically, and staff are united in the drive for improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Good support from the local authority has helped subject leaders to analyse the performance of pupils in their subjects, both in lessons and by evaluating their progress data. The monitoring skills of senior staff and subject leaders have also been sharpened through the collaborative work carried out with the partner school.  The school has established good relationships with parents and carers, and this has contributed to the rise in attendance this year. Links with parents of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are good and, together with the effective involvement of outside agencies, this enables these pupils to achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a broad and interesting range of activities in lessons and out of school. Good planning for literacy and numeracy has enabled standards to rise this year. There is a strong emphasis on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development and their safety. This is reflected in pupils’ good behaviour and positive attitudes. Cultural development is less well developed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Systems to keep pupils safe meet national requirements, and are checked thoroughly and regularly. Staff training in child protection and first-aid is kept up-to-date.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is well organised. Governors are visible in the school community and are well known to pupils and their parents. Governors have established good systems to check on the school’s work for themselves, carefully examine the information about pupils’ progress provided by staff and hold senior leaders to account.  Governors have contributed well to the school’s response to the dip in pupils’ attainment and progress. They have an accurate picture of the quality of teaching and learning. There are good links made between the performance of teachers, staff training and their salary. Governors work well with the headteacher to reward good teaching and tackle underperformance.  Governors are fully involved in making financial decisions and have ensured that the school no longer has a deficit budget. They check that the pupil premium funding is having the expected

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The leadership and management are good

impact on the achievement of eligible pupils.

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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 120408 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 412155

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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 145 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pastor Ross Dean Headteacher Christine Wright Date of previous school inspection 15 June 2010 Telephone number 01406 423351 Fax number 01406 490698 Email address enquiries@fleetwoodlane.lincs.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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