Stanway Fiveways Primary School

Stanway Fiveways Primary School Winstree Road, Stanway, Colchester, CO3 0QG

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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

 Too few pupils make better than expected progress across each key stage, particularly in Key Stage 1.  Teaching is not consistently good across all subjects and key stages. As a result, pupils do not make good progress in their learning, particularly in English and mathematics.  Some teachers do not have high expectations of what pupils can achieve or how they present their work.  Not all teachers make full use of information about pupils’ prior learning to plan activities that are properly matched to their needs.  The new marking policy is not followed consistently well by all staff so that not all pupils are clear about what they need to do to improve their work or how to respond to the comments teachers make in their books.  Leaders do not hold teachers sufficiently to account for their pupils’ results.  A third of parents who responded to the questionnaire expressed concern about the information they receive about their child’s

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The school has the following strengths

 Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Pupils feel safe and are courteous and polite and treat one another with respect.  There is a positive ethos in the school because teachers and other adults manage behaviour consistently well.  Good teaching in Reception helps children to make good progress from what are often very low starting points.  The new headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and governors. They are working closely with the local authority to improve the quality of teaching and learning and to strengthen leadership and management.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 23 lessons. Three of these observations were completed jointly with the senior leadership team. Inspectors also observed breaks, lunchtimes and attended assemblies.  Discussions were held with pupils, parents, governors, the headteacher, deputy headteacher and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 42 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), parent responses to school questionnaires. They also took account of 15 responses to staff questionnaires, and letters from parents.  A wide range of documents was examined, including samples of pupils’ work, pupil progress and tracking information, the school development plan, the school’s self-evaluation, behaviour logs, case studies and safeguarding documents.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, observed reading-support lessons and the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make).

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Inspection team

Sherry Gladwin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynda Beale Additional Inspector Ronald Cohen Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British, with below average proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is average. This is additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those with a parent in the armed forces.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is part of the Tiptree and Stanway consortium of primary schools.

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Information about this school

 The new headteacher took up her post in January 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching throughout the school so that it is consistently good by ensuring:  teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and use information on pupils’ previous achievement to plan activities that are carefully matched to their needs  lessons are consistently challenging and well-planned, so that they interest pupils and ensure they want to learn  the new whole-school marking policy is applied consistently well across all subjects so that pupils are informed of what they need to do to improve the quality of their work, and particularly its presentation  pupils are given enough time in lessons to respond to the suggestions teachers make.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in reading, writing and mathematics so that all groups of pupils make good progress across all key stages by ensuring:  pupils are set challenging targets, and that progress toward these is rigorously monitored  teachers provide more opportunities in all subjects for pupils to practise their skills in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring:  leaders place greater emphasis on how well teachers are improving achievement when managing their performance  the skills of subject leaders are improved so that they are able to monitor teaching and pupil progress effectively  parents and carers are better informed about the progress their children are making, and that any concerns they may have are listened to and swiftly addressed where necessary.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment by the time pupils leave the school is not as high as it should be because not enough pupils are making good progress, particularly in Key Stage 1. From well below average starting points pupils are about a term behind pupils nationally when they leave the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The results of 2012 national phonics check (the links between letters and sounds) in Year 1 were well below average. Pupils in Key Stage 1 do not consistently make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics so that the standards they reach are still below average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the past, information about pupils’ progress has not always been passed on from teacher to teacher in a timely fashion. School leaders have put in place a new system for tracking of pupils’ progress, which means that assessment information is now gathered each term and is beginning to be used more systematically by all teachers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The attainment in English and mathematics of pupils eligible for the pupil premium has lagged behind that of other pupils in the school. In 2012, pupils eligible for the pupil premium were three terms behind their classmates in English and four terms behind in mathematics. The school has begun to make better use of this funding to provide small group tuition and establish an additional class in Year 6 and the gap between these pupils and their classmates is now closing. However, current Year 6 pupils remain two and a half terms behind in English and one and a half terms behind in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Over time, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have made less progress than other pupils in school or similar pupils nationally. School information shows that these pupils are now making close to expected progress. ‘Catch-up’ groups in English and mathematics have been used effectively to support these pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Minority ethnic pupils and those who speak English as an additional language make progress that is similar to other pupils in the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not strong enough in all classes, particularly in Key Stage 1, to ensure pupils consistently make the good progress expected of them, or to exceed this by the time they leave the school. During the inspection, inspectors observed several examples of good teaching but also saw a notable proportion that required improvement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not consistently challenge pupils or have high enough expectations of what they can achieve. Lessons do not always take account of what pupils can already do and teachers do not consistently plan exciting lessons that engage and challenge pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The whole school marking policy is not used consistently well by all teachers to inform pupils of the next steps required to improve their work. There are too few opportunities for pupils to respond to written comments in their books. The good practice seen in some English books is not matched elsewhere across the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Reading, writing and communication are not taught consistently well because some teachers do not make good use of information about pupils to plan lessons, and learning activities are not always matched to their needs. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to practise reading, writing and communication skills across a wide range of subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers and teaching assistants plan appropriate learning activities to support pupils who are disabled or who have special education needs. Teaching assistants are used to support intervention with small groups and individuals but they are used less well in classrooms where there is a great deal of teacher-led learning. Pupils who fall behind in reading, writing and mathematics are provided with catch-up sessions designed to meet their needs.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Classrooms are positive places in which to learn because teachers manage behaviour consistently well. In the best lessons, teachers have high expectations and challenge pupils to produce their best work at all times. Teachers value pupils’ comments and listen carefully to their answers. Pupils respond well to questions that provoke reflection and require them to explain their reasons for answers. When pupils are asked to find things out by themselves they work well together in small groups and individually to produce work of a good quality.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils are friendly, courteous and considerate. Older pupils take their responsibility to help younger pupils seriously. They are proud to be chosen as ‘Fiveways friends’ and ‘Playground leaders’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Teachers model values well and pupils have a good sense of right and wrong. There is a strong focus in the school on developing the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of pupils’ learning so that pupils develop the attitudes required to participate and make a positive contribution in a democratic society. The school is a calm, purposeful and harmonious community.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There is a positive climate in the school and relationships are strong. Adults and pupils work well together. Pupils are tolerant of other pupils who have different needs and are from different backgrounds.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand the different types of bullying. They can explain the harm that bullying can cause individuals and showed compassion and kindness in the way that they spoke about bullying and how it should be dealt with. Pupils are confident that when bullying is reported to teachers it is dealt with effectively. They accept that the sanctions used by the school are fair and sensible.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils spoke highly of the rewards system and explained how it motivates good behaviour and learning in the school. Teachers make effective use of praise in the classroom to reward and encourage pupils. This results in a growing sense of confidence in the pupils as seen in a Year 1 and 2 speaking and listening lesson. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel safe and happy. They participate in a variety of visits, clubs and activities including residential trips, which enhance their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved but it is still too low for a minority of pupils. The school makes effective use of its pupil premium funding to employ a pastoral worker to work with families where pupils have challenging behaviour or where low attendance is a barrier to good progress. Over time, the behaviour of pupils with challenging behaviour has improved as a result of good partnership working between the school, their parents and external agencies.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The ‘Rainbow club’ is an effective and secure option at lunch-time for pupils of all ages who experience language, communication and social difficulties. Under supportive supervision, pupils engage in constructive activities that build social confidence and language skills. Some parents and carers spoke highly of the ‘Rainbow club’ and of the school’s effective support for parents whose children have autism and other special education needs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Whilst some parents expressed concern about behaviour, inspectors did not see anything less than good behaviour around school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Teachers are not yet subjected to rigorous appraisal of their performance. The new headteacher took up her post in the middle of the appraisal cycle but intends to link pupil progress and the quality of teaching and learning to teachers’ targets from end of the current appraisal cycle.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The newly introduced system for checking the quality of teaching is not yet rigorous and robust enough to bring about rapid gains in pupils’ achievement. Subject leaders are not yet skilled enough or involved sufficiently in the checking process. The school is working closely with the local authority through the ‘Getting to good’ programme to address these areas.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new headteacher has quickly and accurately assessed the school’s strengths and areas for development. She is working closely with the deputy headteacher, governors and the local authority to implement appropriate strategies to raise attainment and improve teaching and learning. Teachers are supportive of the school’s improvement strategies.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Teaching programmes are broad and balanced. Pupils enjoy a breadth of learning experiences which promote appreciation of their own culture and that of other people. A recent piece of work about ‘My trip to Africa’ reflected the school’s good partnership with a school in Kenya. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and pupils know and follow the school’s values. Pupils take fundraising seriously and work hard to support their Kenyan partner school. Pupils spoke enthusiastically of their visit to the Roman exhibition in Colchester that took place during the inspection.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority provides effective support for the teaching of mathematics and English. Lead teachers from the authority are working in close partnership with the school to help subject leaders and teachers to improve the quality of teaching in these subjects.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 A small minority of parents who responded to the questionnaire felt they did not get enough information about how their children are progressing at school. A few also indicated that they felt their concerns were not responded to quickly enough. The school acknowledges that, in the past, it has not given parents as much information as it could have. It has now begun to engage better with parents through the family worker.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are committed and well organised in appropriate committees. Several are new to the role. As a whole, the governing body is working closely with the headteacher and local authority to enhance their skills and effectiveness in monitoring the progress the school is making with its development plan. Governors are well informed and they have begun to provide challenge and support for school leaders, holding them to account for the quality of teaching, behaviour and pupils’ achievement. Governors understand and regularly review the school’s information about pupils’ performance and know how it is used to set targets. Governors have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, including the quality of teaching and learning. They understand the importance of good teaching and the difference it can make to different groups. Governors are clear that only good or better

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The leadership and management requires improvement

teaching should be rewarded by a rise in pay and they are working with the headteacher to tighten the appraisal system. They know what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance. Governors make sure that resources and staff are efficiently deployed, they can account for the use of the pupil premium and explain how it is contributing to improving progress for 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 114764 Local authority Essex Inspection number 405536

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 309 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Cross Headteacher Lynne Kapovic Date of previous school inspection 12 October 2010 Telephone number 01206 574849 Fax number 01206 574849 Email address head@stanwayfiveways.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

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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