Gatten and Lake Primary School

Gatten and Lake Primary School Howard Road, Shanklin, PO37 6HD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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.  The school has changed enormously in the past year. All aspects of its work have improved.  The school’s rapid improvement is the result of the headteacher’s very high expectations, strong leadership and clear direction. She has also built the skills and confidence of other leaders.  Improving teaching has, rightly, been the top priority for senior leaders and members of the governing body. Teachers have been expected to teach well and helped to do so. Teaching is now typically good.  The school has not just focused on English and mathematics. Pupils are also taught well in other subjects.  Pupils make good progress. Most are working at levels close to those typically seen in most schools. Pupils in Year 6 lost ground when they were younger, but they are now catching up quickly.  Behaviour has also improved. Classrooms are calm and very purposeful. Pupils feel safe, are polite and friendly.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are a significant strength. They enjoy school. Pupils work very well on their own, and with each other, and are able to concentrate for long periods of time.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching in a few lessons is less effective.  There is little outstanding teaching.  Attendance is below average. This is mainly because some parents and carers take their children on holiday during term time.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 10 lessons. These observations were carried out alongside the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Inspectors also listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, parents and carers, and members of the school’s governing body. A telephone discussion was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation. At the time of the inspection, too few responses had been made to the online (Parent View) questionnaire for inspectors to consider. However, inspectors talked to parents and carers, and looked at the school’s own survey of parents’ and carers’ views.

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Inspection team

Christopher Russell, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Stephanie Matthews Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this school

 When Gatten and Lake Primary School was inspected in February 2012, it was judged to require special measures. The school was subsequently visited on three occasions by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. At its last monitoring inspection, the school was judged to be making good progress.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  An above-average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium; these pupils receive this funding because they are eligible for free school meals, looked after by the local authority or or are from service families. The government provides additional funding to support these pupils because they are at particular risk of underachieving.  A below-average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups; few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are broadly

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Information about this school

average. This includes those supported at school action, and at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  More pupils than usual join the school after the start of the Reception Year or leave before the end of Year 6.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The governing body’s powers (called its delegated powers) were suspended when the school was placed in special measures. These powers were returned in January 2013 and a new governing body was constituted.  In September 2013, the school is due to move into a new purpose-built site approximately half- a-mile away.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work closely with families to ensure that they do not take pupils on holiday during term time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Reduce the remaining inconsistencies in teaching and increase the amount of outstanding teaching, in particular by ensuring that:  when teachers plan their lessons, they do not make the structure overly complicated, and ensure that activities are closely matched to their intended aims for the lesson  teachers check that pupils respond to the comments that they make when they mark their books  teachers develop and extend their use of questioning to probe and challenge pupils’ understanding and thinking even more.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved considerably in the past 18 months.  Children typically join Reception with knowledge, skills and understanding that are below expectation for their ages. They make good progress as they move through the school. As a result, most pupils are now working at average levels of attainment.  This is not, however, the case for pupils currently in Year 6. Many of these pupils are working at below-average levels of attainment because they made poor progress lower down the school. The school has done a lot to help them to catch up. Gaps have closed significantly this year and some pupils have made two years’ progress in 12 months.  There have been particular improvements in pupils’ reading skills and enjoyment of reading because of the school’s highly effective focus on this area. Pupils’ writing and mathematical skills have also improved significantly.  Pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects, not just in English and mathematics. For

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The achievement of pupils is good

example, a strong focus on information and communication technology (ICT) is helping Key Stage 1 pupils to develop ICT skills normally only seen in much older pupils.  In general, there are no major differences between the academic progress that different groups of pupils make. Pupils who are eligible for pupil premium/free school meals also make good progress. In older year groups, the gaps between the English and mathematics attainment of these pupils and others are relatively wide, but they are closing because they are taught and supported well. These gaps are small in the younger year groups and, in a number of classes, there are no gaps.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs generally make as much progress as their peers in the school. Again, some pupils in Year 6 made slower progress when they were younger. They have made good progress this year, but still have a lot of catching up to do. Their

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The achievement of pupils is good

academic progress is improving because their individual needs are now identified more carefully and they are provided with better support, both within the classroom and individually outside of lessons.  This is similarly the case with pupils who join the school late, many of whom have gaps in their skills, knowledge and understanding. These pupils also make good progress. Staff work hard to analyse any problems that they have and help them to catch up.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved significantly in the past 18 months. Almost all teaching is now good and all of the teachers in the school routinely teach well.  Teachers plan their lessons carefully. This is not just the case in English and mathematics. Lessons across the range of subjects are planned thoroughly and rigorously. This ensures that pupils are able to develop good skills across a range of subjects.  Lessons have many strengths. Teachers have very positive relationships with their classes. They ensure that work is at the right level for different pupils in the class, whatever their abilities. Lessons are varied and interesting, and they move along at an appropriately brisk pace. Pupils have valuable opportunities to develop their speaking, listening, and social skills when they work in groups or discuss things in pairs.  Key numeracy and literacy (reading and writing) skills are taught rigorously. The way in which

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The quality of teaching is good

teachers set literacy and numeracy targets for pupils has improved considerably. These targets are precise. Pupils have good opportunities to assess their own performance first; teachers then check and confirm that they have met their targets. Pupils understand the system well and find it very motivating.  Teachers mark work regularly and thoroughly. They provide pupils with helpful comments and advice. However, the potential value of their marking is sometimes lost because they do not always check that pupils are acting on their advice.  The occasional lesson is not as effective. At times, the structure of the lesson is too complicated, with too many activities going on. The teacher then struggles to manage the lesson effectively and time is wasted. In some cases, lesson activities are not matched closely enough to the teacher’s intended aims for the lesson. Pupils are busy and make progress in these lessons, but

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The quality of teaching is good

they do not learn as much as they could in the time.  Teaching is consistently good, although rarely outstanding. The main reason for this is teachers’ use of questioning. This is good, but generally not sophisticated enough to probe, challenge and extend pupils’ thinking in a way that would enable them to make outstanding progress.  Teaching assistants provide good support in lessons and are careful not to take over responsibility from the pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. There is occasional minor misbehaviour in some lessons. Pupils say that this can sometimes be a little distracting, but teachers deal with it well.  Pupils have very good attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic and they enjoy school. Their concentration and ability to work independently for long periods have improved enormously over the past year.  Pupils feel safe and well supported. Bullying is rare and dealt with well.  Staff work hard to reduce pupil absence and lateness. Both are tracked carefully and rigorous action is taken when a pupil’s attendance is too low. This work is having a clear impact: attendance and punctuality have improved this year. However, despite the school’s active discouragement, a relatively large number of parents and carers still persist in taking their children on holiday during term time.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is providing determined and effective leadership. She has set very high standards for the school. She has a thorough and realistic understanding of how good the school is now and she is highly ambitious for further improvement. Leadership across the school has also developed well.  The main focus has, rightly, been on ensuring that teaching is good across the school. Teachers are observed regularly and given good-quality support and training to help them to improve. The results of this work are clear.  Senior and middle leaders are fully involved in monitoring and checking the school’s work. They all observe lessons and give useful feedback to teachers to help them to improve. They do this to a consistent standard because the headteacher has observed lessons with each of them, checked their judgements and watched them provide feedback to teachers. Lessons are observed frequently, and not just in English and mathematics. Feedback following lessons where

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The leadership and management are good

teaching has been judged to require improvement is particularly detailed and helpful.  The headteacher sets demanding targets for teachers and reviews them thoroughly during and at the end of the year. If teachers have previously moved to the top of the pay scale, they are expected to maintain very high standards and are held to account if their performance slips. Rigorous systems are in place to ensure that teachers are only rewarded if their performance merits it.  The school’s curriculum is very carefully planned and managed to ensure that pupils build their skills across different subjects as they move through the school. Well-taught lessons across a range of different subjects support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.  The school’s improvement has been well supported. The local authority commissioned two advisers from Hampshire County Council to work with the school. They have monitored progress

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The leadership and management are good

and provided valuable advice.  Systems and processes that keep pupils safe meet requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has achieved a considerable amount in the six months since it was formed. Its protocols and procedures have been set up carefully and with considerable rigour. Governors have a clear understanding of their role and are ambitious for the school’s improvement. They have benefited from a wide range of useful training. Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and have an accurate understanding of the school’s performance, including pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. They check carefully to ensure that the headteacher is doing everything necessary to improve teaching. Their understanding of the school is based on the very clear and honest reports that the headteacher writes, and on their own monitoring: they check the school’s work for

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The leadership and management are good

themselves, for example by visiting lessons and talking to pupils. Their monitoring is carefully planned and closely linked to the priorities in the school’s improvement plan. They set challenging targets for the headteacher. Good systems are in place to ensure that the headteacher manages teachers’ performance rigorously and that teachers are only rewarded financially when their performance merits it. The governing body also ensures that the school makes best use of its resources. For example, they carried out a detailed and very valuable analysis of the way in which the pupil premium was being spent and the impact that it was having on these pupils’ achievement.

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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 118158 Local authority Isle of Wight Inspection number 420375

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 156 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patrick Legg Headteacher Margaret Henshaw Date of previous school inspection 6 – 7 February 2012 Telephone number 01983 862763 Fax number 01983 868864 Email address admin@gattenlakepri.iow.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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