Prospect Hill Infant and Nursery School

Prospect Hill Infant and Nursery School Maple Drive, Worksop, S81 0LR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Despite attaining above average standards at the end of Key Stage 1, not all pupils achieve well. Attendance is below average and impedes some pupils’ achievement.  Teaching is not good enough to promote consistently good progress in Years 1 and 2.  Pupils’ work is not always matched to the levels at which they work, especially for the more able, marking is variable and sometimes the pace of learning is too slow.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is less rapid than in English due to few planned opportunities for them to practise their numeracy skills in other lessons or in solving problems.  Pupils’ behaviour slips in some lessons because not all staff have high enough expectations and no consistent method of behaviour management was evident.  Not all staff with specific leadership roles are sufficiently involved in checking planning, teaching and progress in their areas, in order to improve pupils’ achievement.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher provides strong leadership in driving improvements.  The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and children learn successfully and achieve well.  Improvements in teaching in reading and writing are accelerating pupils’ learning.  The school provides a happy, safe and caring environment.  Pupils benefit from being given responsibilities that develop their personal qualities and skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 lessons, of which five were observed jointly with the headteacher. They observed break times and lunchtimes, attended an assembly and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors held meetings with a group of pupils, governors, school leaders and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 14 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and information from 18 completed staff questionnaires.  The inspectors looked at the school’s work, including documents about pupils’ progress through the school and their attendance and behaviour. They also looked at samples of pupils’ work, the school’s plans for improvement, records of the checks made on the quality of teaching, safeguarding arrangements and governing body minutes.

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Inspection team

Lynne Blakelock, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jatinder Sembi Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized school of this type.  The proportion of pupils entitled to support through the pupil premium (additional government funding for looked after children, other groups and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals) is below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action and school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The school is part of the Worksop Family of Schools which shares resources and training.  From September 2013, the headteacher is working four days a week and a deputy headteacher is acting headteacher each Friday.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of good or better teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress and achievement by making sure that  the tasks teachers set are based accurately on the levels at which pupils are working so that they make rapid progress, particularly the more able  lessons proceed at a brisk pace and ensure good learning for everyone  marking tells pupils what they have achieved and pinpoints the next steps in order to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate progress in mathematics in Key Stage 1 by  ensuring pupils have very regular chances to use the skills they have learnt in solving problems  increasing the opportunities for pupils to practise their numeracy skills in other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils always behave well in lessons by  raising staff expectations of pupils’ behaviour to the level of the best  all staff using agreed behaviour management strategies which pupils know, understand and follow.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance by  making it a priority and raising awareness about the importance of attendance and its impact on pupils’ achievement  providing very quick acknowledgement of pupils’ good or improving attendance so that they understand the importance with which it is held by the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management by making sure that  subject leaders have clearly defined responsibilities and accountability for checking and evaluating planning, teaching and progress for all groups in their areas in order to maximise pupils’ achievement.  the rates of progress being made by pupils of different ability is thoroughly checked.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make expected progress in Years 1 and 2 rather than good progress because the quality of teaching is too variable. Although the school gathers information about the achievement of most groups of pupils, it is not ensuring that this is used in setting work that enables all pupils to achieve well. In some lessons, pupils do not show positive attitudes to learning and this hampers their achievement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2012, standards improved following a slight dip in 2011. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils attain well above average standards in reading and mathematics and average standards in writing. Though this information points to good progress in reading and writing, lesson observations show that progress is uneven across Key Stage 1, and for different groups, and equates to expected, rather than good progress. Boys make expected progress in writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress made by most groups of pupils in mathematics is not good because they do not have sufficient opportunities to practice new learning or apply their numeracy skills when solving problems.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 More able pupils are not always challenged, by the work they are set, in order to reach the levels of which they are capable.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ eligible for pupil premium funding achieved less well than other groups in reading, writing and mathematics in 2012. They were three terms behind pupils not entitled to free school meals in reading and mathematics, and four terms behind in writing. Last year the funding was used to provide, extra support with reading, an additional teaching assistant in the Early Years Foundation Stage and to help finance visits. The school does not have information to show whether the gap has narrowed in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Over time the school’s data shows pupils supported by school action and school action plus make progress at a slower pace than some other groups. In lessons where their needs are well met, they achieve well, including in number work.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children start Nursery with knowledge and skills that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress in Nursery and Reception classes in all areas of learning because activities support their good progress. The children know the point of activities, which are well-matched to their levels of development. An above average proportion of children achieve a good level of development by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage and are well prepared when they transfer to Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) is a priority throughout the school. It is taught well in Nursery and Reception and constantly referred to during the day, including in play, so that the children develop their reading skills quickly. They make rapid progress in forming letters accurately, helped by good teaching to develop their pencil control.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in Year 1 reached above average standards in the national phonic screening check in 2013, which was a major improvement on the below average level seen in 2012. Some teaching of phonics at Key Stage 1 lacked the necessary challenge, especially for more able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ writing skills are improving because leaders are aware of the need for practise and are providing pupils with time and opportunities to write at length.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good enough in Years 1 and 2 to ensure that all pupils make good progress and achieve well, particularly in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not sufficiently informed by assessment information about the levels at which pupils are working. Consequently, work is not always well matched to pupils’ needs, especially for those capable of reaching the highest levels. The pace of learning is then too slow and pupils’ attention wanders.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils in Key Stage 1 have many learning experiences incorporated into topics. While there are appropriate opportunities to practise literacy skills in different lessons, the chances for pupils to practise their numeracy skills are at an early stage of development and not regularly built into teachers’ planning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers advise pupils about their learning as lessons proceed and questioning is typically used well to elicit how much pupils know, understand and can do. Some very helpful marking was seen by inspectors, which told pupils about their achievements and next steps but sometimes, marking is cursory. Pupils are given less advice in marking in mathematics than in English.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There is some good teaching in Key Stage 1 and some work showed evidence of good learning, including of writing, which is leading to an improvement in pupils’ writing skills, a continuing priority for the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the best lessons, teachers provide a range of activities that involve pupils in their learning and provide them with ample time to practise what they have learnt. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, pupils made good progress in selecting different numbers to make a total of ten. In Reception, activities match the children’s needs well, and teachers and teaching assistants encourage the children to experiment and investigate.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The school’s data shows that the specific support for pupils who have fallen behind in reading has led to accelerated progress. Inspection evidence showed good, focused support for these pupils in reading, which included pupils who receive the premium funding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour is not consistently good in lessons and some pupils do not attend sufficiently regularly to achieve well. Attendance is below average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school has introduced more robust checking and actions and a governor is now overseeing attendance. However, pupils and their parents are not sufficiently aware of the link between attendance and progress from Nursery onwards and rewards for good attendance are not sufficiently prompt.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Many pupils behave well and are keen to learn. It is when teaching does not interest them that some pupils become restless, distracted and chatter and behaviour is not managed consistently well in all lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Children’s behaviour in Nursery and Reception is good because expectations of how they should behave and treat one another are very clear, and the children respond very positively to them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school provides a happy, safe and caring place to be. Parents agree that the school looks after their children well. There are few disagreements among pupils, who understand that they must tell staff if unkindness occurs ‘several times on purpose.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils speak confidently about how to stay safe, for example, when near water and know about not talking to strangers. Older pupils have a basic understanding of how to keep safe on the Internet, such as not providing their personal details.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils value and enjoy the range of responsibilities such as being monitors. The school council encourages their personal development because pupils from all classes practise discussing their views and reaching decisions.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent and leaders are not ensuring all pupils make progress at a good rate and achieve the best they can.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher is fully aware of the inconsistencies in practice and good strategies are improving teaching. Coaching for individual staff is also strengthening behaviour management. The staff, who work closely as a team, value the opportunities provided for their professional development.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Staff with subject responsibilities show strong commitment to helping the school move forward. However, they do not have clearly defined responsibilities and accountability for checking, evaluating and addressing planning, teaching and achievement thoroughly, in order to accelerate the progress of all students.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher observes teaching formally twice a year. Most judgements match the grade criteria very accurately and include relevant advice about how staff must improve their practice. Teachers’ performance management targets are appropriate to individual and the school’s needs although not all are measureable. Progression up the pay scale is not possible unless all targets are met fully.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The curriculum focuses heavily on English and mathematics, with an appropriate balance of learning activities across other subject areas. Pupils enhance their social, moral and spiritual understanding through first hand experiences. Cultural development is provided through reading materials and topic work but is less regularly built-in to planning. Pupils enjoy the range of after- school activities they experience, such as cookery, being in the choir or the games gang.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 A large majority of pupils take part in after-school activities although relatively fewer pupils entitled to pupil premium funding, or with special educational needs, participated last year. The school is strongly encouraging greater involvement this year and although it has not received its additional funding for sports development, has planned to use it to support coaching skills as integral to improving pupils’ physical well-being.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school enjoys a range of partnerships. Parents are very supportive of all aspects of the school’s work. The school communicates frequently with parents in this welcoming school, and regularly holds events to help them to support their children’s learning. Links with other schools enable joint training of staff, moderation of pupils’ work and the sharing of good practice.  The local authority provides useful advice and the school buys in to its training to keep abreast of new developments.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school: The governors find out a variety of information for themselves, through links with subject leaders and visits to lessons. Together with regular comprehensive information from the headteacher they are able to challenge the school’s performance and do so. They have recognised that they do not have a complete understanding about national data and have scheduled training to rectify this. They know that attendance is not high enough and that more pupils should attain higher levels and ask questions about this. The governors understand procedures for performance management and its link to pay increases. They know how the pupil premium money is allocated. They ensure that the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures meet the statutory requirements.

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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 122729 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 425103

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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 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 198 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janet Pimperton Headteacher Kathryn Lancaster Date of previous school inspection 24 June 2010 Telephone number 01909 486374 Fax number 01909 486374 Email address head@prospecthill.notts.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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