Wavendon Gate School

Wavendon Gate Primary School Gregories Drive, Milton Keynes, MK7 7HL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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:

 Pupils do not make rapid enough progress, particularly in writing and mathematics.  Too many pupils have not reached the expected standard in phonics (the teaching of the sounds that letters make).  Over the last three years, pupils in receipt of additional funding have not attained as highly at the end of Year 6 as other pupils who are not eligible.  Teaching is not consistently good and teachers do not ask good questions to develop pupils' thinking, particularly the most able.  In some lessons teachers do not regularly check on pupils' progress and do not always give sufficient guidance in their marking.  Some pupils are not confident enough to work by themselves.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning hinder their progress in too many lessons, especially when teaching lacks challenge and interest, and they quickly become bored. Some pupils become overexcited and show a lack of consideration for others as they move around the school.

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

 Leaders, managers and governors have not ensured that the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement is good.  Some leaders lack a clear understanding of pupils’ progress across the school so they know where improvements are needed. They would benefit from greater involvement in developing the school’s strategic plan and monitoring outcomes.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders are very keen to improve outcomes for all pupils.  The spending of additional funding is beginning to have an impact in helping eligible pupils to make faster progress.  Pupils enjoy coming to school, feel safe and their attendance is good. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.  Most parents are happy with the care their children receive at school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 21 lessons. Two lessons were joint observations with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s policies and procedures, particularly those relating to pupils’ safety. They also analysed a selection of pupils’ work, especially in mathematics and English.  Inspectors worked with the school’s senior leadership team when analysing information about the school. This included the school’s and the governing body’s strategic plans and self- evaluation, monitoring records and data related to pupils’ progress and attainment. Inspectors also analysed the progress made by different groups of pupils in the school.  Inspectors analysed the 40 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Informal discussions were held with 22 parents. There were 37 staff questionnaires which were also scrutinised.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, a representative of the local authority, four

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Information about this inspection

governors and pupils. Pupils from Years 3 and 4 read to an inspector.

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Inspection team

Sarah Varnom, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Matthew Ingall Additional Inspector Stephen Palmer Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Wavendon Gate is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding (additional money provided by the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those looked after by the local authority and the children of service families) is below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs at school action is low and the proportion at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The majority of pupils are White British. The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups is in line with national figures. A small minority of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 There have been a number of changes to staffing since the last inspection including a new headteacher who has been in post for nearly two years and a deputy headteacher who has been in post since January 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so it is consistently good or better, by: – making sure all teachers plan work which meets pupils' different learning needs, especially with greater challenge for the most able pupils, so all stay on task and behave well – developing teachers’ questioning skills so as to deepen pupils' understanding – providing opportunities for pupils to work by themselves developing their confidence and skills in learning independently – ensuring teachers make more regular checks on pupils’ progress in lessons – making sure comments in teachers' marking of pupils' work provides good guidance on how to improve and pupils are given time to respond to these comments – ensuring all teachers have a better understanding of pupils’ progress over time and adapt their teaching accordingly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in writing, by:  ensuring that there is consistently effective teaching of phonics and that pupils use these skills not only to support their good reading development but also to help to improve their writing  providing sufficient opportunities for pupils to write at length.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in mathematics, by:  checking that all lessons meet the needs of all groups of pupils, particularly those who receive pupil premium funding  making sure that pupils fully understand what that they have been learning before they move on to the next step.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils' behaviour by:  ensuring school policies and procedures are fully and consistently implemented by all staff  ensuring pupils consistently behave in a calmer fashion outside of lessons and especially at lunchtimes.  Clarify and develop the roles and responsibilities of senior leaders so as to bring about high- quality teaching and learning across the school, by:  ensuring all leaders acquire an accurate and robust understanding of pupils’ progress across the school in order to improve outcomes for all pupils  focusing on improving the quality of teaching across the school and providing support and challenge where teaching needs to improve  making sure that all leaders are involved in checking the impact of actions in the school’s planning so the plans are more useful in helping the school to improve.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress across Key Stage 1 is inconsistent particularly in writing where outcomes are significantly below those of other pupils nationally. Work set for pupils is not always at the right level of challenge and not enough time is allowed for them to develop their writing skills. Pupils make better progress in reading and mathematics. Outcomes achieved in the phonics screening at the end of Key Stage 1 over the last two years have been below national standards. Achievement across the school requires improvement because while progress between Years 1 and 6 is getting better, it is not yet consistently good in writing and mathematics. Progress is not rapid enough in some lessons. Attainment by the end of Year 6 for reading, writing and mathematics combined is just above the national average with attainment in reading significantly above the national average.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making expected progress

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

because they are supported by well-planned interventions.  By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding and pupils from different ethnic backgrounds do better than other pupils in school and similar pupils nationally. In Key Stage 2 pupils in receipt of the pupil premium benefit from good teaching support outside of lessons but are not always as well supported in class. The attainment of these pupils at the end of Year 6 is almost two years behind other pupils in mathematics, six months behind in reading and two months behind in writing.  Children enter Reception with knowledge and skills typically below those expected for their age. These children make good progress as a result of activities which are well planned and which engage and motivate them.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils do not benefit from good teaching in all classes and do not make consistently good progress, particularly in writing and mathematics. Where teaching requires improvement, lessons lack pace and work is not matched closely enough to meet the different learning needs of pupils. There is insufficient challenge in some lessons particularly for the most able pupils and they then quickly become distracted from their learning.  Teachers’ questioning in lessons is not always skilful and sufficiently probing in eliciting considered responses from pupils to deepen their understanding.  Teachers do not check often enough on pupils’ progress during a lesson. They do not always ensure that their marking provides good feedback to pupils on how to improve or that pupils are given time to respond to these comments.  Too many pupils are reliant on adult help to move their learning on. For example, in one lesson

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

a pupil sat with his hand up for 10 minutes waiting for an adult to come and answer his question. This shortcoming is evident in some other lessons. Pupils have too few opportunities to work by themselves to develop their confidence and skills in learning independently.  Good teaching was seen during the inspection where pupils engaged in their learning with enthusiasm and made good progress. For example, a Year 6 class worked on computers to learn about databases. They set up their own databases linked to music from the period of history they were studying. The teacher skilfully supported their learning with good questioning and used any misconceptions to move learning on. Good teachers need more opportunities to work alongside colleagues to help to develop good teaching across the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour requires improvement as the attitudes of some pupils hinder their progress in some lessons. They sometimes talk over the teacher and do not listen carefully to instructions. Some become over excited and disturb other pupils who are trying to concentrate. Also at lunchtimes some pupils who are eating in the hall are very noisy and some run along the corridors on their way out to the playground and show too little consideration for others.  Some parents and staff expressed concerns about the inconsistent way that poor behaviour is managed. The school has not ensured that the behaviour policy and procedures are fully and consistently implemented by all staff.  However, many pupils behave well and pupils say that they feel safe and secure in school. Their parents agree and value the good level of care and support the school provides for their children.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are very welcoming and keen to talk about their school. The majority of them are well mannered and courteous to visitors and to each other.  Pupils have developed a good understanding of the different forms of bullying, including physical, emotional and cyber-bullying.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although the headteacher is committed to improving the school for all the pupils he has not robustly tackled the weaker teaching and achievement that is not good enough.  Data is not well understood by all leaders and consequently their understanding of pupils’ progress across the school over time is not always fully accurate. Assessment information is not always used well when teachers plan their lessons and so some pupils do not make the progress that they could.  The headteacher has worked with staff and governors to develop a clear vision for the school. The school’s strategic plan enshrines a clear vision and has clear objectives but there is not evidence of good monitoring and evaluation of the impact of planned actions by all leaders.  The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum with additional opportunities including a wide range of musical tuition and sports. The school is rightly proud of the variety of high quality art

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The leadership and management requires improvement

work on display.  Provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the curriculum. Members of staff discourage discrimination and seek to promote equal opportunities for all but know that not all pupils are achieving as well as they could do.  The new sports funding to enhance physical education is being put to good use, with specialist coaching for the pupils so that they can enhance their physical well-being and learn more about healthy lifestyles.  Leaders care for all pupils and the school is very inclusive. The creative spending of pupil premium funding is partly used to ensure all pupils have access to the opportunities offered by the school. Parents appreciate being involved in this and the impact of the spending on pupils’ progress is regularly reported to governors.  The local authority has carried out a review of the school’s data and plan to challenge and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

support the school as it makes the required improvements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body fulfils its statutory duties including the performance management of the headteacher and ensures that arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. Governors take advantage of training opportunities and work with other local governors to share good practice and improve their own. Governors have a clear understanding of how well the school is performing in relation to pupils nationally and receive regular reports from the headteacher about pupils’ progress. They are committed to supporting the school but are not rigorous enough in challenging senior leaders in order to hold them to account for the quality of teaching and its impact on outcomes for pupils. Governors manage financial resources well, ensuring that funds, including those for pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium, are

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The leadership and management requires improvement

directed appropriately and make a difference to pupils’ attainment and progress.

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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 131397 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 427331

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 418 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cassie Footman Headteacher Andy Cox Date of previous school inspection 28–29 March 2011 Telephone number 01908586394 Fax number 01908586394 Email address andy.cox2@milton-keynes.gov.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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