Eastrop Infant School

Eastrop Infant School Eastrop, Highworth, Swindon, SN6 7AP

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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 school requires improvement. It is not good because

 Achievement over time is not good because not enough teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good or outstanding.  Pupils’ tasks are not always set at the right level of challenge and learning does not move on at a quick enough pace.  Teachers miss opportunities to check carefully that pupils respond to their written comments about how to improve their learning so that mistakes are not repeated.  Behaviour for learning is not good enough, especially where teaching is not sufficiently challenging.  The teaching of phonics (matching letters and sounds) is not good enough and, as a result, individual reading skills are not improving fast enough.  Teachers do not always sufficiently direct and supervise teaching assistants’ work.  Checks made by senior leaders and managers on the quality of teaching do not focus sharply on how well different groups of pupils are learning and that identified weaknesses are resolved quickly.

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This school requires improvement. It is not good because

 Those responsible for subjects or year groups do not check the quality of teaching and learning regularly to ensure that progress is consistently good or better.  Leaders and governors are too positive in their views about how well the school is doing because information on how well students learn does not show the school’s performance clearly enough in relation to national expectations.  Governors do not challenge leaders well enough about the school’s performance.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage where they settle quickly and make good progress.  Supportive and caring staff provide a welcoming environment where pupils feel safe. This ensures they enjoy coming to school regularly.  Relationships between pupils and all adults are strong and pupils are keen to please.  A wide range of opportunities for physical exercise and sport contributes extremely well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 16 lessons or parts of lessons. Approximately one third of observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher. The inspectors also observed pupils being taught in small groups and listened to pupils from different year groups reading.  Discussions were held with a range of pupils, the headteacher and other senior leaders, members of the governing body and the school improvement adviser.  The inspectors took account of 52 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View) and responses to the staff questionnaire.  Discussions were held with a small number of parents at the beginning of the school day.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including the school’s data about pupils’ current progress. In addition, the inspectors looked at documents relating to safeguarding, governance, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors looked at a range of other evidence, including displays, the school’s website and

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Information about this inspection

evidence representing the school’s wider achievements beyond the classroom.

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Inspection team

Sonja Joseph, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Philip Scull Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Eastrop Infant School is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action and those supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  Most pupils come from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils known to be supported by the pupil premium funding is well below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible free school meals, and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school converted to academy status in September 2011. The school does not use the local authority school improvement services.  The school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching in Years 1 and 2, so that it is consistently good or better by ensuring that:  learning proceeds at a brisk pace and work is set at the right level of challenge for all pupils, especially the most able  all teachers keep a close watch on the progress of all groups of pupils throughout a lesson by making regular checks on their learning  teaching assistants are given sufficient direction to support pupils’ learning effectively  teachers’ knowledge and skills, particularly in the teaching of phonics, are developed  there are frequent, planned opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills to solve problems through more open-ended investigation  teachers always check that pupils’ responses to their suggestions for improvement, particularly in writing.  Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:  checks on the school’s work are summarised more sharply and consistently, to provide a more

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

accurate picture of how well the school is doing and where improvements need to be made  all leaders and managers check that all pupils achieve well  checks on the quality of teaching and learning are fully focused on how well different groups of pupils learn, identify weaknesses and resolve them quickly  middle leaders regularly check the quality of teaching and learning in their areas to ensure progress for all pupils is consistently good or outstanding  governors receive accurate information about pupils’ progress and appropriate training to analyse this information, so they can properly challenge leaders and managers to improve achievement. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because too few pupils make fast enough progress in Key Stage 1.  Progress in reading is not as fast as it could be because the teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) is inconsistent across year groups and classes. However, although the results achieved by pupils in the Year 1 phonics screening check remained below average this year, there is an improving picture.  Most pupils make expected progress in mathematics, but too few make good progress. There are not enough opportunities for pupils across the curriculum to apply their skills to solve mathematical problems. Consequently, these skills are underdeveloped.  Writing is improving, but not consistently. Pupils can write and sequence simple sentences. Their use of basic punctuation is getting better. Occasionally, pupils do not follow the guidance which teachers give them to improve their writing and mistakes are repeated in subsequent work. As a

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

result, their progress slows.  Some of the more able pupils make slower progress. Teachers do not have high enough expectations for them and set work that does not challenge their learning.  In the 2013 Year 2 national tests, the attainment of pupil premium pupils was below that of other pupils in the school in reading and mathematics by over two terms. However, the school’s records and inspection evidence show that the gap is narrowing. Pupil premium funds are being used more effectively to provide one-to-one and small group activities and, consequently, pupils’ progress is now in line with, and in some cases exceeds, that of their classmates.  The school makes good use of the government’s additional funding for sport by employing specialist teachers and sports coaches for dance and physical education, which has broadened the range of physical exercise and competitive sports opportunities available. Pupils are

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

enthusiastic about the enhanced sports provision and their participation rates are high.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils. Some variation in this group’s progress can be seen in different year groups across the school and this directly reflects the unevenness in the quality of teaching.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieve well and typically reach above expected levels of development because teaching is good. The majority successfully settle into the school’s routines and are well prepared for Year 1.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because there is not enough good teaching to ensure that pupils make good progress and achieve well over time.  In some lessons, the work is too easy for some and too difficult for others. As a result, pupils’ learning slows and, although they always conduct themselves well, pupils are less active and less engaged in their learning.  Sometimes, the pace of learning slows, when teachers do not adapt activities to re-engage pupils, provide additional challenge or ensure that support staff are used to maximum effect.  The teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) is variable. In some classes, pupils are challenged by careful questioning and make good attempts to sound out and spell words using what they have learned. In other classes, however, pupils, particularly those of lower ability, are not given enough opportunities to use what they know to help them read and write.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In mathematics, activities do not always allow pupils to work things out for themselves in order to gain confidence in handling numbers.  In writing, teachers do not check often enough that pupils have followed up their comments on their work so that mistakes are not repeated in subsequent work.  The best teaching is characterised by a good level of challenge and a brisk pace to learning. Questioning is used well and pupils are given time to talk about what they are doing. In an effective Key Stage 1 English lesson, the teacher used focused questions to check pupils’ understanding, and then extended their learning, by asking pupils to explain and justify their thinking. This deepened pupils’ learning so that so that the pupils were able to check, edit and improve their work themselves. Consequently, all pupils learnt well.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching is good. Children are challenged to use their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

developing skills to good effect and are totally involved in their learning, both inside and outdoors; for example, when developing their understanding of characters in a story through acting out specific events in the right order.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 In some lessons, when learning activities are not matched well enough to their needs, pupils do not concentrate well and are less enthusiastic to learn. Consequently, this slows their pace of learning. Where teaching is good, pupils remain engaged and make rapid gains.  Pupils are friendly and welcoming to visitors. They say they love their school. They are polite, respectful to each other and to adults, and they feel extremely safe and well cared for. They say their teachers are always willing to listen to them if they have any concerns, and act quickly if they do.  Pupils feel that bullying is very rare. They realise that bullying may take different forms and know they must tell an adult if it occurs.  Pupils have a developing awareness of risk and know how to keep themselves safe in different circumstances, including staying safe on the computer and in relation to fire and road traffic. Year 2 pupils are well prepared for moving to junior school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Discussions with staff who support those who have special educational needs show the school has effective links with external agencies and is active in supporting children and families who need additional help. Parents also strongly support this view.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and their attendance has improved over time and is in line with that found nationally.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leaders and managers have not secured constant improvements since the previous inspection and therefore leadership and management require improvement.  Leaders and managers have not had an accurate enough understanding of the progress pupils make because self-assessment and the tracking of pupil progress are not accurate and, as a result, the school’s view of its effectiveness is over generous.  Leaders have not checked the performance of teachers rigorously enough to remove inequalities in the way groups learn.  Middle leaders are not always clear about their roles and responsibilities. They have not had enough frequent opportunities to check the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of work to ensure that the progress of all pupils is consistently good or outstanding. This limits their ability to drive improvements in their areas.  The headteacher has introduced a more rigorous approach to teachers’ performance

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The leadership and management require improvement

management, linked closely to the Teachers’ Standards. There is an appropriate link between progressing teachers up the pay scale with their performance. The proportion of good teaching is improving. Consequently, pupils’ progress is improving. These successes reveal the school’s capacity to improve.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strong feature of the curriculum. Pupils participate in the arts, sports, extra-curricular clubs, residential trips and activities off site, such as the Forest School. The primary schools sport funding (additional funding provided by the government to promote sport and healthy lifestyles) is being used effectively to provide a range of physical activities for pupils and professional development for staff.  Discrimination, in any form, is not tolerated in the school. All pupils have full access to the range of opportunities that the school provides. However, not all pupils are receiving consistently good

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The leadership and management require improvement

teaching.  The school fosters very good links with parents and works with them to help their children’s achievement at school. Some letters were sent to inspectors confirming this.  The external school improvement adviser has reviewed key areas of the school, but has not been rigorous enough in challenging the school’s information on aspects of its performance, until more recently, to effect brisk change.  The governance of the school:  The governing body brings a wide range of skills and experience. The governors support the school well. Governors acknowledge that they require further training so that they can better understand, and challenge more effectively, what the information regarding the school’s performance tells them about the quality of teaching, pupils’ progress and how it compares with that of pupils in other schools nationally. They have supported the headteacher in using the pupil premium to provide additional support to help pupils improve their literacy and

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The leadership and management require improvement

numeracy skills and provide additional staff and resources, but they have not asked challenging enough questions about how much this is improving pupils’ progress. They also use the sport premium to increase sporting opportunities. They make sure that pupils’ achievement is considered when making decisions about teachers’ pay. Governors manage the school’s budget well so that there is not any deficit. They fulfil their statutory duties and have ensured that procedures for safeguarding are effective and meet fully all 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 137365 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 427224

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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 Infant School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 166 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Rolfe Headteacher Sue Marshall Date of previous school inspection 2−3 July 2008 Telephone number 01793 763772 Fax number 01793 763773 Email address head@eastrop-inf.swindon.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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