Dormansland Primary School

School report Dormansland Primary School Clinton Hill, Lingfield, Surrey, RH7 6PE

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because.  Given their starting points, some pupils do not do well enough by the time they leave in Year 6, because the quality of teaching is not consistently good in all year groups.  Pupils entitled to extra funding through the pupil premium are not making the necessary accelerated progress to catch up with their peers.  Teachers do not always ensure that pupils are given work at the right level which matches their ability. Marking does not consistently help pupils know how to improve, particularly in writing and mathematics. Not all pupils know how to achieve their targets.  Pupils sometimes lose concentration when the teaching does not interest them.  Leaders and managers have not tackled all the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.  Teachers with particular responsibilities have not made enough checks on how well pupils are doing in their areas.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The governors have not done enough to challenge senior leaders and to hold them to account for the school’s performance.  The school’s information about the progress of its pupils has some inaccuracies. This makes it difficult to demonstrate how well pupils have achieved over time.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 The interim headteacher and newly appointed deputy headteacher are making teachers more accountable for pupils’ learning and achievement.  The quality of work in pupils’ books is improving.  Robust appraisal is in place for teaching assistants, so they too are more accountable.  Most pupils are polite, inquisitive and want to learn. They work well together in lessons.  Pupils report they feel safe because of the care they receive from the adults in school.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 lessons, of which 18 were jointly observed with senior leaders.  Inspectors considered a range of evidence, including the school’s development plan and self- evaluation, attendance records, governing body minutes, safeguarding information and records relating to behaviour and safety.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the headteacher and the senior leadership team, the Early Years Foundation Stage, mathematics, special educational needs and literacy coordinators, teaching assistants, the Chair and other members of the Governing Body. Inspectors held a phone call with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors attended an assembly and observed a break time.  Inspectors took into account of 48 responses to Parent View and the online questionnaire and took into consideration two emails from parents, along with the views of staff in 17 questionnaires.  Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work, listened to a number of pupils read from Year 2

p.2

Information about this inspection

and Year 6 and observed the teaching of phonics.

p.2

Inspection team

Jameel Hassan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Dormansland is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage full-time in Reception.  The vast majority of the pupils are from White British backgrounds, with a very small number of pupils from various other ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is very low.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding provided for looked after children, pupils eligible for free school meals and children of service families) is below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of those who are supported through school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The current headteacher is the headteacher of another local school who has been the interim

p.3

Information about this school

headteacher since September 2013 and will stay in post until December 2013. A new headteacher has been appointed from January 2014. A new deputy headteacher was appointed at the start of the year.  Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of staff changes, including in the previous and current terms.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it leads to good progress for all groups of pupils, including those who are eligible for pupil premium, by:  making sure work is set at the right level for different pupils  deploying teaching assistants more effectively to support pupils’ learning  ensuring all pupils are given every opportunity to strive towards ambitious targets  making sure lessons are interesting and pupils learn to work hard for sustained periods  giving pupils more opportunities to use their reading, writing and mathematical skills in other subjects.  Improve the quality of leadership and management, including governance, by  rigorously analyse and act upon the underlying causes of behaviour incidents  making sure middle leaders with particular responsibilities have the necessary skills to regularly check on the achievement of groups of pupils and identify key priorities for improvement

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensuring governors receive full and accurate information to enable them to hold the headteacher to account for the performance of all pupils.  Ensuring that all leaders are tenacious in their efforts to improve the quality of teaching.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance, to include a specific focus on the school’s use of the pupil premium, should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are not achieving as well as they could, given their starting points. Last years’ Year 6 made steady progress while in Key Stage 2 but very few made the better progress that comes with consistently good teaching.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage well prepared for school. The majority make steady progress and some made good progress so they have the skills they need to be ready for Year 1.  In 2013, the attainment of pupils in Key Stage 1 fell in writing and mathematics and more able pupils did less well than in the previous year.  The relatively few pupils entitled to pupil premium funding make similar progress to their peers but, because their starting points are generally lower, they are not making enough progress to catch up and close the attainment gap. At the end of Year 6 in 2013, the attainment of these pupils was over a year behind that of their peers in reading and mathematics. The gap in writing

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

attainment is smaller as a result of better teaching and accelerated progress .  The small number of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their peers.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because it is not good enough to help pupils make up lost ground and achieve well. This is because planned tasks are not always matched well enough to pupils’ different levels of ability in order to build upon their previous learning.  Some activities do not provide sufficient challenge for the more able and so these pupils do not move on quickly enough in their learning.  Resources are not always appropriate to meet the needs of individual pupils and support learning. Some tasks do not make the best use of pupils’ time. Teaching assistants are not always used to best effect to support learning,  There is some stronger teaching which leads to rapid progress. In these lessons, especially in writing, teachers’ expectations are high and activities are planned to support the learning of pupils of different abilities.  Although the quality of the work in pupils’ books is now improving, not all marking helps pupils

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement because they sometimes lose concentration when activities are not interesting or engaging.  Most pupils want to learn. Most apply themselves well when working on tasks. There is generally a positive climate to learn because the relationships between staff and pupils are good.  Pupils say they feel safe and happy. Parents concur with this view. Pupils learn how to keep safe. They are taught about safety and in particular internet safety, along with road and fire safety.  Pupils have some knowledge of the dangers of bullying and what it means. They have an understanding of the various types of bullying, including verbal, physical and cyber bullying. They know whom to turn to in school if they have concerns and know that any bullying will be dealt with by the staff.  Pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils learn about

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

different religions and festivals such as Diwali and Christmas. In an assembly, they learnt about others less fortunate than themselves and how they can help by raising funds via charity events, organised by the school councillors and house captains.  Pupils are given opportunities to contribute to the life of the school. They take on responsibilities in class and across the school. House captains are appointed for the four house teams and there is a democratically elected school council. A wide range of clubs are available such as art and craft, golf, judo and netball. Pupils are encouraged to take part in local sporting competitions such as a swimming gala as well as football and gymnastics tournaments.  Behaviour outside classes is appropriate and the behaviour policy is adhered to by most pupils. However, the behaviour of those pupils who sometimes do not behave well is not monitored and recorded effectively enough to ensure problems are tackled swiftly. .

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are punctual to lessons and attendance is above average.

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management requires improvement because not all the areas for improvement from the previous inspection have been tackled successfully.  The current interim headteacher and the newly appointed deputy headteacher have put better systems in place to check the progress of all pupils across each year. They have also put robust performance management systems in place for teachers and teaching assistants, so that they are clear about their role in raising pupils’ achievement.  The school has not been completely successful in achieving equality of opportunity for all because teaching does not always accelerate progress for those children who have underachieved in the past.  New middle leaders with particular responsibilities have not had sufficient time to improve teaching and secure improvements in achievement in their areas. More established middle leaders have had too little support in the past to enable them to fulfil and develop their role in

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

raising standards.  Training has rightly focused on improving the quality of teaching and its impact on learning. While improvements are at an early stage, this training and the appointment of new staff is developing a more ambitious culture amongst staff. Work in pupils’ books shows that progress is increasing.  The curriculum is broad and balanced, although the topics that pupils study do not always capture the imagination of boys or motivate them to learn. In some lessons, boys reported that they were bored and did not like the subject matter. Pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics skills are not developed and used well enough in other subjects so opportunities are missed to accelerate progress towards their literacy and numeracy targets.  Pupils have opportunities to broaden their horizons by going on trips linked to their topics, for example in visiting a Roman villa, when they learn about life in Roman times. In Years 4, 5 and

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

6, there are good opportunities for pupils to enjoy residential trips.  Parents are given opportunities to support the school through being governors or parent volunteers or as members of the parents' association. There are also opportunities to attend curriculum sessions and assemblies.  Behaviour logs of are not analysed rigorously enough for leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of their behaviour strategies and the quality of curriculum.  The local authority is providing intensive support to ensure the school continues to move forward. It has provided training for governors to enable them to challenge senior leaders. Some middle leaders are attending training provided by the local authority to strengthen and improve their understanding of their role and ability to carry out their responsibilities.  The governance of the school: The governing body has been ineffective in holding school leaders to account, in part because

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

it has not received enough good information to enable it to do so. Governors have become better informed only very recently about the quality of teaching and are beginning to have a better grasp of the school's performance and what needs to improve, having received training on performance data. Governors are aware of the additional sports funding although they are not aware of its impact on learning. They ensure safeguarding procedures meet current statutory requirements. While governors are aware of the spending of pupil premium funding, they have not made sure that it has improved the learning of eligible pupils. They are becoming more aware of the systems for managing staff performance and rewarding good teaching.

p.5

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 124986 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 426614

p.8

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

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 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marion Lowe Headteacher Marcia Goodwin Date of previous school inspection 15 October 2008 Telephone number 01342 832359 Fax number 01342 836016 Email address info@dormansland.surrey.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9