Fox Hill Primary School

Pondsmoor Rd, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 7JZ

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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

 Standards are not high enough at the end of Year 6 and, by the end of Year 2, too few pupils reach the higher levels, especially in reading and mathematics. The gap in achievement between those eligible for the pupil premium and their peers is too wide.  Some teachers’ expectations of pupils are too low and the work set is not always challenging enough, particularly for the most able. These teachers do not ensure that books are neat and work is well presented.  Pupils are safe and secure, but behaviour is not good enough because there are some classes where teachers do not check quickly enough whether pupils have understood the work set, or if the work is too easy. As a result, some pupils lose concentration and stop working.  Children in the Nursery are not making enough progress because the environment and activities are not stimulating and exciting enough to engage their interest for long.  Not all teachers mark pupils’ work in a way

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

that clearly shows the pupils how to improve, and they do not check often enough to see if their advice has been acted on.  The school has not planned in detail for the use of the additional sports funding, so it is not clear what extra opportunities will be provided for pupils, or how this will be sustained over time.  The governing body has not ensured that the school is held fully to account and that pupil premium money and the sports funding are spent carefully enough to improve achievement.  Teaching has not improved quickly enough because leaders and managers have not carried out rigorous checks on the quality of teaching. Disruptions to staffing have made it difficult for leaders to manage the quality of teaching and learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 Relationships between pupils and adults are strong and the school provides a safe and caring environment that pupils enjoy coming to. Attendance has improved since the previous inspection.  Following a period of instability in staffing, excellent teaching, now being provided in Year 6, is accelerating pupils’ progress.  The school is now arranging training for staff in how to improve pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics.  Pupils from minority ethnic groups make good progress overall, as do disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 14 lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  They also observed some small groups working with teachers or teaching assistants on specific programmes of study and attended an assembly led by a local minister.  Inspectors listened to a selection of pupils from Years 1, 2 and 6 read, had a formal meeting with a group of pupils and spoke informally to others in and around the school.  Inspectors held discussions with: the headteacher; the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors; leaders responsible for reading, writing and mathematics; the leader of the Early Years Foundation Stage; and the headteacher in her role as special educational needs coordinator. A telephone call was made to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentary evidence including: the school’s records of pupils’

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Information about this inspection

progress and standards; records of incidents of poor behaviour, exclusions and bullying; safeguarding documents; attendance information; the school’s website; minutes from governing body meetings; reports from the local authority; and the school’s self-evaluation documents and development plans.  Inspectors took account of the 30 responses to the online Parent View survey, the school’s own parental survey and the 14 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Penny Spencer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Michael Elson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There is one class in each year group from Nursery to Year 6.  Slightly more than a quarter of pupils belong to a wide variety of different minority ethnic groups and speak English as an additional language. This below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above the national average. In this school this additional funding is currently used to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who have parents serving in the armed forces.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 The school shares the site with a children’s centre which was not subject to this inspection.  Since the previous inspection there has been high staff turnover and some long term staff absence.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so it is consistently good or better in order to raise achievement, by making sure that:  work given to pupils is at the right level of difficulty, including work that is hard enough to stretch the more able pupils  all teachers frequently check that pupils understand the work set so that pupils remain engaged and focused on their learning  marking clearly shows pupils how to improve their work and teachers check that pupils act on this advice  the environment and activities in the Nursery are stimulating and exciting and match those seen in the Reception class, so that children make faster progress  pupils’ attitudes towards all aspects of learning are positive, behaviour improves and progress is not hindered.  Strengthen leadership and management by:  developing the skills of leaders and those in charge of other aspects so that they can provide better support to senior leaders

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 making sure that leaders carry out thorough checks on the quality of teaching, taking into account evidence on pupils’ achievement  developing the school’s plan for the improvement of sports provision, ensuring allocated funds are used to provide new and sustainable opportunities for pupils that lead to healthier lifestyles  ensuring the governing body rigorously checks on how the pupil premium and the sports funding are being used to improve standards and increase pupils’ opportunities.  swiftly implementing the planned training for some teachers on how to improve their teaching of reading.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

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

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards at the end of Year 6 and Year 2 have not been high enough over time, especially for the more able pupils. Progress has not been accelerated to ensure pupils catch up and attain more highly, especially in mathematics and reading. In 2013, the proportions attaining at the higher level (Level 3) at the end of Year 2 were below the national average in writing and mathematics, and well below average in reading. At the end of Year 6, standards were below average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Progress, especially in mathematics, is inconsistent across the year groups because some teachers do not plan work that challenges all pupils sufficiently. They take too long to realise that some pupils have finished easily, whilst others are struggling to understand what to do. Extra challenge for the more able is not readily available and explanations for those needing help are too slow to maintain pupils’ engagement and interest. As a result, pupils lose concentration

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and their progress slows.  Not enough pupils reach the higher levels in reading because pupils’ skills in understanding and interpreting what they are reading are not well developed, particularly in Key Stage 1 and Years 3 and 4. Activities provided for pupils do not help them to understand how to improve their reading. Better teaching in Years 5 and 6 is helping these pupils improve their skills, but this is yet to have an impact on standards.  Children start in the Nursery and Reception class with skills and understanding that are generally below those typically seen for their age. Children in Reception make good progress and achieve in line with, or above, national expectations. They move into Year 1 ready for the next stage in their learning.  Children currently attending the Nursery are not making good progress because the environment and activities are not stimulating or exciting enough to maintain their interest. As a result, too

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

many pupils wander about and do not become engaged in learning. This is in contrast to Reception where activities are engaging and inspectors were impressed with the length of time and levels of concentration shown by children when tackling tasks.  The progress of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is also inconsistent across the year groups, particularly in mathematics. As the numbers eligible for this support are small in some classes, and some also have special educational needs, it is difficult to make comparisons between this group and their peers. However, in 2013, eligible pupils were 20 months behind their classmates in writing and mathematics and almost two years behind in reading.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress from their starting points and achievement is line with similar groups nationally.  Children from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

make good progress and achieve well.  Better teaching in mathematics and the introduction of specific programmes to ensure basic mathematical skills are being learnt are having an impact on improving progress and attainment for all groups of pupils, especially in Key Stage 2.  Progress in writing exceeds that of reading and mathematics and many pupils, at the end of Year 6 in 2013, had made very good progress from very low starting points.  Improved teaching of the sounds that letters make (phonics) is ensuring that pupils have the building blocks for reading. Although still slightly below the national average, the proportion of pupils reaching the required standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 in 2013 improved considerably from 2012.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There is not enough consistently good teaching to ensure that all pupils make good progress and achieve well over time.  In classes where learning is not consistently good, the work is often too hard for the less able or too easy for the more able. As a result, pupils lose interest and stop working. This is not picked up quickly enough by the teacher or teaching assistants and remedied.  In some classes, teachers rely heavily on the use of worksheets that do not allow pupils to extend their understanding or which offer a low level of challenge. Some pupils do not take sufficient pride in their work on many of these sheets and their work books are often untidy.  The teaching of reading is not sufficiently well developed to ensure pupils make good progress, especially in Years 1 to 4. Teachers do not provide enough activities to develop pupils’ wider understanding of the books they are reading. Improvements in the teaching of phonics mean

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

that many pupils can read the text correctly but may not fully understand what the story is about.  Marking, although regular, is not consistently good across all year groups. It does not always provide pupils with clear guidance on how to improve and too often teachers do not check to make sure that pupils have improved. In some classes there is little opportunity for pupils to respond to the comments and correct their work.  Outstanding teaching in Year 6, coupled with good teaching in Year 5, is enabling pupils to make more rapid progress and high expectations are leading to an increased proportion of pupils working at the higher levels. Pupils in Year 6 are on track to achieve more highly than in previous years.  Teaching assistants are used well in the classrooms and provide good support for pupils, particularly those who are disabled or who have special educational needs. They work well with

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils in small groups, providing specific support for phonics and mathematics, and as a result these pupils make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. Their attitudes to learning are not consistently good. This is especially noticeable in those classes where teaching is not as stimulating or exciting.  In these classes pupils quickly become disengaged and they begin to chat socially or move around the classroom and distract others, disturbing their learning. In some cases this behaviour is not managed rapidly enough and sanctions are not consistently applied. This is in complete contrast to the classes where teaching is good or better, where behaviour is well managed and pupils are thoroughly engrossed in their learning.  A few pupils with more challenging behaviour still have problems following the rules, leading to periods of time out of class, working in the headteacher’s office or with other members of staff. These incidents are becoming increasingly rare as pupils recognise the need to behave well at all

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

times.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Most pupils like coming to school and this is shown in the increased attendance figures. The family support worker employed by the school has been instrumental in supporting families to ensure that the attendance and behaviour of their children are improved.  Parents who responded to Parent View and to the school’s own survey were very positive about the way the school looks after their children and keeps them safe; inspectors agree with this view.  Pupils have a good awareness of bullying in all its forms and are aware of the effects it can have on others. They told inspectors that bullying rarely happens and adults quickly sort things out. This is confirmed by the school’s accurate and detailed records, seen during the inspection, which highlight the fact that incidents are followed up thoroughly and have decreased in number.  Older pupils act as good role models for others by taking on responsibilities such as manning the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

school office at lunch times, acting as monitors and helping younger pupils. The school council is active and has been responsible for changes to the school environment.  The school has signed up to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and has accreditation as a Rights Respecting School. Children who spoke to inspectors were adamant that this had helped improve behaviour and relationships.  A recently appointed play worker has helped improve behaviour in the playground by introducing games, extra play equipment and by making lunchtimes more fun.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 High staff turnover and long term staff absence at all levels have slowed the drive for improvement and the school has not improved the progress of current pupils, especially the most able,in order that standards rise.  The leadership team has been stretched by these events and, as a result, has not had the capacity to check the performance of teachers rigorously enough. Consequently, areas of weakness have not been addressed or resolved quickly enough and the quality of teaching is still too variable across the school.  Senior leaders have had to take on a wide range of extra roles because other members of staff do not have sufficient skills or experience. The school has recognised the need to provide training more rapidly for staff who have the potential to take on more responsibility and is currently working on reorganising the leadership team.  Judgements on the quality of teaching are too reliant on lesson observation alone and do not

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The leadership and management requires improvement

take enough account of progress of different groups within each class or work in books.  Improved systems for analysing data and extracting information, for different groups of pupils, are helping leaders track progress more accurately. However, teachers are not using this information to help them plan work at the right level of difficulty for their pupils.  Performance management systems have been established and staff targets firmly link improved outcomes for pupils to increases in salaries.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Greater stability in staffing is beginning to result in improved achievement. This, together with a clear awareness that some staff require immediate training to support their teaching, shows that the leadership has capacity for improvement.  Leaders, including those responsible for physical education, have not produced sufficiently detailed action plans to ensure the additional sports funding is having a positive effect on pupils’ lifestyles. It is not clear what extra opportunities are being provided and how they are to be sustained and evaluated.  The way in which the pupil premium is allocated does not enable leaders and governors to check accurately whether it is having a positive effect on the progress of eligible pupils.  The curriculum broadly meets the needs and abilities of pupils, although opportunities for more able pupils to excel or be challenged are not as good as they could be. Trips, visits and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

opportunities for pupils to sing, make music and take part in sport promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  The local authority has provided effective support in the past for the school and the headteacher is very appreciative of the training and support she has received. However, a recent change in personnel in the local authority and a delay in monitoring, because of staff absence in the school, have meant they do not have an accurate picture of current achievement and teaching.  Discrimination, of any kind, is not tolerated in the school. All pupils have equal access to the range of opportunities available to them. However, not all pupils are receiving consistently good teaching.  Safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has recently been restructured and several governors are new to the role. They are very supportive of the school. However, they do not have an accurate picture of the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

quality of teaching or inconsistencies in progress for different groups of pupils; as result, they have not challenged leaders sufficiently. They understand how the pupil premium is spent, but have not asked challenging enough questions about the impact of the funding on improving pupils’ progress. Governors have not been given enough information to evaluate whether the additional sports funding is having a positive effect on pupils and have not insisted that it be available so they can fulfil their duties competently. Governors are now working closely with the local authority to see how they can increase the capacity within the leadership team to ensure the school continues to improve, even during difficult times. They have ensured teachers’ salaries are now more clearly linked to improvements in teaching and outcomes for pupils. They manage the budget competently and ensure all safeguarding procedures are fully

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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 109805 Local authority Bracknell Forest Inspection number 440984

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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 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 198 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Maureen Beadsley Headteacher Tracey Moyes Date of previous school inspection 30−31 March 2011 Telephone number 01344 421809 Email address secretary@office.foxhill.bracknell-forest.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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