Adwick Primary School

Adwick Primary School Stafford Road, Woodlands, Doncaster,South Yorkshire , DN6 7LW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that has serious weaknesses.  Pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, including pupils supported by the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs in Key Stage 2 is inadequate.  Standards by the end of Year 6 are too low given pupils’ previous starting points.  Teaching over time is inadequate. Not all teachers have sufficiently high expectations of their pupils or plan work well enough to match pupils’ varying needs and abilities.  Too little teaching helps pupils to quickly fill gaps in their spelling, punctuation, grammar and number skills.  Some pupils, especially in lower Key Stage 2, lose interest in lessons because the work does not engage them. They become restive and disrupt the learning of others. Where teachers fail to manage such interruptions effectively, pupils achieve too little. As a result behaviour requires improvement.  Leaders and governors do not always check

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

that training for staff has a significant impact on improving the quality of teaching in every class and that behaviour is always managed well.  Subject leaders, particularly in mathematics, are not involved enough in improving teaching and learning and checking that pupils’ progress is good enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher, together with senior leaders and governors have successfully tackled much of the inadequate teaching. Teaching is improving with more that is now good.  Pupils in most classes across the school are now making better progress than in 2013. Senior leaders have the ability to make further improvements.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe and happy at school.  Attendance has improved and is now at average levels.  Children in the Nursery settle quickly and make a good start to their learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 23 lessons, six of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and one of the deputy headteachers. In addition, the inspectors made other visits to classes, looked at pupils’ work and listened to a number of pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, three other governors, the headteacher, other leaders and managers and representatives from the local authority and an outside agency contracted to support the school.  There were 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors took account of these and the views of a number of parents spoken to during the inspection, the school’s parental survey and 30 responses from staff that completed Ofsted’s staff questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, planning

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Information about this inspection

and monitoring documentation, and the records of how the school uses its funding, especially how the money from pupil premium and sport is spent. Records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding were also taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Rajinder Harrison, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Baljinder Khela Additional Inspector Pamela Hemphill Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended), Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this school

 This is an above average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus is also above average.  The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well-above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school was established as a primary school in January 2013 when Adwick Park Junior School amalgamated with the previous Adwick Washington Infant School.  There have been a number of staffing changes at all levels since the school was established, including a new headteacher and senior leadership team. A significant minority of teachers hold

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Information about this school

temporary positions.  The school is split across two sites that are half a mile apart; infants on one site and juniors on the other.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching across all key stages and particularly in lower Key Stage 2 so that all is at least good or better by ensuring that: - all teachers consistently plan lessons that challenge and engage all pupils appropriately, particularly those at most risk of falling behind in their learning at Key Stage 2 - all teachers have higher expectations of all pupils - all teachers carefully check that pupils understand what they are learning, that pupils are productive and learn well when they work on their own and that they behave well at all times - all teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and give pupils the guidance they need to improve their learning in all subjects - the teaching of mathematics is improved so that all pupils are secure in their number skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in order that all pupils, particularly in some Key Stage 2 classes, make at least good progress in English, especially in reading and writing, and in mathematics by ensuring that: - spelling, grammar and punctuation skills are taught well and applied consistently in all classes and pupils have more opportunities to write at length to extend their literacy skills - pupils’ ability to understand and recall key number facts and multiplication tables are secure and that pupils apply them confidently in calculation and problem-solving activities - pupils supported through the pupil premium funding and those with special educational needs receive effective and timely help to accelerate their learning so that they achieve as well as they should.  Improve further the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governors, in driving forward the school’s improvement by: - making sure that staff training has a significant impact on the quality of teaching, and if

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

necessary attending to where it is not, in order to accelerate pupils’ progress in every class - ensuring that behaviour is managed well in all lessons - ensuring all subject leaders conduct rigorous checks on teaching and learning and drive improvements effectively in their subjects - undertaking an external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Pupils’ achievement is inadequate because, over time, in Key Stage 2, pupils do not make the progress expected of them nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result too many pupils, including pupils supported by the pupil premium and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, are underachieving.  In national tests and assessments at the end of Year 6 in 2013, standards were below average overall. The proportion of pupils that reached the nationally expected Level 4 in spelling, punctuation and grammar and in mathematics was significantly below average. This reflects inadequate progress from their previous broadly average starting points.  Children start in the Nursery with skills that are below those typical for their age and a minority are well below in their communication and number skills. As a result of good support, children settle quickly and enjoy learning. However, because teaching is not consistently good in the

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

Reception classes, this good start is not sustained and so most children start in Year 1 with skills, knowledge and understanding that are below those expected.  Overall, most pupils make expected progress in Years 1 and 2. Results in the teacher assessments at the end of Year 2 show that overall standards in reading and mathematics are below average. In writing, however, standards are better and are broadly average.  In the past, the quality of teaching has been too weak to enable pupils of varying abilities to achieve as well as they should. Lower- and middle-ability pupils underachieve. They have too many gaps in their knowledge and skills and are yet to make up for lost ground. The most able pupils generally make expected progress. However, too few of the most able pupils make good progress because teachers’ expectations are not high enough to help them achieve well.  The school’s data shows that an increasing proportion of pupils currently in school are making

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

good progress. However, teaching continues to be inadequate in lower Key Stage 2 classes and so pupils’ achievement overall is still inadequate.  The new programme used by the school for the teaching of letters and the sounds they make has started to accelerate pupils’ progress in reading and particularly in writing at Key Stage 1, especially for middle- and lower-ability pupils who previously were at risk of falling behind. Additional support that targets pupils who have gaps in their learning, particularly at Key Stage 2, is proving effective in accelerating their progress this year.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 who have not previously benefitted from a step-by-step approach to developing their literacy skills in the past, still make too many basic errors in their spelling, punctuation and grammar. They do not have enough opportunities to write at length in English and other subjects. This hampers pupils’ learning and so achievement in English is still

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

inadequate.  Progress in mathematics in some Key Stage 2 classes is also too slow. Number and calculation skills are not developed effectively from year to year so that pupils build successfully on what they already know and can do. Too many older pupils find it difficult to understand, recall and apply their learning when solving problems on their own.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have not made sufficient progress as a result of weak teaching combined with programmes that have not met their needs effectively in both English and mathematics, particularly through Key Stage 2. Improved teaching and more-effective support staff means that the progress of these pupils is now accelerating across the school and more of them are now making expected or good progress.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium have also underachieved, making similar inadequate progress as other pupils in the school. The attainment of this group of pupils, at the end of their

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

Year 6 in English and mathematics, overall was below the national average for similar pupils in 2013. In spelling, punctuation and grammar, these pupils lagged behind other pupils by up to two or three terms. Leaders recognise that this gap is too wide and, as a result, the funding allocated for these pupils is now being used more effectively to provide urgent additional support to narrow the gap quickly. Although this shows that the school is committed to promoting equal opportunities for all pupils, their inadequate achievement through Key Stage 2 shows that this has not yet been achieved.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teaching over time is inadequate. Although improving, too little is of good enough quality to accelerate pupils’ progress quickly and close gaps in their knowledge, particularly in lower Key Stage 2. However, as a result of the leadership’s actions, teaching is improving, particularly in terms of teachers’ planning and behaviour-management skills. There is now more good, and some outstanding, teaching, but there is still inconsistency across year groups and classes and some inadequate teaching remains.  Some teachers occasionally do not plan work that challenge pupils’ different abilities appropriately; in some lessons the work is too hard for some and too easy for others, so that, overall, pupils, especially those most at risk of falling behind, fail to make the progress they should. Often these teachers’ expectations are not high enough of what pupils should complete in the time allocated and so some produce too little work and so underachieve.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Pupils do not have enough opportunities to research new information, practise their skills or find out things for themselves. For example, to write at length or to carry out investigations in mathematics.  In some lessons, pupils are not sufficiently engaged because the work fails to hold their interest. When this happens, a few pupils become restless and their behaviour falls below an acceptable level; behaviour is not always managed effectively to prevent disruption to learning.  Not all teachers use questioning well enough to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding effectively step-by-step. Consequently, some pupils produce work that is poorly presented containing too many errors in their basic literacy and numeracy skills.  The teaching of spelling, grammar and punctuation skills is not consistent across the school. Pupils in Key Stage 2 particularly have limited strategies on which to draw to check for errors in

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

their writing and so standards remain too low. Similarly, the teaching of mathematics, especially number skills, is weak. Pupils become frustrated when they cannot identify errors in their calculations, and so make little or no progress.  Marking is too inconsistent. Some clearly identifies what pupils have done well and what they might do to improve their work. However, pupils are not always encouraged to make sure they produce their best work. As a result pupils frequently produce too little in the time given, hand in work that is untidy and incomplete, and some work goes unchecked for too long.  Some teaching is good and enables pupils to learn well. This is where teachers plan interesting work and hold pupils’ attention well through asking probing questions and promoting lively discussions. For example, in a Year 6 literacy lesson where pupils made outstanding progress because they enjoyed the challenge to write a radio report to capture the listener’s attention and

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

imagination. Pupils worked together enthusiastically because the teaching was inspirational.  In the Nursery Year, Key Stage 1 and Years 5 and 6 teachers have good subject knowledge and so plan work that helps pupils learn more effectively. In these instances, pupils have a better understanding of what they are learning and know what they have to do to succeed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. In lessons that lack interest and a clear purpose, good standards of behaviour lapse. This is not always checked quickly or effectively enough by staff and, as a result, the behaviour of a few pupils disrupts the learning of other pupils.  Most pupils do behave well in lessons however. Improved behaviour across the school is now starting to have a positive effect on improving pupils’ achievements. Behaviour has improved in the last year because senior leaders expect staff to implement school policies consistently to manage and support good behaviour at all times.  Most pupils enjoy school and display generally positive attitudes to learning. They are proud of their school and acknowledge that both behaviour and teaching have improved in the last year and they welcome these improvements. Pupils are generally keen to learn and most try their best even when lessons lack interest and purpose. Behaviour at lunchtimes is generally good,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

but occasionally in lessons where staff do not follow school guidelines fully a few pupils do not behave as well as they should.  Most parents agree that their children enjoy school, behave well and are happy with the care and support the school provides. Most staff agree that improvements in pupils’ behaviour are having a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel safe at school and are aware of what constitutes unsafe situations. They know how to keep themselves and others safe, for example, when using the internet. They know who to go to at school if they are worried or upset.  Most of the pupils spoken to have an adequate grasp of the various forms of bullying that might happen. They say that bullying is rare and if it occurs, staff deal with matters promptly. They say that racist and homophobic name-calling does occur sometimes but staff deal with these

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

incidents effectively.  While the school is located across two sites, regular social links between the upper and lower school promote a sense of unity. On both sites older pupils look after younger ones, for example at lunchtimes, and so develop a good sense of responsibility to care for each other.  Attendance has improved and is now broadly average. Most pupils attend regularly. The persistent absence of a few is a concern that leaders are tackling effectively.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 While the headteacher, senior leaders and governors have, in the last year, improved teaching so that more of it is now good and less of it inadequate, they have not fully ensured pupils make consistently good progress across the year groups. They have also yet to ensure that the basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics are taught consistently well enough to ensure that the wide gaps in pupils’ learning are closed quickly, particularly in Key Stage 2. As a result leadership and management require improvement.  The headteacher is leading the improvements strongly, and, with support from senior leaders, has identified the school’s strengths and weaknesses accurately. Together they are tackling key priorities with a strong sense of urgency. Behaviour and attendance have improved significantly. Staffing changes have resulted in a stronger workforce committed to raising standards quickly, including those in temporary positions.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Improvements in the teaching of literacy are showing signs of success especially in Key Stage 1. The school’s most recent assessments show that a higher proportion of pupils across the school are making stronger progress this year than previously. These improvements demonstrate that leaders have the ability to make further improvements.  The leadership of teaching has improved. Leaders’ checks of teaching have identified where staff need training and support to improve their skills further. The impact of this training has not yet been fully effective. This is because leaders, including governors, do not always check closely enough that all teachers consistently implement new approaches to teaching and behaviour- management strategies equally well. Too much variation in the quality of teaching, particularly in Key Stage 2, therefore still means that pupils’ progress is also still too variable.  The arrangements for senior leaders to hold teachers to account for the pupils’ progress have

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The leadership and management requires improvement

improved markedly this year. As a result pupils in many classes are making stronger progress.  Subject leaders, most of whom are relatively new to their roles, are not yet involved sufficiently in checking and improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning in order to raise standards, particularly in mathematics.  The school successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils’ learning and enjoyment of school is enriched well by visits to places of interest, social and sporting events and other community activities.  The primary school sports funding enables pupils to participate in a wider range of sporting and physical activities than was previously available, for example, sports clubs run by specialist coaches and the teaching of dance that is particularly popular. Specialist knowledge is being shared with teachers indicating that these improvements have the potential to be sustainable.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Safeguarding and child-protection procedures meet statutory requirements.  The local authority is providing the school with a range of training for staff and governors and good support to leaders in reviewing the school’s performance and identifying development priorities in order to support school improvement.  Good links are established with parents. Parents are given a good insight into what their children are learning. For example, in the lower school many parents come into school to listen to their children read or to play with them and thus support their child’s learning effectively.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has undergone effective training, for example, to better understand pupil performance data, and where teaching needs to improve in order to raise standards. Governors are now well informed about the management of teachers’ performance, including that of the headteacher, and they review teachers’ pay accordingly, making it clear to staff

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The leadership and management requires improvement

that pay awards will only be granted where it is evident that pupils have made good progress.  Governors manage the school’s finances efficiently. They understand and review the impact of the spending of pupil premium funding and sports funding on pupils’ achievement and physical well-being. They know that pupils supported through pupil premium funding underachieve and have allocated additional staffing to help these pupils achieve well this year.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s current performance, and what the school is doing to improve. Governors have the skills to challenge senior leaders regarding the school’s performance. They are very supportive of the headteacher and staff and are ambitious for the school and its pupils. They know that pupils are currently not achieving well enough in every class and that teaching still requires significant improvement to be good.

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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 106670 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 430657

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 423 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Houghton Headteacher Sharon Hutchinson Date of previous school inspection 16 September 2009 Telephone number 01302 723568 Fax number 01302 337357 Email address admin@adwickprimary.doncaster.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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