The Crescent Primary School

The Crescent Primary School Toynbee Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 9DH

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Teaching is good, and some teaching is outstanding. As a result, pupils learn well and make good progress. Their achievement is good.  Progress is best in reading and writing. While pupils usually make good progress in mathematics, progress is slower for a few pupils, particularly those eligible for support through the pupil premium.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make especially good progress because of the support they get.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils like their school and get along with one another very well. Their attendance has improved and is now average. They feel safe, particularly regarding the building works.  The headteacher has developed a strong team to successfully bring the school through some turbulence over the past year, and manage the ongoing building works.  Together, leaders have ensured that adults are well focused on checking that pupils know

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

what they need to do next, through their targets, and that teachers know how to make learning effective.  Governors have an accurate view of the performance of the school, hold senior leaders to account for bringing about improvements, and check that all policies and procedures are in place. They are particularly aware of the requirement to keep pupils safe, and they make sure that the adults in the school are well trained to do so.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of teaching which is outstanding is not high enough to ensure all pupils learn exceptionally well. Occasionally, some teachers do not check how well pupils have understood what they are learning.  A few pupils, including some of those who are eligible for support through the pupil premium, do not make rapid progress in their mathematics.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 29 lessons taught by 18 teachers, as well as sessions taken by teaching assistants or coaches. About one third of these observations were undertaken together with senior leaders from the school.  Inspectors reviewed the work pupils have done in their books this academic year, as well as the school’s records about the progress of pupils while they have been at the school. They also considered a wide range of documents provided by the school, and held meetings with leaders, teachers, governors and pupils. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally during break times, and to parents before and after school.  Inspectors evaluated the school’s policies and procedures to keep pupils safe, and the records about how the school manages behaviour.  The inspectors considered the 89 responses to the online survey for Ofsted, Parent View. Other correspondence received during the inspection added to the overall picture of the school.

p.2

Information about this inspection

Inspectors also considered the views of staff about the school, through informal discussions.  At the time of the inspection, work had just begun on building new classrooms to accommodate the expansion of the school to three classes in each year group. This means that two classes were being taught in temporary accommodation alongside the school. Other classrooms had very recently been moved around or altered to facilitate the building work.

p.2

Inspection team

Andrew Saunders, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stephanie Matthews Additional Inspector Maureen Panichelli Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school and numbers continue to rise. There are currently two classes in each year group, with three classes in Reception as the school begins to expand to three classes in each year group.  Almost all pupils come from a White British background. A small minority of other pupils comes from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average, particularly so in some of the year groups. The proportion of pupils supported at school action is average; the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is average. This includes pupils who are known to have been eligible for free school meals. It would also include

p.3

Information about this school

children looked after by the local authority or children of parents serving in the armed forces, but the school currently has no pupils in these categories.  The school runs a breakfast club.  Until December 2013, the school was part of a federation with another local school, with a shared governing body and an acting head of federation. Following de-federation, there is now a separate governing body for this school. The acting headteacher of the federation was appointed as the acting headteacher of The Crescent Primary School. There are also two deputy headteachers.  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?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  checking that teachers’ marking of pupils’ work has high-quality comments and is consistently effective in helping pupils to improve their work  checking that teachers use sharply focused questioning to test out how well pupils have understood what they are learning, and use this information to adapt the tasks pupils are doing or the support they receive.  Increase further the rate of progress pupils make in mathematics, particularly for those who get additional support through the pupil premium, by checking the effectiveness of this support more closely.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils work hard and are given tasks to do which challenge them and develop their skills and knowledge so they learn well. The standards that pupils reach by the end of Year 6 have typically been above the national average. However, although Year 6 pupils made good progress from their starting points in 2013, there was a slight dip in standards in 2013.  Pupils make good progress across the school, particularly in their reading and writing. Progress in mathematics is usually good, but occasionally slows, for example for pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium. Extra support is quickly put in place for any pupil whose progress is not rapid, but the impact of this is not always checked quickly enough. Pupils are well placed to reach standards above the national average.  Pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium make better progress in their reading and writing. They reach standards which are higher than similar pupils elsewhere,

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

although they are about six months behind pupils in the school, and a little more in mathematics. The school is now more focused on narrowing the gap, and work in small groups taken by skilled adults is ensuring that gaps are now closing more quickly.  The progress of boys and girls, and of pupils from various backgrounds, is similarly good, including those who speak English as an additional language. The most able pupils are given very challenging work to do, and, in the best lessons, given opportunities to work well beyond the levels expected for their age.  Children join the school in Reception with widely varying skills and knowledge, although often below those typical for their age. They make good progress in Reception because the adults give these children lots of opportunities to develop their language, physical and social skills, and expect a lot of the children. By the time they move into Year 1, children have largely made up

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

the ground they need to and most are at a good level of development, are interested learners, who are ready for Key Stage 1.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because of the support they receive, and some make outstanding progress, particularly in their reading. Teachers and leaders closely check that any approaches used to help them overcome the difficulties they face are effective quickly.  Pupils are confident readers and enjoy the range of fiction and non-fiction books available in the library. Their love of reading very often goes beyond the classroom and a high proportion of pupils make use of the local library, which the school actively encourages.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Inspectors’ observations of teaching and learning, the work pupils have done in their books and the records of senior leaders show that teaching is almost always good. In some classes, teaching is becoming more frequently outstanding.  Pupils enjoy exciting ways of learning. For example, Year 2 pupils greatly enjoyed working with secret codes in mathematics and made rapid progress. Year 5 pupils enjoyed a dramatic lesson, writing about being shipwrecked. A large tray of sand was provided for pupils to stand on, to get a real feeling of landing on the beach after being shipwrecked. As a result, they wrote extensively, using exciting vocabulary.  Most pupils have a clear understanding of what they are meant to be learning because teachers check and question them carefully, but this is not always the case.  Pupils’ work is usually marked regularly and pupils are given helpful hints or questions to which

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

they can respond. However, on a few occasions, adults make comments in pupils’ books which are encouraging, but do not to help improve pupils’ learning. Occasionally, pupils do not get enough chance to respond to the comments and this also restricts how their work improves.  Pupils develop confidence in reading and spelling because the school has a consistent and effective approach to teaching phonics (linking letters and the sounds they make).  Pupils say that teachers make learning fun and that they get plenty of support and challenge. They added that they like the visits they are taken on, and particularly the residential trip which they look forward to. These all give them lots of experiences on which to base their writing, mathematics and other learning.  Pupils have targets at the front of their books to identify the specific steps each of them is working on in their writing and their mathematics. Teachers have high expectations of the

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

pupils, encouraging them to think hard about what they can do, and always have the next level of challenge or targets available.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, pupils are keen to work to the best of their ability, and quickly get down to the tasks teachers have given them to do. They are proud of their work and diligently keep track of their own progress towards their targets.  The attendance of pupils has improved and is now average. The school tracks carefully the attendance of particular pupils or groups of pupils whose attendance is not as good as others. It makes sure that parents understand the long-term impact of this. The school also helps some of these pupils make a good start to the day, through the breakfast club. As a result, the attendance of these groups has improved.  Pupils have many opportunities to take on responsibilities, and the process of formally applying for these roles means they gain good insight into how the wider world works. They take these responsibilities very seriously, and understand how this promotes the values of the school,

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

making it a positive, friendly place to learn and develop social skills.  Singing and drama are important parts of school life and many of the pupils participate in concerts and plays, along with pupils from other schools. The many other clubs are also popular; for example the chess club, with a long waiting list to join, such that the school has to run it more often.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The pupils said that they feel very safe at the school. As a pupil explained, any worries about the building site were put to rest during an assembly which explained the steps taken to keep them safe. They also know what they can do to help themselves stay safe. Their role in helping to carry out risk assessments helps to reinforce this. They know how to stay safe when using the internet; they know the dangers and what they should or should not do.  When asked, pupils said that they feel almost all pupils are well behaved. They understand that

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

a very few pupils find it more difficult to maintain good behaviour, but they feel that the school helps all of them to improve their behaviour, and expects the best of them. Inspectors found that pupils get along very well, they are immensely courteous and confident, and are well prepared for moving on to their senior schools.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has provided excellent leadership in a time of turbulence for the school, making sure that everyone knows what the school stands for. He helps teachers to keep their focus on learning while the building project goes on around them. Teachers share the vision for making the school the best it can be, and increasingly help to bring about improvements. Although some middle leaders are new to their roles, they are developing their confidence in tackling issues rapidly.  Teachers feel that they are given accurate, helpful feedback about the quality of their teaching, and any areas they need to improve are quickly followed up with support or training. All teachers are encouraged to reflect about their teaching; many research the very best ways to approach specific aspects of learning and share their findings. Improvements made to the approach to teaching problem solving in mathematics are a good example of this.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 There are good systems to keep track of pupils’ learning and teachers frequently discuss this with senior leaders. Any pupil who is not making enough progress is quickly identified. A wide range of support is available, through high-quality teaching, individual support or extra resources. Other training has ensured that teachers are particularly effective at providing the most able pupils with sufficient challenge, and at supporting disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. The school makes sure there is good equality of opportunity and that discrimination would not be tolerated.  Parents were very positive about the recent changes, and said that they feel they have been kept well informed about what is happening, particularly about the disruptions caused by the building works. As a result, the whole community is working together to minimise the disruption, making sure pupils’ learning continues to improve.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a wide range of opportunities for parents to understand more about their children’s learning, for example approaches to teaching mathematics, phonics and reading. Parents of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are frequently consulted and informed about the progress their children are making, and are helped to know how they can support their children’s learning.  Senior leaders have made sure that the extra money they get to improve the teaching of physical education is used well. The coaches they employ work alongside the teachers, so the teaching of sports and physical education has improved. Pupils say it is one of the many strengths of the school and helps them to keep healthy.  Teachers and leaders work together to keep up to date with developments about how they plan different subjects and evaluate the performance of the school accurately. They have begun to

p.6

The leadership and management are good

use some of the new aspects that will be required from September, and plan thoroughly so that they cover the skills and knowledge pupils will need within the topics they study. Homework is carefully planned so that it helps pupils to develop their own approaches to learning, and reinforces the work they do in class.  The local authority has provided a medium level of support as the school has tackled the process of leaving the federation, and as the building project proceeds. However, the school is increasingly independent in managing this.  The governance of the school:  Despite the recent turbulence during the de-federation of the school and the building works, governors have made sure that the focus on improvements has continued uninterrupted. Governors have an accurate view about how well the school is performing, because they keep up to date with developments within education and they undertake regular training. They

p.6

The leadership and management are good

spend time in school checking that the information they are given is backed up by other evidence. Governors check that all statutory requirements are met, including those relating to keeping pupils safe and checking that adults who work with children are safe to do so. Governors make sure that the finances of the school are used wisely to make the most of the resources and staffing available. They increasingly check that the pupil premium is spent carefully to improve the achievement of the pupils for whom it is intended. They also make sure that accurate information about the quality of teaching and the achievement of the pupils is used to help senior leaders make decisions about the level of pay awarded to teachers to encourage the best practice.

p.6

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 115886 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 431018

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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 433 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jinty Williamson Headteacher Ben Dixon Date of previous school inspection 14–15 May 2012 Telephone number 02380 612536 Fax number 02380 612612 Email address adminoffice@crescent.hants.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