Walmore Hill Primary School

Walmore Hill Primary School Walmore Hill, Minsterworth, Gloucester, GL2 8LA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Pupils’ achievement is inadequate for most groups of pupils, but particularly the most able.  By the end of Year 6, pupils do not make enough progress from their starting points in Year 1. Standards are low, particularly in mathematics.  Teaching is characterised by low expectations, lack of challenge and poor provision for the most able pupils.  There is too much variation in teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils.  In some lessons teachers do not insist on high enough standards of behaviour, which restricts the rates of pupils’ progress.  Systems for managing teachers’ performance are not rigorous enough to provide pertinent guidance on how to improve the quality of teaching to ensure all pupils make the progress of which they are capable.  Governors have not been successful in holding school leaders to account for the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils make.

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The school has the following strengths

 Around the school, pupils are polite, well- mannered and helpful.  There is some good teaching that helps pupils to achieve well, particularly in the teaching of phonics (letters and sounds they make) and reading.  Staff provide good support to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Children settle quickly into school in the Reception class.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in six lessons across all classes. The headteacher accompanied the inspector on three lesson observations. The inspector also observed one-to-one support and a whole-school assembly.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, members of the governing body, senior leaders, teachers and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector scrutinised work in pupils’ books, the school’s tracking information, school improvement plans, and documents relating to management and safeguarding.  The inspector spoke informally with parents and carers at the start and end of the school day.  The inspector took account of 11 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspector also analysed eight questionnaires received from staff.

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Inspection team

Lucy Maughan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than average.  The proportion of pupils who are entitled to the pupil premium (which in this school provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is below average. Only a very small number of pupils are supported by the pupil premium funding in this school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  There are too few pupils in each year group to report on whether the school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school provides for a number of pupils who remain on roll but have long periods of seasonal absence due to family work commitments. This means that published attendance figures are not

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Information about this school

representative of the actual attendance of all pupils at the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and speed up pupils’ progress by ensuring that:  teachers have sufficiently high expectations of the quality, presentation and quantity of pupils’ work  teachers plan lessons that challenge pupils of all abilities, especially the most able  teachers regularly check on pupils’ learning in lessons so that work can be adapted as required  individual pupils’ targets are set that help pupils to move on to their next stage of learning with confidence.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics by:  providing more challenging opportunities for pupils to apply their number skills  providing opportunities for pupils to use mathematical knowledge in other subjects  making sure that marking clearly identifies the strengths in pupils’ work and provides clear guidance about how improvement can be made.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management so that:  all leaders effectively check the quality of teaching and set targets that are directly related to pupils’ progress  leaders set precise targets with staff for improving their teaching skills and provide appropriate training to help them improve the quality of their teaching  systems to track pupils’ progress are followed consistently by all staff in order to identify and act upon any underachievement  subject leaders are given the opportunity and training to monitor the quality of provision and pupils’ learning in their subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve governors’ skills and knowledge in analysing information on pupils’ progress and how it compares with schools nationally, to enable them to challenge leaders more rigorously to improve the standards achieved by pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

External reviews of both governance and the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Achievement is inadequate because expectations are too low and weak teaching has not been tackled effectively. As a result, all groups of pupils are not making the progress of which they are capable in all subjects. Standards over time at the end of Year 6 are too low.  Over time pupils’ attainment has been too variable at both Key Stages 1 and 2. By the end of Year 6 standards in writing and mathematics have remained below average, with current work in mathematics showing little sign of improvement. Achievement in English and mathematics has not improved quickly enough.  Across Years 3 to Year 6, progress in mathematics has been inadequate because too often teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving and there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to apply their calculation skills.  The work set for the most able pupils does not enable them to achieve the higher levels of which

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

they are capable. However, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are given appropriate support to help them make steady progress.  Most children enter the Reception class with skills and abilities below those seen nationally for their age. They make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage. Currently, children are entering Year 1 with attainment which is broadly average.  Pupils’ writing is beginning to improve and reading standards have remained broadly average over time. The development of pupils’ knowledge of letters and sounds (phonics) in Year 1 has also improved. The 2013 check on phonics showed a good improvement on the previous years’ results.  The use of the pupil premium funding is inadequate. It has not been used efficiently or effectively to support eligible pupils to improve their achievement.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement, both over time and currently, is inadequate. Teaching is not strong enough to allow pupils to reach the average standards or to fill the gaps in their knowledge, especially in mathematics.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils are capable of doing, or of the quality and presentation of work they should complete are not high enough. Pupils’ work is generally scruffy and poorly presented.  Teachers do not use assessment information well enough to set work that is sufficiently challenging for all abilities, particularly the most able. Work set is either too easy or activities do not provide pupils with opportunities to extend their learning, which limits progress.  Teachers do not ensure that pupils understand their work or what is expected of them. Teachers do not check on pupils’ learning in lessons regularly enough. Too often, this means pupils are left to develop misconceptions about calculations made in mathematics or they are

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

not moved on to their next stage of learning swiftly enough. Marking in mathematics is not effective in helping pupils know how well they are doing or how to improve their work. Although pupils are set targets in both English and mathematics, pupils do not understand how to improve their work. Marking in mathematics makes little reference to how pupils can advance their basic skills.  Most teaching makes a secure contribution to pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to reflect on their work and teaching is not exciting or inspirational enough to fully support pupils’ spiritual development.  Children in the Reception class are provided with a good range of practical activities. Good questioning and support by adults ensure pupils make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development.  Teaching assistants provide effective one-to-one support for disabled pupils and those who have

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

special educational needs. With this support, these pupils make steady progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. While there is little unruly behaviour, the school does not encourage pupils to develop a positive attitude towards their work.  Teachers’ expectations of how pupils should behave are not high enough and low-level disruption is not always swiftly challenged; this usually happens when teaching does not engage pupils well enough or they are not moved on to their next stage of learning quickly.  Pupils’ behaviour is mainly positive, and where teaching is good, it contributes well to learning. This was seen in a mixed phonics and reading lesson, where teaching was targeted accurately for pupils’ needs and activities were lively and engaging to maintain pupils’ attention and enjoyment.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good; all pupils spoken to during the inspection said they felt safe in school. They know how to keep safe in potentially dangerous

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

situations, for example when crossing the road or using the internet.  Attendance has risen from below average to average. The school works well with families to improve levels of attendance, and parents are positive about the school as a whole.  All pupils who spoke to the inspector said that they feel safe in school and that bullying does not occur.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Leaders and managers do not demonstrate the capacity necessary to secure essential improvements. Current leadership and management arrangements for driving forward improvement and raising standards are inadequate, because not all leaders currently have the necessary skills to implement actions needed.  Senior leaders and teachers in charge of subjects do not have a clear picture of how well different groups of pupils are learning, particularly those eligible for the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and the most able, because they do not track pupils’ progress well enough.  Subject leaders have not yet been given sufficient training, time or opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in their subject.  While the school has information about pupils’ attainment, it is not yet analysing this information effectively enough to check whether pupils are making sufficient progress. This is hindering staff

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The leadership and management are inadequate

and governors in being able to understand how well pupils are achieving.  The management of teachers’ performance or the targets set currently to improve the quality of teaching are not precise enough and do not directly link to pupils’ achievement. Performance management is not used effectively to hold staff accountable for the progress of the pupils they teach.  Although the school offers pupils a range of subjects, including visits and visitors to enrich learning themes, activities planned for pupils do not always inspire and enthuse them to make the best possible progress. Opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills when learning in other subjects are too limited. As a result, the school is not promoting equality of opportunity well enough for different groups of pupils.  The school should not seek to appoint newly qualified teachers, as at present it does not have the capacity to support this group of teachers.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The school meets all government requirements in relation to the safeguarding of pupils.  The local authority has provided some support to the school, particularly in helping to develop links with parents and carers and offering advice to subject leaders new to their role. However, this has not yet had sufficient impact in reversing the underachievement, particularly in mathematics.  The governance of the school:  The governing body does not have an accurate view of the school’s effectiveness and lacks a thorough understanding of the school’s weaknesses. Although questions have been raised about data and information it receives, the governing body has been unable to follow them up and so has not been effective in challenging the school to do better. It has not addressed the quality of teaching and it has not ensured that performance management has been effectively implemented. The governing body is aware of the expenditure of the sports and pupil

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The leadership and management are inadequate

premium funding but has not checked if the funding has been used well enough. The governing body has relied too heavily on information provided by senior leaders and has therefore been hindered in its evaluation of how well the school is doing.

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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 115548 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 440330

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 38 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Dailey Headteacher Sue Meek Date of previous school inspection 22 March 2012 Telephone number 01452 750373 Fax number 01452 750373 Email address admin@walmorehill.gloucs.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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