Branton St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary School

Branton St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary School Valley Drive, Branton, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN3 3NB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have fallen over time, and are now average.  Pupils’ progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and across Years 1 to 6, is generally no better than expected in writing and mathematics.  The achievement of the most able pupils is not high enough; they are not always given work that challenges them to do their best.  Teaching is not consistently good. Some teachers do not make sure all pupils are given work that gets the best out of them. Some pupils do not achieve their full potential because staff do not check their progress in lessons rigorously.  The learning of pupils, in some lessons, is hindered by low-level misbehaviour, largely due to activities that do not enthuse pupils, or promote concentration and perseverance.  Actions taken by the headteacher, senior leaders and governors have not been effective enough, over time, to sustain high quality teaching, learning and achievement.

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

 A small number of parents do not feel that the school responds appropriately to their concerns, or provides enough information about the progress that their children make.

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The school has the following strengths

 Arrangements to keep pupils safe are good. Pupils say how well they feel cared for and valued by all of the adults. Parents believe their children enjoy coming to school.  Pupils make good progress in reading. They read regularly and develop a love of books and different authors.  The bespoke teaching of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good, and these pupils achieve well.  Governance has been reviewed. Governors are now well informed about the school’s work, and challenge rigorously the school’s leaders to improve teaching and pupils’ progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 13 different lessons, of which two were joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors also observed the teaching of small groups of pupils outside lessons and listened to pupils from Years 2 and 6 read.  Pupils’ work was sampled informally in lessons and inspectors looked at a number of Year 6 and Year 2 pupils’ English and mathematics books in detail, to gain evidence about the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress over time.  Inspectors also reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own data on current pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, minutes of governors’ meetings, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents pertaining to safeguarding.  Meetings were held with pupils, governors and school staff, including those with management responsibilities. Discussions also took place with representatives from the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors evaluated the 43 responses of parents and carers to Parent View (the OfSTED online questionnaire), and responses by parents to a recent school questionnaire. Inspectors took account of the views of 20 members of the school’s staff through the inspection questionnaires they returned.

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Inspection team

Andrew Swallow, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Claire Fisher Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  A much smaller than average proportion of pupils is eligible for support through the pupil premium. 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 who are looked after.  Few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and none speak English as an additional language.  The proportions of pupils supported through school action, supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, are below those found nationally.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been significant and recent changes to the leadership and management of the school, staffing and governance. At the time of the inspection, three temporary teachers were in

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Information about this school

place.  The inspection was carried out in response to a complaint made to Ofsted which raised serious concerns. The complaint was deemed to be a qualifying complaint and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole- school issues that were raised. Inspectors sought to establish whether:  standards at the school are falling  pupils are disadvantaged by variability in the quality of teaching  pupils’ behaviour is intimidating and there is bullying  temporary teachers forge positive relationships with staff and pupils  parents and carers’ concerns are dealt with appropriately by the headteacher

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching throughout the school, so that it is good or better, to accelerate pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics, by ensuring:  all teachers have high expectations about what pupils can achieve  teachers plan activities which make sure that all pupils, especially the most able, are given work that gets the best out of them  teachers plan activities that sustain pupils’ interest and concentration, so that behaviour and attitudes to learning are always good  teachers check pupils’ learning and progress more accurately, mark their work more carefully, so that pupils know what to do next to improve, and give them time to do so  teaching assistants know what is expected of them and that their skills are developed so they can help pupils to learn effectively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics across all years, including the Early Years Foundation Stage, by:  making sure pupils practise mental calculation skills more frequently  providing more opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills to solve problems and apply them in other subjects, and to use them outdoors in the Early Years Foundation Stage  promoting more opportunities for pupils to record data in a wider range of graphs and charts  encouraging pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 to take greater care with shaping letters when writing, write individual words and simple sentences sooner, and ensure handwriting is legible and written work is well presented  providing more opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 2 to use a wide range of language when writing for different audiences, and in different subjects, and to improve pupils’ accuracy in

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management, by:  ensuring all leaders and managers feel confident, and have the necessary time, to check and improve the quality of teaching  using more rigorously the detailed information gathered about pupils’ progress and attainment, to ensure all teachers use this information to plan for all pupils to make good progress  developing more exciting, relevant and real-life scenarios through which to promote more successfully pupils’ writing and mathematical skills  improving the relationship with parents and carers so that any concerns raised are acted upon swiftly and successfully, and the information they receive about their children’s progress is regular and easy to understand.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because not enough pupils make good progress over time. This is confirmed by information provided by the school, together with work seen in pupils’ books and in lessons. Teaching does not get the most out of all pupils. Activities are not planned well enough to interest pupils or to help all pupils to do their best. As a result not all pupils make the progress expected of them, or of which they are capable. This is particularly true of the most able.  Children enter the Reception class with skills that are generally expected for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. Overall, they make expected progress to reach a good level of development by the time they enter Year 1. Whilst they form good relationships, and their confidence develops well, their writing skills are less advanced. They are not encouraged enough to experiment in making early marks, concentrate when shaping letters

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and be adventurous in writing single words and simple sentences. The outdoor areas are not used sufficiently to improve children’s problem solving and mathematical skills, or to stimulate imaginative conversation.  Standards by the end of Key Stage 1 have fallen of late and are broadly average. They are higher in reading, than in mathematics and writing. This represents overall expected rates of progress, given pupils’ average starting points in Year 1.  Achievement across Years 3 to 6 is no better than expected overall. End of Year 6 standards have fallen, over time, and are average, overall. They are higher in reading than in writing and mathematics.  Pupils make good progress across the school in reading because they are taught increasingly well to link letters with the sounds of words and to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases. Much work has taken place recently to develop teachers’ skills in this area. The school’s

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

information indicates a much larger proportion of pupils on track to reach the expected standard in the check of pupils’ early reading skills at the end of Year 1, than in 2013. Pupils of all ages say how much they love reading and their reading records show they read regularly at home, as well as in school.  In mathematics, not enough pupils make good progress because they do not practise basic mental calculations regularly enough. Consequently, their ability to use simple mathematical skills is held back. Teachers do not provide consistent opportunities for pupils to solve problems set in real-life scenarios and reinforce key number skills in different subjects. Too few activities encourage pupils of all ages to record data in different ways and experiment with a range of graphs and charts.  Pupils’ writing skills are not developed as well as they might be, because they are not given enough opportunities to write for extended periods of time in subjects other than in English. Key

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

skills in spelling and punctuation are not developed systematically enough. Some pupils cannot use the range of language that enables them to express confidently their views in formal and informal situations and for different audiences.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make better progress when taught in small groups outside the classroom, than they do in lessons. This is because adults plan to meet their needs more effectively, and so they achieve well overall. The effectiveness of teaching assistants in lessons is too variable. Some of the most able pupils underperform because they spend too much time completing similar work to their peers and are not stretched with more challenging tasks soon, and often, enough.  The very small numbers of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds make the same progress as other pupils in their class, as do the small proportion of pupils supported through the pupil

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

premium. As a consequence, by the end of Year 6, these pupils attain on average similar national curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics, as their peers.  Different groups of pupils generally achieve simarly to one another. However, the achievement of most pupils requires improvement. The school is aware of this and is working hard towards its commitment to equality of opportunity by ensuring that all pupils achieve well.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, over time, requires improvement because it has not been strong enough to ensure that pupils in all years make good progress. Inadequate practice has been tackled and eradicated.  Teaching does not make sure that all pupils are given work that gets the best out of them. Some teaching does not provide activities that are interesting, exciting and relevant to pupils’ experiences. This results in some pupils, particularly the most able, losing interest and not building on their previous skills. As a result some pupils are not fully prepared for the next stage of their education.  Some teachers do not check pupils’ learning and progress with sufficient accuracy or mark their work carefully enough. Consequently, pupils of all abilities do not always know what to do next to improve, nor are they given time to do so. Marking is particularly strong in Year 6 where regular and helpful comments ensure that pupils understand the next steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants provide good quality care and support, but in some lessons their expectations of what pupils should be able to achieve are not high enough. This limits the amount of progress that pupils make.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement. Adults do not plan, or assess, carefully enough a full range of indoor and outdoor experiences that complement each other. In particular, they do not make enough use of the outdoor space to ignite children’s curiosity, inspire their imaginative talk and enhance their developing numeracy skills.  Relationships between pupils and adults in all classes are positive. This encourages pupils’ good personal and social development.  Some teachers inject enjoyment into learning, manage pupils’ behaviour well and challenge their thinking. They are beginning to make up for lost learning. In Year 6, for example, pupils thoroughly enjoyed writing a blog for the school’s website about the cloning of puppies,

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

stimulated by a recent newspaper article. Some used computers to edit the article, some wrote with prompts and the most able were challenged to write without any assistance, in an amusing tone. In Year 4, pupils concentrated and persevered well in subtracting 3, 4 and 5 digit numbers, constantly chivvied by the adults present. The more able eagerly applied their understanding in one and two step problems, rooted in relevant contexts.  Additional support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs ensures that these pupils achieve well, particularly in small groups outside the classroom, across the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not always positive, especially where work is not set at the right level, lacks challenge or fails to interest them. Although most pupils behave well in lessons and are quick to respond to teachers’ instructions, there are instances of low-level misbehaviour by a small minority. The most able pupils say they have a desire for harder tasks and more challenge in their learning and say a few pupils misbehave in lessons because they are bored.  A minority of parents and carers indicated concerns about the behaviour of some pupils in response to a recent school questionnaire, and in response to Parent View. The school’s records show some incidents of low-level misbehaviour, but confirm that more consistent approaches to the management of behaviour by all adults are starting to reduce such incidents. Behaviour seen around school during the inspection was good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s records show that there are few incidents of bullying over time. Pupils say that adults generally respond quickly to any incidents that occur. Staff take a genuine interest in their pupils and ensure that they play well together at break and lunchtimes and socialise in a polite manner in the dining hall. In turn, pupils respond positively to the supportive relationships, generally look after one another well and say how much they feel valued.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils’ attendance is rising and is currently above the national average. Few pupils are persistently absent. The school’s work to discourage families from taking holidays during term time, is paying off.  Child protection policies and procedures are good. Staff training in keeping pupils safe is up-to- date and staff are vigilant in ensuring the welfare of all pupils.  Pupils are proud of their school. They take pleasure in wearing the school uniform and help to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

keep classrooms and corridors spotlessly tidy. Pupils are keen to talk about their roles as playground leaders, junior first aiders and school councillors.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There have been widespread changes in staffing since January 2013, including the appointment of a new headteacher and senior leadership team, and new governors. During the inspection, three of the school’s seven teachers were temporary. These changes have disrupted the quality of teaching, and processes through which the overall performance of the school is checked, have lapsed. Standards have fallen and some pupils have underachieved. Historically, governors recognise that they have not held the school sufficiently to account for its outcomes, particularly in writing and mathematics.  Much has improved since the beginning of the present school year. The local authority has brokered a great deal of successful support from authority consultants and lead practitioners in local outstanding schools and provided helpful training for governors. This support has boosted the capacity of the headteacher in tackling ineffective teaching, improving the quality of lessons

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and checking how well all pupils are doing. The school’s most recent information shows that standards are rising and that rates of pupils’ progress are increasing.  New procedures are not yet fully embedded. Not all leaders and managers are yet confident, or have sufficient time, to support the headteacher in checking and further improving the quality of teaching. As a result the present drive for improvement rests too heavily on the shoulders of the headteacher.  The school’s arrangements to check on pupils’ levels of attainment and to track their progress are not being used rigorously enough. Leaders know how well pupils, including those from different groups, are performing, but are not yet fully successful in ensuring that all teachers use this information to ensure enough pupils make good progress.  The school’s evaluation of its performance is accurate. Action plans identify the right priorities

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The leadership and management requires improvement

for further improvement, with precise actions, indicators of success and time scales.  New appraisal processes now set teachers challenging targets, with appropriately targeted support. The headteacher and governors are holding teachers increasingly accountable for the school’s outcomes. They ensure that any pay increases are merited, as a result of effective teaching.  The curriculum provides a range of off-site visits and beyond-school learning experiences. Pupils enjoy activities planned around life in ancient Egypt, the Tudors, magnets and springs, and programming robots, but the curriculum does not fully promote pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills in exciting, relevant and real-life contexts. Extensive local church activities, including the Jubilate club and opportunities to sample archery, cheerleading and aromatherapy, together with links with children in African villages, contribute to pupils’ good spiritual, moral,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

social and cultural development.  The pupil premium funding is used to good effect. Leaders and governors review regularly the impact of additional teaching assistants, small group teaching and mentoring, in reducing gaps in pupils’ progress and attainment. The new primary school physical education and sport funding is also spent appropriately on staff training, with a range of coaches working alongside teachers to improve the teaching of gymnastics and different sports. These arrangements are improving the well-being of more pupils and increasing the numbers of pupils taking part in after-school sporting activities.  Staff say how much they are committed to improving the school, how morale is strong. Parents are generally supportive of the school’s work, although a minority express concerns that their views are not readily acted upon, that they do not receive sufficient information about their children’s progress and that adults do not manage pupils’ behaviour as well as they might.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Safeguarding meets requirements.  The governance of the school:  The work of the governing body has been overhauled over the last 12 months. Through the new committees, governors now fulfil their statutory duties well, undertaking regular training to ensure staff safeguard pupils' welfare.  Governors now challenge senior leaders confidently and take robust actions to improve the school’s performance. A joint committee with local authority representatives has begun to hold the headteacher strongly to account for improvements in teaching.  Governors are regular visitors to the school and write reports, following visits, which are discussed at governors’ meetings. They engage external consultants to confirm the accuracy of the school’s self-evaluation processes and the reliability of pupils’ progress information.  Governors contribute effectively to decisions about additional funding, resulting in those pupils

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The leadership and management requires improvement

who receive it making progress at least in line with others.  Governors regularly check the performance of staff and ensure pay awards are linked to pupils’ progress.

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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 106767 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 444255

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 205 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Barbara Upton Headteacher Celia Oates Date of previous school inspection 12 June 2008 Telephone number 01302 537344 Fax number 01302 533091 Email address admin@st-wilfrids.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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