Eye CofE Primary School

Eye CofE Primary School Eyebury Road, Eye, Peterborough, PE6 7TD

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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

p.1

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

 Pupils’ progress has been inconsistent in Key Stage 2 because of past weaknesses in teaching.  Not all pupils reach the standards of which they are capable, especially the most able.  Teaching requires improvement. Sometimes the work given to pupils is too easy or too hard for them.  On occasions pupils are not required to think deeply enough about their learning. Teachers’ questions, for instance, do not probe their understanding sufficiently.  Learning slows when the teacher does not adapt learning in lessons according to how well pupils are responding to their work.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length in a range of subjects.  Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. Their attitudes have not had a consistently good impact on their progress over time.  A significant proportion of parents who expressed a view, and some staff, have concerns about pupils’ behaviour.  While the school keeps records of any incidents

p.1

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

relating to behaviour, these are not always maintained in one place to show what actions have been taken.  Leadership and management require improvement. Leaders, managers and governors have not improved teaching sufficiently to sustain pupils’ good progress over time, or ensured that standards are high enough.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Children get off to a good start in Reception and achieve well.  Pupils have made good progress in mathematics this year.  The quality of marking is good.  Pupils read well by the end of Year 6.  Attendance has improved considerably and is now above average.  During the inspection pupils behaved well in and around the school.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 29 lessons or parts of lessons, including some jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Members of the inspection team heard pupils read and, with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, looked closely at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including development plans, policies, self-evaluation reports, monitoring files, safeguarding and subject materials, evidence of the school’s partnership work and information for families.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils chosen at random. Discussions were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and other staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and the vice- chair, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 77 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and spoke informally to parents in the playground. They also considered the school’s own survey of

p.2

Information about this inspection

parents.  The inspectors considered the 46 staff questionnaires that were completed.

p.2

Inspection team

Nick Butt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fatiha Maitland Additional Inspector David Webster Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (which in this school provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals) is average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is below average.  The school has recently expanded to having two classes in each year group.  There have been several changes of teaching staff since the previous inspection.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment by the end of Key Stage 2.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make teaching consistently good by:  giving pupils the right level of work, particularly the most able  helping pupils to think deeply about their learning, for instance, through probing questioning  adapting learning in lessons in the light of how well pupils are doing.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in writing by giving pupils more opportunities to write at length, including in other subjects.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by making sure that:  the records of any incidents that have occurred are clearly maintained in one place to show what actions the school has taken  governors support and challenge leaders to move the school rapidly to become a good school.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress in Key Stage 2 has been uneven because of some historical weaknesses in teaching. This year some pupils in Years 3 and 4 have had several changes of teacher which has slowed their progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2013 standards by the end of Key Stage 2 were average in reading and writing but below average in mathematics. Too few pupils reached the higher levels of attainment because their progress was not good. The most-able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged to reach the higher levels of attainment in some classes. This is because they are given work that is too easy for them.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 When children join the school in Reception their skills are a little below what is typically found. The present year group started with skills below those of previous years. Children in Reception make good progress because they are supported well and relationships are positive. They are well prepared for Year 1.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make steady progress in Key Stage 1 and standards are broadly average. Not enough pupils make good progress. In 2013 the proportion of Year 1 pupils who met the expected standard in the national check on skills in phonics (the sounds that letters make) was down on 2012. An increased emphasis on teaching phonics means that pupils are able to sound out unfamiliar words and attainment is rising.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The attainment of the current Year 6 pupils is above average in reading and it is average in writing and mathematics. The progress of these pupils is more rapid than last year’s Year 6. This is because the school has carried out a raft of measures to support pupils, including an Easter School.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils have made good progress in mathematics this year because the school has focused on improving their mental arithmetic skills and staff are applying the school’s calculation policy consistently. This means that pupils are building on their knowledge in a systematic manner.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There are pockets of good progress for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. However, some pupils are affected by weaker class teaching and do not achieve so well.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There has been a positive impact of the use of the pupil premium in Year 6. These pupils have made good progress. The impact has been less consistent elsewhere, especially when teaching is not so strong. In 2013 pupils supported by the pupil premium were more than three terms behind their classmates in mathematics, half a term behind in reading and just over two terms behind in writing. These gaps are narrowing this year.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Older pupils are enthusiastic about reading. The school has adopted a new approach with a greater focus on pupils studying high quality texts. This is supporting pupils in reading widely and understanding what they are reading.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Writing is not as strong as reading and mathematics because pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length. In Key Stage 2 pupils do not write sufficiently across a range of subjects. Work on improving spelling, punctuation and grammar is having a positive impact however.  The school is using its primary school sports funding well to promote healthy lifestyles and increase pupils’ participation in sport and physical education. In particular, the appointment of swimming coach is giving pupils greater access to the school’s indoor pool with consequent improvements to their well-being.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not yet consistently good. Teaching has been weaker in some classes and this has affected the progress of some groups of pupils. At times, in some year groups, the most-able pupils have been given work that is too easy for them.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Sometimes pupils are not required to think deeply and respond fully because some questioning is not probing enough. The progress of some pupils slows when teachers are not fully aware of how they are responding to tasks. This means some pupils struggle with work that is too difficult or finish work quickly if the work is too easy. Their misconceptions are not always dealt with straight away so they persist in making mistakes.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking is of a consistently good quality. Pupils know how to improve their work and enter into a dialogue with their teachers about their learning. They know what they have to do to reach the next level of attainment.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Some aspects of teaching work particularly well in the school. Good relationships exist between pupils and staff and there is consistency of planning across the school and clear objectives for learning that are shared with the pupils. As a result, Year 6 pupils knew exactly what they had to do when they were editing their work to describe a setting. With the help of word lists, dictionaries and thesaurus, they found interesting adjectives to bring their writing to life.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. They are trained well and provide effective support to individuals and small groups.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Children in Reception have an interesting range of activities that develops their learning effectively. For example, children were devising rules for the outdoor climbing apparatus as part of a focus on keeping safe linked to their commencement of swimming lessons that day.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. While pupils’ attitudes to learning are generally positive, they have not had a good impact over time on some pupils’ progress. Some pupils have found the many changes of staff unsettling. In some classes pupils’ work is untidy and they have not done their best.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Behaviour observed around the school during the inspection was mainly good, but over time it requires improvement. This is because a third of the parents and a fifth of the staff who responded have concerns about pupils’ behaviour. Some pupils recalled bullying in the past, although they said that this was not a problem for them now.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement. The school keeps records of incidents relating to behaviour, but these are not maintained in one place, and it is not always clear what actions have been taken to resolve a situation without all the information kept together.  The school can point to individual cases where pupils’ behaviour has improved as a result of the support they have received. The school’s caring ethos ensures that pupils feel valued and are given every opportunity to succeed. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Pupils have a clear understanding about different types of bullying such as cyber bullying and how to stay safe on the internet.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Pupils are keen to take responsibility through the school council and promoting awareness of the environment. They are proud of the school’s ‘Green Flag’. Pupils enjoy working on the school’s allotment to grow their own vegetables and collecting eggs from the school’s hens.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Attendance and punctuality have improved because of the school’s work to reduce absence. The learning mentor and inclusion manager work closely with families to ensure that pupils come to school regularly and on time.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The work of leaders, managers and governors has yet to show a significant and sustained impact on pupils’ progress and standards. While teaching is improving and standards are rising, there remains too much inconsistency in pupils’ progress in some year groups.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and managers are ambitious to see the school move its effectiveness to good and the headteacher and deputy headteacher make their expectations clear to staff. There are regular checks on the quality of teaching and learning and staff receive detailed feedback. This has been having a positive impact this year in particular and inadequate teaching has been eradicated.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The management of teachers’ performance is linked to whole-school priorities. All staff have targets to improve their practice. They do not receive pay increases if targets for pupils’ progress are not met.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Detailed tracking arrangements enable staff to consider how well different groups of pupils are doing, and to make changes to ensure that they do not fall behind. Termly performance meetings held between senior leaders and governors keep the school’s priorities under constant review.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have a clear idea about what the school does well and what needs to improve, but their judgements about aspects of the school’s effectiveness are sometimes rather generous. For example, not enough weight was given to the impact of staff changes on teaching over time.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subject and other leaders have become established in their roles since the previous inspection and are having more of an impact on improving teaching and learning. They keep a close eye on how well pupils are doing and produce detailed reports that set out what needs to improve.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Parents have mixed views about the school. Those who responded to Parent View and spoke to inspectors mainly expressed support, but there were concerns about behaviour over time and the many changes to staffing, especially in Key Stage 2. The school’s own survey of parents was much more positive than Parent View.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has a vibrant range of subjects with an international emphasis. This promotes pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural awareness well. ‘Wow days’ to launch topics are exciting and imaginative and motivate pupils. For example, during the inspection, Years 3 and 4 took part in a fashion show as part of their topic on ‘Dress to Impress.’

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 There is a good variety of clubs, visits and visitors. The participation rates of pupils supported by the pupil premium have increased considerably as a result of subsidies. The primary sport funding is being spent well on a sports partnership which brings coaching, training for staff and tournaments with other schools. It also pays for the swimming coach. This has increased pupils’ enjoyment of sport and had a beneficial impact on their well-being.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has provided good support for the school, including a helpful review of its work.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive of staff and increasingly challenging. They know about the standards pupils reach and the quality of teaching. They have supported leaders well in managing the rapid growth of the school. They know about how the pupil premium and sport funding are spent, and the impact they are having. They hold senior leaders and staff to account by making sure they are given clear targets for improvement and linking pay to performance. However, they have not had enough training to influence raising the overall effectiveness of the school and it still requires improvement. They ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.

p.7

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.8

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.8

School details

Unique reference number 110825 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 441991

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 345 Appropriate authority the governing body Chair Andy Goodsell Headteacher Clare Clark Date of previous school inspection 4 December 2012 Telephone number 01733 222314 Fax number 01733 222314 Email address admin@eye.peterborough.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.9

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.10

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.10

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 and 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.10

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.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10