Woodton Primary School

Woodton Primary School Norwich Road, Woodton, Bungay, NR35 2LL

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Pupils’ progress has varied too much from year to year because teachers have only recently begun using information to check how pupils are achieving and change tasks if they are falling behind.  Teaching of older pupils does not fully challenge all ages and abilities, or give teaching assistants the guidance they need.  More-able pupils are not reaching the levels they should because the tasks they are given are often not demanding enough.  Teachers’ marking does not regularly give pupils advice on how to improve their work, and teachers do not always check that their advice is followed.  Some staff are unsure how to teach three or four age groups in one class.  Not all of the areas for improvement given the school at the previous inspection have been tackled successfully. For example, governors do not hold school leaders to account sufficiently for the quality of teaching and learning.  Governors cannot justify with certainty how

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

additional pupil premium funds have been used and the impact they have made.  School and subject leadership has not ensured good-quality teaching and higher standards and achievement.  The partnership with the neighbouring school is not strongly advancing achievement or the quality of teaching.

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The school has the following strengths

 In Reception, children settle quickly and make good progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do well because their needs are correctly identified and they receive good extra help and guidance.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong.  Pupils say they like school and feel safe. They endorse the positive direction given in the new behaviour code and, as a result, behave well.  Some well-considered actions by governors and school leaders are starting to have a positive impact on improving teaching and raising standards.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector sampled parts of six lessons. Two were jointly observed with the headteacher.  The inspector made other visits to classes, looked at pupils’ workbooks and listened to pupils reading.  Discussions were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff, governors, parents and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 10 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and direct communications from parents. The responses to nine staff questionnaires were also considered.  The inspector looked at a number of documents including: the school’s own information on pupils’ progress; planning and monitoring documentation; the school’s view of its own performance; records of how the school uses its funding, especially how the money from the pupil premium is spent; records relating to behaviour and attendance; and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Robert Greatrex, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller-than-average primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (the extra government funding for pupils looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is a little above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is well-above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also well-above average.  Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes. One includes Reception children and Years 1 and 2. The other includes Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.  The headteacher took up post in January 2014. One teacher has taught at the school for approximately one year, the other is a temporary appointment who started in November 2013.  The school is in a hard federation (a legal partnership) with Ellingham Voluntary Controlled

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Information about this school

Primary School. The schools share the headteacher, subject leaders and the governing body. Ellingham Voluntary Controlled Primary School was inspected at the same time as this inspection and receives a separate inspection report.  An independent nursery school is based on the school site and is inspected separately.  In 2013, there were too few pupils in the Year 6 age group for attainment of floor standards to be reliably reported. (Floor standards are the current government minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.)

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to be at least good in order to raise achievement by making sure that:  teachers use information about pupils’ progress to check all remain on track to achieve well and any falling behind are promptly helped to catch up  work set for Key Stage 2 pupils challenges all ages and abilities so that all pupils make good progress as they move through the school  tasks for the more-able pupils are demanding and give them the right level of challenge  teachers give pupils clear guidance on how to improve their work, and check they have understood and followed it  teaching assistants and other additional adults are given the information and guidance they need to ensure pupils learn successfully, and assistants are fully deployed in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by making sure that:  subject leaders undertake further training to ensure that they fully contribute to raising standards and improving teaching in their subjects  professional development is specific to teachers’ practice – for example, how to teach classes with three or four age groups  governors hold school leaders to account for the standards pupils achieve and the quality of teaching  the school can demonstrate that pupil premium funding is used as intended for eligible pupils and its impact analysed  the management structure of the partnership is adapted to provide stronger leadership, improved achievement and better teaching.

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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 governance may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because the progress pupils make varies too much each year. The more-able pupils are not reaching the higher levels they should, and pupils eligible for pupil premium funding are falling behind in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s information about pupils’ progress shows that the same pupils make faster or slower progress one year to the next. The present Year 6, for example, made much less progress in Years 3 and 4 than in Years 5 and 6.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Over several years, pupils have left the school at the end of Year 6 with broadly average standards. In 2013, standards fell because spelling, punctuation and grammar levels were very low. The school also believes that staff changes were detrimental to pupils’ progress. School forecasts for 2014 are for better progress and attainment. Even so, while the proportion set to reach the nationally expected level of progress is much higher, the proportion exceeding it remains low.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s data shows a similar profile of progress for Year 2. While the proportion on track to reach the nationally expected rate of progress in 2014 is higher, none are expected to exceed this.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 More-able pupils do not make the progress they should, particularly in Key Stage 2 where all four year groups are taught together. These pupils are not given the more-challenging tasks they need to reach higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Other than in the work of the headteacher, the partnership has failed to give sufficient leadership to enable rapid improvement in achievement, particularly in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Writing standards are improving because pupils have good resources to stimulate their thinking and help them to be more accurate – for example, in using punctuation. Mathematics standards have been relatively weak since the previous inspection. However, pupils currently receive a good grounding in the rules of computation and, as a result, approach problems more confidently.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs generally make good progress, whatever their particular needs. This is because teachers respond directly to pupils’ learning needs and check the extra help provided is effective. They know each pupil’s targets and see they are met.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2013, no Year 6 pupils were eligible for pupil premium funding. School information suggests that, until recently, the small number of eligible pupils in the school were not known to their teachers and no particular provision was made for them. Currently, these pupils do as well as others in writing, but are about a term behind in mathematics and two terms behind in reading. They are beginning to catch up.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children start school in Reception with a wide range of skills and experiences that are broadly typical at this age, but vary because of small year groups. They make good progress because they are keen to learn and are well taught. This year, about three-quarters of them should achieve a good level of development by the time they enter Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 How letters link to the sounds they make (phonics) is taught well. Teaching is well structured and at the right level for each pupil so progress is good. In the national screening check of Year 1 in 2013, the few pupils involved were ahead of national results. As a result, pupils’ reading standards are improving.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has not been good enough over time for pupils to make consistently good progress, particularly the more able. Teaching assistants are not always used to best effect. Work is not challenging in Key Stage 2 so that pupils make good progress. While all work is marked, guidance on the improvements expected of pupils is not clear enough and pupils’ corrections are not regularly checked.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good because recently introduced changes have not had sufficient time to have the impact intended on teachers’ practice and pupils’ progress. For example, the advice of an external consultant, chosen because of a strong track record in staff development, is not yet fully implemented.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The planning of learning, particularly in Key Stage 2, does not specify what all pupils are expected to do and achieve. As a result, more-able pupils in particular make insufficient progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers mark pupils’ work and accurately record what pupils have achieved. However, pupils are not routinely given guidance on how and what to improve in their work. Teachers do not regularly check that pupils have read, understood and followed the guidance given. As a result, some guidance is repeated and no improvement made in the meantime.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Currently, high-quality teaching is not identified and shared sufficiently across the partnership to impact on the overall quality of teaching and learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have made relatively good progress because teachers are responsible for checking their progress and changing their work if they are not doing well. Until very recently, this good practice has not been the case for other pupils. Although teachers now set targets and generally check pupils are on track to meet or exceed them, this practice is very new and confined to a small proportion of pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the learning of those who struggle, because they have been trained how to guide pupils who find learning difficult. They help those who find work difficult to do better in different contexts, but are hampered because they are not always deployed to full effect. There are occasions during lessons when they have no clear role and their time is wasted.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 English is, currently, taught more effectively, particularly the basic skills of grammar, spelling and punctuation, which have been weaknesses in the past. Consequently, pupils are better prepared for writing. Mathematics teaching too is, currently, improving. Calculation skills are carefully and accurately taught so even the youngest can add and subtract accurately.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Reception children benefit from good teaching. Whether taught by teacher or assistant, learning is purposeful. Children enjoy the tasks they are given; they are inquisitive, interested and enthusiastic learners.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Improvements in teaching are beginning to impact on learning. For example, in both classes pupils’ understanding of the learning intended is better clarified. They are able to ask themselves questions, such as, ‘How will I know that I have achieved this?’ They are thinking more directly about what they are to do, and are able to describe it to others. Teachers ask questions to check all pupils have understood what is to be learned. As a result, learning is more sharply focused.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Physical education is taught well and pupils respond positively and energetically to the purposeful coaching of techniques and skills that they receive.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They say they like the new system giving them greater reward and recognition for doing the right thing. There have been no recent exclusions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Despite headteacher and both class teachers being relatively new in their posts, the positive relationships between staff and pupils have been maintained.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children get off to a good start because most attend the on-site nursery which works closely with the school to see transition is a smooth process. Many events together, such as ‘wet water day’, mean children are familiar with staff and surroundings.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are overwhelmingly positive about learning. They try their best and want to do well even when teaching does not challenge them. Whatever their age, they take the initiative and responsibility for their own learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Assemblies are a time of joy in each other’s company; everyone feels valued.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Leaders make sure the school is secure and that staff are carefully checked prior to appointment. Pupils have a clear understanding of how to stay safe using the internet. Pupils develop a good sense of what is safe and what is unsafe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are happy at school and attendance is above average. Any family struggling to get children to school is given helpful support, but with the clear expectation that things must improve. Families respond well because this approach is effective.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents spoken to like the strong bond and sense of family between the pupils, and close relationships with staff who know each pupil individually.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Play and lunchtimes are wonderful occasions, filled with many varied experiences. Adults lead games and activities, while other pupils relax in the numerous quiet and secluded places.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Recommendations of the previous inspection have not been implemented, the management structure is in its infancy and subject leaders have yet to fully develop their roles. The school cannot demonstrate the impact of pupil premium funding on eligible pupils.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The impact of subject leaders on teaching and achievement has improved and they make a useful contribution, for example, checking standards in their subjects. However, a lack of training adversely affects their impact.  Only recently have teachers been required to methodically check pupils’ progress and adjust learning tasks according to what they find for pupils, other than those who have special educational needs.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Teachers receive good support and guidance that is targeted to meet their particular, professional needs. This support is recent, however, so impact shown in their revised practice and resulting progress is limited. They have yet to form a clear view of how to maximise learning, particularly for the more able, and in classes providing for several year groups.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher has recognised all that needs doing, prioritised well so that fundamental changes are being made. She has called on outside specialists to help with specific tasks. As a result, progress is, currently, better and the quality of teaching is improving. However, the pace of improvement in teaching and achievement is hampered by the management structure of the partnership, which relies largely on the headteacher, supported by the limited experience of subject leaders.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils say the range of subjects they are taught is interesting and varied. They particularly like all the extra activities they do outside the timetable. The school grounds are stimulating and offer a very wide range of learning opportunities that pupils say they thoroughly enjoy.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Sports funding is used very effectively. Pupils enjoy the energetic activities and know they are doing them good. Staff watch and learn from skilled coaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The partnership with parents is strong. All parents responding to the online questionnaire would recommend the school to another parent.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Links with senior schools are good. Pupils confidently look forward to the next stage in their education. Prior to their move, they have several enjoyable and interesting events, such as ‘forensic day’, when they get to work in their new surroundings.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Local authority support is, currently, good because the headteacher has been clear and precise about what the key improvement priorities are so that help can be more focused.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The quality and range of governors’ monitoring of the school and evaluation of information, particularly about pupils’ standards and the quality of teaching, has only recently begun to improve, despite the recommendations of the previous inspection report of 2010. In the meantime, they have not held school leaders to account for the quality of education provided. They now undertake regular visits to gain first-hand information to inform their decision making, and each is linked to a subject, class or both. Governors have only recently begun monitoring pupil premium funding closely. They still rely heavily upon the headteacher for guidance and support, for example in fulfilling legal requirements to link staff pay to performance. They do have procedures in place to tackle underperformance. Legal requirements, including those for safeguarding, are met. Reviews of governance, use of the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

pupil premium and more effective liaison across the federation are recommended to help governance to be fully effective.

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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 120866 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 442642

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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 37 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elizabeth Ward Headteacher Charlotte Whyte Date of previous school inspection 28 June 2010 Telephone number 01508 482294 Fax number N/A Email address office@woodton.norfolk.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 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

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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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