Delapre Primary School

Delapre Primary School Rothersthorpe Road, Far Cotton, Northampton, NN4 8JA

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  School leaders and managers are passionate about pupils achieving high standards.  Although many pupils start with below average skills and experience, standards are close to average when they leave the school.  Achievements in sport are exceptional and pupils enjoy a wide range of extra opportunities outside school hours.  Senior staff have high expectations of pupils and all staff understand and share their desire for the school to be as good as possible.  The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They have the highest expectations for their own behaviour and they know how to keep safe.  The large majority of pupils make good progress, especially in mathematics.  Teaching is good. Staff have clear expectations, have exceptionally positive relationships with pupils and provide a very good range of extra clubs and activities.  Parents are pleased with the quality of education and care provided.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in reading and writing was not as strong in 2013. Although it has now improved there are still a few pupils who have not made good progress in writing.  Although subject leaders and governors have clear information about the progress of different groups of pupils they are not always using this to ensure that all are making good progress.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited parts of 20 lessons across the full age range in school. Two of these were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher with responsibility for special educational needs, the literacy and numeracy leaders, and the Early Years Foundation Stage leader.  Inspectors spoke to two groups of pupils and several other pupils during lessons, break and lunch time.  A meeting was held with two representatives of the governing body and a separate meeting with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the views of the 163 parents from the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also spoke to a small number outside of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed the 48 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school’s work including information on pupil’s progress, planning and monitoring documents. They considered records relating to behaviour, attendance and

p.2

Information about this inspection

safeguarding.  Inspectors also listened to individual pupils reading and scrutinised several examples of recent work from all year groups.

p.2

Inspection team

David Bray, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Nicholas Flesher Additional Inspector Gillian Weston Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is a larger than average sized primary school.  Around one quarter of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, which is slightly less than the national average. About one tenth of pupils speak English as an additional language.  About one fifth of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is slightly below the national average. This provides additional funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs identified at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is very low. No pupils are currently identified at school action. This is because the school is maintained by a local authority that is piloting this approach to identification of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation

p.3

Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve progress in writing further so that more pupils are making better than expected progress by:  developing further and implementing a literacy policy that ensures pupils develop their writing skills more effectively in Years 2 and 3, particularly for those with lower achievement  ensuring that the quality of writing in all subjects is of a high enough standard in Key Stage 2 and that there are good opportunities for pupils to write more extended pieces of work  ensuring that teachers always give helpful feedback on how to improve work so that pupils are able to respond by correcting mistakes or producing further work of a higher standard.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improving the leadership and management of all leaders by:  supporting subject leaders to make more effective use of information about the progress of different groups of pupils to ensure that those who achieved less well in Key Stage 1 all make good enough progress.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children have started the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and experiences that have been below average. Increasingly, over recent years, they have been well-below average. They settle into the school very quickly and make good progress, especially in their social skills.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school, especially in mathematics. They become very confident and skilled in performing calculations and understanding mathematical ideas. Their exceptionally positive attitudes to learning contribute strongly to their success in all areas.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils and those who speak English as an additional language also make good progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The school teaches children to recognise letters and the sounds they make (phonics) in a very structured and organised way. Fewer pupils than average reached the required standards in checks at the end of Year 1 in 2013. However they are currently doing better. By the end of Year 2 they are confident in their reading skills.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to develop their reading skills through experience with a range of books and texts. Pupils did not achieve as well as expected in 2013. School progress information shows improvement across all year groups and this is supported by evidence seen during the inspection.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in writing has not been as strong and was weaker for the Year 6 pupils leaving in 2013. Work in books shows that it is improving although still needs to be better, especially for pupils who start Key Stage 2 with less developed skills. A higher proportion of pupils still need to make good progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Senior leaders have identified the need to improve writing further. They have made this a priority and introduced approaches such as using more drama-based activities to create interest and develop speaking skills which pupils can use to write effectively. This has ensured that improving writing is a focus for all teachers and has led to improvements for many pupils, especially in Years 4, 5 and 6. Writing skills in Years 2 and 3 are not as strong as they need to be to ensure that more pupils make good progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils have some opportunities to use their greater confidence in writing across a range of subjects. They have relatively little opportunity to apply their literacy skills to more extended writing tasks in different subjects, especially in Key Stage 2.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils entitled to support from the pupil premium are starting to make good progress. They have done less well than other pupils in the past and in 2013 the Year 6 pupils were approximately four terms behind others in the school in mathematics, two terms behind them in reading and three terms behind them in writing. School data, which was confirmed by looking at books, shows that this gap in their achievement is reducing across all year groups.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils say that lessons are engaging and interesting. This is mostly because they have an exceptionally positive relationship with their teachers that is based on very firm, but clear, expectations of good behaviour.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of mathematics is effective and has led to pupils achieving consistently good outcomes. Good subject knowledge, a structured approach to learning mathematical skills and the pupils' exceptionally positive attitudes to learning have all supported pupils with different skills and starting points to achieve well.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 More-able pupils are challenged and supported well to achieve higher levels, especially in mathematics.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils with specific needs, such as those using English as an additional language or who have fallen behind with particular skills, are often supported well through individual or small group sessions that enable them to make more rapid progress. Teaching assistants provide effective support for learning in the majority of lessons.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Children in Reception classes are supported to develop attitudes to learning by the structured activities and routines.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils take care over their work, present things with care and complete tasks. These expectations are the same across different year groups and pupils soon come to understand, comply with and appreciate the school's approach to high expectations.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Work is marked regularly and often in considerable detail and pupils often respond by improving their work further. Some comments are encouraging but give insufficient information on how to improve work.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of literacy is effective. Although reading and writing were not as strong as numeracy in 2013 this has been a school priority and improvements are happening across the school. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to use their increasingly secure literacy skills in Year 2 and 3 to write effectively and some pupils with less developed skills are not always making good progress. The school is aware of this and has started to make this a priority. More needs to be done.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils in Key Stage 2 do not have sufficient opportunities to write in a range of styles, and of sufficiently high quality, across a range of subject areas.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They behave in an exemplary manner both in lessons and when moving around the school. They are exceptionally polite to each other. Older pupils show a great deal of pride in the school and are pleased to help younger pupils. Children in Reception classes learn quickly how to behave in a way that meets the school's aspirations. School records and conversations with pupils, staff and parents confirm that this is typical.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are consistently polite to adults and value the close working relationships they have with those around them. They move around the school with consideration, hold doors open for others and their behaviour in whole-school events, such as assembly, is outstanding. They are able to enjoy activities with complete freedom and then quickly focus their attention when needed to.  Parents are proud of their children’s enthusiasm for activities, including the excellent range of extra clubs provided. The school's participation in sports activities is extensive, exceptional and appreciated by pupils.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exceptionally positive and contribute significantly to the good progress they are making. Pupils quickly learn how they are expected to behave when they start school. All classes, in all year groups, have the same expectations so that where staff correct behaviour it is almost always addressing an issue that in many schools would be considered to be very insignificant.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school's work to keep pupils safe is outstanding. Pupils have a clear understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. They believe there is very little, if any, bullying in school. They feel completely confident staff would act upon any concerns they might raise. They understand different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, name calling and discriminatory language and know this would not be acceptable. Staff and parents confirm that this view is typical of the school.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school has an exceptional track record in successfully helping pupils excluded from other schools to be positive about school.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils attend regularly and the school has worked hard to improve attendance if there has been a concern.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher strongly promotes the distinctive nature of the school, its strong approach to positive relationships and the promotion of equality of opportunity. Senior staff share this passion for what pupils can achieve and a determination to continually improve. They are particularly successful at promoting a culture of exceptionally good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is led well through effective planning, close monitoring and strong systems for assessing progress.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a good range of subjects and activities which are appropriate to the ages of the pupils. All staff work together exceptionally well and many provide valuable opportunities for pupils to participate in a good range of clubs and activities.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The use of the primary school sport funding is being planned well. It is providing support for a range of sporting activities and training which is leading to high levels of participation. The opportunities to participate and excel in sports activities are outstanding and help to develop awareness of a healthy lifestyle.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 All staff are included within the school’s procedures to manage staff performance. School support staff make a strong contribution to the school's effectiveness.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Almost all parents are very appreciative of the quality of education and care provided for their children. They would recommend the school to another parent.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. The school is attractively maintained. Classrooms have high quality displays and reflect the aspirations of the school.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school has been identified by the local authority as requiring limited support and its actions have been appropriate. A local headteacher has been identified to provide support for the headteacher and this has been appreciated by the school.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Procedures to safeguard pupils meet current requirements. Staff ensure that pupils have equal access to activities and the school fosters excellent relationships and tackles any discrimination. Leaders have shown they have the capacity to improve further by identifying priorities such as writing and implementing actions that are leading to improvement.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The school uses information on pupils’ performance to check the progress they make carefully. This includes reviewing the progress made by different groups of pupils. Subject leaders and senior leaders now need to use this information more systematically to ensure that pupils make better progress, especially in writing.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The school has a well-developed programme for monitoring teaching and learning. This is linked to a programme of training and staff have a strong desire to improve their work further. The school provides some support for subject leaders to develop their management skills but more needs to be done to ensure they are taking more focused actions for ensuring pupils achieve more. There are clear procedures to ensure that the most effective staff are recognised and paid appropriately.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance of the school is effective. Governors are supportive of the school. They have ensured they have sufficient skills to carry out their role by taking part in training and checking they have the right mix of skills on the governing body. They have held leaders to account by asking questions and checking on progress. This has contributed to pupils receiving the pupil premium funding starting to make better progress, although governors are aware that they need to focus even more on how well these pupils achieve as well as understanding how the funding is spent. There is a good awareness of the impact of sports funding and the governing body is aware of the quality of teaching across different year groups. Governors are starting to support the headteacher in setting targets for teachers and ensuring that pay is strongly linked to performance.

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 122069 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 444159

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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 479 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Warr Headteacher Harry Portrey Date of previous school inspection 18 March 2010 Telephone number 01604 761456 Fax number 01604 768833 Email address head@delapre.northants-ecl.gov.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