Gaywood Community Primary School

Gaywood Community Primary School Field Lane, King's Lynn, PE30 4AY

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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

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently good. As a result, not enough pupils make good and better progress across the school.  Teachers do not always ensure that pupils act on the advice they receive when their work is marked so that they avoid making the same mistakes in future.  Teachers do not direct the work of teaching assistants effectively. Work is often too easy and mundane to excite pupils’ interest and encourage them to learn.  Teachers’ expectations in the Early Years Foundation Stage are not high enough.  The school has been over-optimistic in its view of teaching, achievement and leadership.  Pupils who find acquiring early reading skills difficult do not always receive effective support.  More-able pupils are not always challenged well enough and do not make the progress they should across the school.  Leaders other than the headteacher are not sufficiently responsible for school improvement. This limits the effectiveness of

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

planned actions to improve teaching and achievement.  Subject leaders are not yet accountable for the progress that pupils make.  Not enough governors are aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the school, or know how to support the leadership so that pupils’ achievement improves.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher has implemented the right actions that are beginning to improve the school.  Most pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 particularly in writing and mathematics.  Learning is enriched through carefully planned trips and activities.  Behaviour across the school is good. Pupils are safe in school. They are interested in their work and show that they want to learn.  Writing is taught well across the school, and pupils produce extended and lively pieces of writing.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 16 lessons or parts of lessons. Four observations were made jointly with the headteacher. The lead inspector and the headteacher observed the way in which the school teaches phonics (the sounds that letters make). The inspectors heard pupils read across the school, watched how they were taught in small groups, and also looked at pupils’ work in their books. They observed one assembly.  Discussions were held with the headteacher and senior leaders, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a group of pupils.  The inspectors took account of 52 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View) and 25 responses to the staff questionnaire. The inspectors also gathered the views of parents before the start of the school day.  A range of school documentation was scrutinised. This included the school’s own data about pupils’ current progress, monitoring files, safeguarding documentation and records of behaviour

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Information about this inspection

and attendance. The inspectors also evaluated the school’s own view of its work, local authority reports, and the school’s plans for improvement.

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Inspection team

Teresa Kiely, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Piers Ranger Additional Inspector Jacqueline Pentlow Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Gaywood is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most of the pupils are of white British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those supported through school action is lower than average. The proportion given additional support through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is lower than average. This is additional government funding given to the school for pupils who receive, or have received, free school meals, and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  A new headteacher has joined the school since its last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is consistently good and that more is outstanding by:  ensuring pupils respond to the marking comments that are made by teachers in their work so that their work improves more rapidly  directing the work of teaching assistants more effectively so that they know precisely how they are to support pupils’ learning at all times  planning more interesting activities for teaching assistants to use when supporting pupils working in small groups.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement by:  ensuring teachers’ expectations of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that they are better prepared for Year 1 at the end of the Reception Year  improving the way phonics are taught and reading is developed for younger pupils, who find reading difficult  ensuring more-able pupils are consistently challenged by the work they are given in all classes across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  expanding the responsibilities of senior leaders and those who have responsibility for English and mathematics, and providing them with dedicated time so that they contribute more effectively to the school’s improvement and reduce the burden on the headteacher  ensuring that the school’s self-evaluation is accurate by using all available information to make accurate judgements about the effectiveness of leaders, the quality of teaching and the impact these have on pupil achievement.  ensuring all governors are equally aware of how well the school is performing so that they can more effectively hold the school to account.  An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management should be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are not yet making consistently good progress across the school, particularly in Key Stage 2. Too few make better than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills a little below those typically seen at their age. They do not make enough progress, and too many of them do not have a good level of development when they enter Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in Key Stage 1 make good progress so that their attainment in reading, writing, and mathematics is broadly in line with average by the time they enter Key Stage 2. However, reading is not as strong as writing and weaker readers do not make enough progress in developing early reading skills. Results are below average when pupils re-sit the phonic screening check towards the end of Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 More-able pupils are not consistently challenged. Current Year 2 results show that not enough pupils have achieved higher levels of attainment in any subject this year and few did so in mathematics in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2013, Year 6 results dipped significantly. Results were below average in writing and mathematics and well below in reading. Not enough pupils made good progress in reading and writing. Current Year 6 results show an improving picture of attainment so that it is now at least in line with the national averages. Nevertheless, not enough pupils have made more than expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils regularly write extended pieces of writing. When pupils write they are enthusiastic about what they have been asked to write about. Pupils in some year groups make good progress in their writing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium are making progress that is generally in line with their classmates. The gaps between the attainment of eligible Year 6 pupils and others in reading, writing and mathematics were negligible in 2013 and, across the school, they are closing rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is variable. Progress is better in some year groups than in others. The school is in the process of reorganising its systems for managing the learning for this group of pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The use of the Primary Sports Funding has improved pupils’ social and physical skills through their success in competitive sports. The school has seen an increased number of pupils compete in a range of sporting activities and this has helped developed their understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently good. Over the last three years, the school has acted to improve the quality of teaching, but this has not yet been fully successful, because leaders have been over-generous in their judgements. Inconsistencies in pupils’ achievement show that teaching still requires improvement.  Teachers do not regularly provide work for pupils that will help them to learn quickly. Sometimes, teachers do not plan activities carefully enough so that all pupils learn efficiently. As a result the most able pupils often find work too easy and less able pupils are not always given effective support they need to improve their learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not always use teaching assistants effectively. Often these assistants do no more than sit and wait until the teacher has finished teaching the whole class before they have the chance to support learning. When teaching assistants work independently with groups of pupils, the activities they provide often lack challenge and are boring, failing to engage pupils effective in their learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although teachers mark work in books, they do not always check to make sure that pupils pay attention to their written comments and or work on their mistakes. As a result pupils often continue to repeat the same mistakes, and their learning is not moved on fast enough.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not yet have high expectations of what children can achieve in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children spend too much time engaged in activities that do not accelerate their learning. Teaching does not focus clearly enough on what children need to learn next.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Some teaching is good. On these occasions, teachers organise their work carefully so that it addresses what pupils need to learn next. They ask questions that will deepen pupils’ understanding and make good use of their teaching assistants. The activities they provide are well planned so that they interesting and relevant and pupils enjoy them and quickly develop a thirst for learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers use technology effectively to support pupils’ learning. Teachers encourage the development of pupils information handling skills well by providing good opportunities for them to research the topics they are studying using the internet. They help pupils develop the confidence to present their views clearly and logically through good use of video presentations.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils want to learn. They work well together in lessons. They respond quickly to requests from teachers. Pupils are positive about learning. They are proud of their school and happily talk about what they are learning regardless of whether they are with adults or other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils come to lessons with a readiness to learn. Their attitudes are positive regardless of whether they are working with the teacher, on their own, or with the whole class.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour during break and lunchtime is good. Pupils are polite and courteous to one another. Although a few pupils said that older pupils could be difficult when playing football, others said that this was not an issue. Pupils, staff and parents say that behaviour is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Safeguarding arrangements are secure and carefully implemented by staff. There are few incidents of bullying recorded, and pupils say that they feel safe in the school. They are aware of the different forms of bullying. They are taught how to stay safe when using the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is successfully promoted through all its activities. Pupils attend assemblies that successfully promote spiritual understanding. The trips and outings they make to the local community help pupils to learn about their own local culture.  The school has worked hard to improve attendance and it is now just above average. Pupils say they enjoy school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although some improvements to teaching and achievement have been secured, the current leadership has not yet been able secure consistently good teaching or to ensure that achievement is now securely good.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Too many initiatives are managed directly by the headteacher. The deputy headteacher does not have sufficient time out of class for school leadership activities.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subject leaders are not yet checking, evaluating and improving the quality of English and mathematics teaching and achievement across the school. The work of the school is weakened by this lack of leadership.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school’s self evaluation is too optimistic. Although leaders know what they need to do to improve the school, they do not take fully into account the current achievement of pupils or the weaker teaching to make secure judgements about key aspects of the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority meets regularly with the school, and provides support and advice to the headteacher. It recently reviewed the school’s work but this was not undertaken in enough depth to provide the school with an accurate picture of its strengths and areas for development.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The performance management of staff is fully in place. This is underpinned by management checks on teaching and regular meetings with teachers to help pupils who are at risk of underachievement to improve their learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher has the support of pupils, parents and staff. He has begun to introduce improvements in teaching, has improved teachers’ use of technology significantly and has ensured that the curriculum is enriched by a wide range of interesting activities. He knows how to improve the school and now needs to develop the leadership team to help the school to improve at a faster pace.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The effectiveness of the governing body in supporting and challenging the school is weakened because not enough governors are aware of the exact position regarding pupils’ standards and progress. The Vice Chair of Governors understands how pupils are doing, the quality of teaching in the school, and the impact of additional funding on pupils eligible for free school meals. He understands performance management for teachers, and how underperformance is tackled. However, governors generally have not been able to support the school to develop its leadership capacity, even though some governors knew this was needed. A number of new governors have been appointed, and are being trained to take up their roles. Governors ensure all safeguarding requirements are fully met.

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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 133402 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 442640

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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 418 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Barbara Greengrass Headteacher Paul Shanks Date of previous school inspection 24 November 2009 Telephone number 01553 774147 Fax number 01553 774147 Email address office@gaywood.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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