Seymour Primary School

Seymour Road, Broadfield, Crawley RH11 9ES

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.  Pupils across the school do not achieve as well as they should. Their attainment and progress in writing and mathematics vary from year to year.  Teaching requires improvement. Some teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are too low. They do not always insist that pupils present their work at a high standard.  Work in pupils’ books shows that some teachers do not have a good enough understanding of the level at which pupils are currently working. Consequently the work provided for them is sometimes too easy.  Some pupils do not have a secure enough grasp of basic skills of spelling, punctuation and handwriting.  Some school leaders do not check pupils’ progress thoroughly enough when they review teaching and work in pupils’ books.  The improvement targets in the school’s plan do not state how pupils’ standards are to improve. The actions to bring about improvements are too broad and general.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders have not brought about necessary improvements quickly enough. They have not ensured that teaching is consistently good.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

The school has the following strengths.  Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage has improved. Children now reach a good level of development by the time they start in Year 1.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They enjoy school and they feel happy and safe in school. Pupils from all backgrounds get on well together.  Teaching assistants are well trained and they provide good support to teachers and pupils in class.  The school has good arrangements to support pupils at risk of not doing so well. These pupils receive help to build their confidence so that they are ready to learn.  School leaders have taken action to raise pupils’ achievement and this is beginning to be seen in pupils’ work. This shows that the school can improve further.  Governors are now providing challenge and holding school leaders to account.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils working in 26 lessons or parts of lessons, seven of which were observed jointly with school leaders. They looked at work in pupils’ books and they listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 read.  Inspectors observed pupils during break and as they moved around the school. They attended two assemblies.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school leaders and members of the governing body. They also met with the regional director from The Kemnal Academy Trust (TKAT).  Among the documents examined were plans showing how the school is to improve, information about pupils’ progress and the records relating to leaders’ checks on teaching. Inspectors also scrutinised documentation relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and carers by analysing the 41 responses to the online survey, Parent View, as well as by meeting parents and carers informally during the

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Information about this inspection

inspection. They also considered the 37 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector Douglas Brawley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. It converted to become an academy in September 2012 under the Kemnal Academies Trust. It is in the process of growing in size to become a three-form entry primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by additional funding known as pupil premium is above average. This is money provided by the government to support those pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who are looked after.  About two thirds of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and about half of the pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is higher than the national average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Nursery and Reception classes. The school runs a breakfast club, which was visited as part of the inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is typically good or better by ensuring that:  when teachers plan lessons, they are clear about what they want pupils to learn  all teachers insist on higher standards of work from pupils, and provide appropriate levels of challenge, especially for the more able  pupils correct and improve their work when it has been marked by teachers.  Raise pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics by:  ensuring that work for pupils builds on what they have already learned  making better use of accurate assessment information to plan work that is at the right level for pupils  ensuring that pupils’ basic skills are developed more quickly in Key Stage 1 and built upon more rapidly in Key Stage 2.  Improve the impact of leaders by:  checking on pupils’ learning and progress when reviewing the work of teachers  ensuring that targets in the school improvement plan state more clearly how pupils’ standards

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because they make inconsistent progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school. This is because teaching is stronger in some classes than in others. By the end of Year 6, their attainment in reading and mathematics is broadly average but below average in writing.  At the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in writing and mathematics has been below the national average for several years. Over time, pupils have not had a secure grasp of basic skills in writing and mathematics and this has impacted on their achievement as they move up the school. Not all teachers insist on high standards of work from pupils, and this slows pupils’ progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates. They are well supported in lessons by skilled teaching assistants who help them to understand what they have to do. Similarly, those pupils who speak English as an additional

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

language progress well owing to the effective bilingual support staff provide.  The school provides effective support for pupils who are eligible for the additional funding. The rates of progress for these pupils have increased and are now similar to other pupils’. However, in 2013, they were still about a term behind other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics according to the national assessments.  In some classes, there is insufficient challenge for more-able pupils and so they do not all achieve as well as they should. This is because not all teachers have high enough expectations for pupils and they are not provided with work at the right level of difficulty.  Pupils enjoy reading. They read fluently and confidently and talk about a wide range of authors. Staff introduced a new programme to teach letters and sounds (phonics) and this has helped pupils to read unfamiliar words. In the most recent Year 1 phonics screening check, the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

proportion of pupils reaching the expected level increased and is in line with the national average.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage start school with skills at levels below those expected for their age, particularly in language, literacy and communication. They make good progress because staff provide an exciting range of activities that meet their needs. By the time they enter Year 1, their level of development is broadly as expected for their age.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching does not secure consistently good levels of achievement for all pupils. Some teachers have low expectations of what pupils can do and they do not always demand that pupils work hard enough.  Although pupils are taught in ability groups for reading, writing and mathematics, teachers do not all make effective use of performance information to plan work that is at the right level for pupils. Consequently not all pupils, especially those who are more able, do as well as they should.  Pupils are not always clear about what they are expected to learn or what they need to do to make good progress. This is because teachers do not always make clear to pupils what they are expected to learn. Additionally, there are times when the work provided for pupils does not build consistently on what they have learnt in previous lessons.  The quality of teachers’ marking has improved. Most of them write detailed comments informing

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils of what they have done well and what they need to do to improve their work. However, there are too few occasions when pupils make the necessary corrections and improvements to their work, sometimes just writing ‘thank you.’ As a result, pupils sometimes continue to make the same errors and so they do not progress as well as they should.  Teachers receive effective support from skilled teaching assistants who teach small groups of pupils or support individual pupils in class. For example, in a Year 2 phonics session, the teaching assistant led a lively discussion about travelling on an aeroplane to help pupils to understand the book they were about to read.  Relationships between teachers and pupils are good and this inspires pupils to behave well. They listen attentively to teachers and enjoy responding to their questions. Teachers provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to share their ideas with partners. This helps them to build their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

confidence and increase their rates of progress.  Teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is good. There is a good balance of activities that are led by adults and those that children select for themselves. Classrooms are bright and attractive and provide a safe and secure learning environment for children. Staff have a good understanding of the developmental needs of young children and plan work that helps them to progress well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. They all understand the expectations of staff and they respond well to school and class rules. Pupils say that they are treated equally and that discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated.  Pupils enjoy school and they get on well together regardless of background. Pupils respect the faiths and beliefs of those from different cultures and enjoy being part of a culturally rich community. This helps to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils want to learn and this is reflected in their positive attitudes to school. When they are challenged they work hard and make good progress. When they are not provided with the right level of work, they occasionally become restless and start to chat among themselves. This is why behaviour is not outstanding.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel very safe in school and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

know that adults care for them. They have a very good understanding of different aspects of personal safety, including the dangers associated with roads and the internet. They know that substances such as tobacco and some drugs can be dangerous.  Pupils say that behaviour is mostly good and that there are very few incidents of bullying. They know that on the rare occasions of poor behaviour, an adult is always on hand to help.  The school provides good support to those pupils who are vulnerable. The nurture room provides a quiet and calming environment. Adults are on hand to help pupils to overcome their problems or worries until they are ready to return to class. The breakfast club offers them a welcoming and nutritious start to the school day.  Parents and carers, staff and governors believe that pupils behave well and that they are happy and safe at school.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because leaders have not tackled weaknesses in teaching quickly enough to raise pupils’ achievement. Following conversion to an academy, staff have benefited from various training opportunities and this is helping to improve teaching.  The headteacher is ambitious and works in close cooperation with other leaders and governors. They have a broadly accurate view of what the school does well and what needs to be improved further. While their plans for improvement are rightly focused on raising standards, the targets for improvement are too broad and general. Consequently it is difficult for leaders and governors to check the progress against these targets.  School leaders regularly check the work of teachers. However, they look mostly at what the teacher is doing instead of considering what the pupils are learning. Consequently, they do not always identify the reasons why pupils do not progress as well as they should.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Subject leaders have been well trained and play an increasing role in providing guidance and support to other teachers. They are knowledgeable and know that more needs to be done to raise standards. They have introduced new approaches to teaching reading and mathematics and this is already beginning to bring about improvements.  Pupils learn a broad range of subjects in school and enjoy the wide range of extra activities that add to their interest. The additional primary sports funding has been used effectively to purchase more sports equipment as well as providing specialist coaching for teachers. This has increased pupils’ participation in sports and helped them to understand the importance of being fit and healthy.  The academy chain has been supporting the school within the local network of schools. Staff have worked with other schools on a number of projects to develop skills across the academy

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The leadership and management require improvement

group. This is beginning to have an impact on the quality of teaching as teachers try different approaches to improve teaching.  Arrangements to keep pupils and staff safe on site meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors have benefited from training so that they can provide better challenge to school leaders. They have increased their understanding of school data and now hold leaders to account for the standards achieved by pupils. They know the school well because they visit regularly to see for themselves how well pupils are doing. They have a clearer understanding of how the school reviews the effectiveness of teaching and the link between outcomes for pupils and the salary rewards for staff. They check the use of finances carefully to ensure that spending decisions are made wisely, including for the use of the additional sports funding and the pupil premium funding.

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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 138645 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 444027

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 512 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jenny Ward Headteacher Sarah Park Date of previous school inspection 25 May 2010 Telephone number 01293 533198 Fax number 01293 538075 Email address office@seymour-tkat.org 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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