Marish Primary School

Marish Primary School Swabey Road, Langley, Berkshire, SL3 8NZ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that has serious weaknesses.  Pupils’ achievement is inadequate. Too many are falling behind in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in Key Stage 2.  Teaching is inadequate because teachers do not always plan activities which take into account the different abilities of the pupils in their class, particularly the most able. Consequently, not all pupils are set tasks that are hard enough to enable them to make sufficient progress.  The standards in writing are not as high as in many other schools, especially for boys. This is mainly because teaching of this subject does not enthuse or interest them. As a result boys, especially, become disengaged and lose focus.  Until recently, checks on the quality of teaching have not been rigorous enough. As a result, leaders have not addressed the areas for improvement in teaching raised in the previous inspection.  The skills and knowledge of leaders responsible

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

for subjects (middle leaders) are not well developed. They do not have sufficient impact on improving teaching and pupils’ achievement in their subjects.  There are inconsistencies in the quality and volume of pupils’ work. Too much work is poorly presented and there are variations in both the frequency and quality of marking.  Behaviour and safety require improvement because some pupils do not consistently have positive attitudes to learning.

p.1

The school has the following strengths:

 The executive headteacher and the governing body are bringing about improvements in the quality of teaching and in pupils’ achievement. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) has improved and pupils’ attainment is rising in Year 2 and 6.  Pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs make good progress due to the carefully tailored support, which is checked carefully.  The curriculum provides good opportunities to enrich learning and contribute to pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 29 lessons, four of which were seen jointly with senior leaders.  Discussions were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, the school’s senior and middle leaders and two groups of pupils. Inspectors also spoke to parents and carers in the playground before school.  Also taken into account was the online questionnaire, Parent View, on which there were 19 responses, and the 25 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents provided by the school, including the information on the progress and attainment of pupils, the school’s own evaluation and information related to safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection team

Shahnaz Maqsood, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Una Marie Stevens Additional Inspector Noureddin Khassal Additional Inspector Kate Robertson Additional Inspector

p.2

Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

p.3

Information about this school

 This is a much larger than average sized primary school.  Pupils are from a range of ethnic backgrounds with the biggest groups being White British, Pakistani, Indian and Any Other White.  The pupil premium is a government grant to support pupils in this school who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in care. The proportion of pupils supported through this additional funding is above average.  A well-above average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is lower than the national average.  The proportion of these pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is similar to the national average.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at unusual times is much higher than the national average.

p.3

Information about this school

 The school has a ‘Resource Base’ for pupils with complex needs.  The headteacher is an executive headteacher of two schools. Both Marish Primary and the other school are part of the Marish Academy Trust managed by the same governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Marish Primary is the lead school for ‘Children’s University’ for which pupils receive points through taking part in a number of different activities both personal and academic. Once pupils have reached the set goals, they are given awards.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to be at least good in order to raise pupils’ achievement by:  making sure that teachers use assessment information to plan tasks which are at the right level for pupils of different abilities in each class  ensuring that all teachers have high expectations and set tasks which are hard enough, particularly for the most-able pupils  making sure teachers plan activities which stimulate the interest of pupils, especially boys in writing lessons  providing more opportunities for pupils to apply the skills learnt in mathematics to problem- solving activities  ensuring teachers mark work regularly and provide effective advice to pupils so they can improve.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ behaviour so that all pupils are keen to take part in lessons and other activities and display consistently positive attitudes at all times.  Improve the impact of leaders and managers on the quality of teaching and on pupils’ achievement by: ensuring that all middle leaders have a thorough understanding of pupils’ performance in the areas for which they are responsible making sure that the systems for checking the quality of teaching are effective and lead to improvement.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Achievement is inadequate for most groups of pupils. This is because too many pupils in Key Stage 2 are not making sufficient progress from their starting points in all subjects. Pupils’ rates of progress are too variable across Years 3 to 6.  In 2013, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 fell to below average in mathematics and writing. It rose in reading to just above the standard found nationally. Pupils in Year 6 had not made enough progress in Key Stage 2, especially in mathematics and writing. Pupils currently in Year 6 are making better progress in all the subjects this year and attaining at higher levels. However, due to previous underachievement, they still are making up for lost ground.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2013 declined dramatically from above the national average in 2012 to well below, particularly in writing and mathematics. Current school achievement information shows that attainment is rising again.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Last year, very few pupils achieved the highest level at the end of Years 2 and 6. The proportion of pupils is set to rise this year due to booster sessions for these pupils. The most-able pupils do not achieve well enough in normal timetabled lessons. Sometimes, they find the tasks too easy and, occasionally, they are not given more suitable tasks quickly enough.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported effectively, particularly those whose progress is monitored closely by staff in the ‘Resource Base’. These pupils’ needs are accurately identified, teaching is better and support is well matched. As a result, the rate of progress for this group and other pupils with specific needs has increased significantly.  Some pupils supported through additional funding are also underachieving like their classmates, although the gap between this group and other pupils is beginning to narrow. The rate of

p.5

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

progress these pupils make varies considerably between year groups. In 2013 at the end of Year 6, these pupils were three terms behind their classmates in mathematics and a term behind in writing. The gap in reading was very small.  Pupils are not always given the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired to problem solving in mathematics which hampers their progress in this subject.  The school has recognised that standards in boys’ writing are too low and now teachers are giving boys more opportunities to write about topics of their choice in order to encourage them. Although this has been partially successful and attainment gaps between boys and girls are closing, boys are still not always engaged in some lessons when there are writing tasks.  Previously the White British children were falling behind their peers from other ethnic backgrounds. This year, the school has placed greater emphasis on checking their progress and

p.5

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

supporting them. Consequently, they are beginning to catch up with the others.  Pupils learning English as an additional language do better in Key Stage 2 than Key Stage 1 because they have by then acquired a better understanding of English.

p.5

The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The quality of teaching is inadequate overall because there is not enough good teaching. As a result, pupils’ progress over time is inadequate.  Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of what pupils can do. Where this is the case, tasks and activities are not sufficiently challenging for all pupils, but especially for the most-able, and this hinders their progress.  Some teaching does not stimulate and interest pupils and, as a result, they do not make as much progress as they might. This has been particularly true of boys in writing, although the situation is improving because of recent initiatives.  Marking is too variable in quality. Some books seen by inspectors had not been marked regularly and some where work was untidy showed no evidence that teachers had challenged this. However, some teachers provide detailed comments in books, giving pupils clear advice on how to improve their work.

p.5

The quality of teaching is inadequate

 There has been an improvement in the teaching of phonics (the relationship between letters and sounds) this year because teachers have received further training.This has had a clear impact as a higher proportion of pupils this year has reached the required standard, as shown in the Year 1 phonics screening check.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is because pupils lose focus and concentration in lessons when the activities are not interesting enough and fail to motivate them. This has been particularly true of boys in writing.  Pupils have positive relationships with their classmates and the different ethnic groups work and play well together. However, pupils do not always move around school sensibly and are not always punctual to lessons.  Effective systems are in place to reward and improve behaviour. There are few incidents of poor behaviour when pupils are not in lessons but when they occur, they are dealt with appropriately.  Most parents and carers who responded to Parent View and those who inspectors spoke to were positive about behaviour. Pupils who took part in discussions with the inspectors agreed.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement. Pupils are aware of

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

different types of bullying and the school raises awareness about internet safety. Pupils say generally they feel safe in school and are confident that a member of staff would help them if they had a problem.  Attendance has risen slightly since 2013 and is now broadly in line with the national average for all schools. The school has worked hard to achieve this, by introducing initiatives such as a free mini bus service for some pupils who do not attend regularly.

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because leaders have not been able to arrest the decline in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.  Rigorous systems for checking the quality of teaching have only recently been in put in place and so teaching has not improved over time. Teachers’ pay awards are now directly related to the progress of the pupils in their class.  Middle leaders are not proficient in analysing data and do not have a clear understanding of pupils’ performance. Therefore, they do not have enough impact on raising achievement.  There have been clear improvements in the levels of attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and in the teaching of phonics. This, together with rising levels of attendance, shows that the current headteacher and senior leaders have the capacity to improve the school.  The well-organised intervention and booster classes have increased the pace of progress in both

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

Key Stages 1 and 2; there is also strong evidence of this in the rise in the proportion of pupils acquiring secure phonics knowledge to improve levels in reading.  The executive headteacher and the governors have made a concerted and successful effort to improve the quality of teaching by funding and organising regular training and support for staff in order to improve their skills.  A more varied and stimulating curriculum has improved motivation and engagement, especially in developing pupils’ literacy skills. The ‘Children’s University’ had a positive impact on raising aspirations of pupils and on their personal development.  Leaders have identified the variation in pupils’ progress and are taking action to eliminate differences. There is a clear commitment to all pupils having equal opportunities to succeed but, given that achievement is inadequate, this is not realised in practice.  The inspirational sports programme was already high profile in the school before the receipt of

p.6

The leadership and management require improvement

the sports funding. A large proportion of pupils participate in after-school sports clubs. The school employs a number of specialist coaches not only to deliver physical education but also to improve the skills and expertise of the teachers. These lessons are used to promote and develop pupils’ personal and social skills to enable better attitudes to learning.  Safeguarding procedures and practices meet requirements and are effective.

p.7

The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school: – The governing body is part of the academy trust which manages the two schools. The governors understand the strengths and areas for development for school improvement because they regularly check pupils’ progress compared with other schools. Following the decline in achievement in 2013, the governors took decisive and swift action to appoint new expert teachers in positions of responsibility and to provide training for teachers to improve their skills. The governors have identified the need to improve relationships with parents and carers and have taken steps to form better links. – The governors now have better awareness of the quality of teaching than in the past and have linked staff pay increases to their impact on pupils’ achievement. – Scrutiny of the governors’ minutes shows that they both support and challenge leaders. They are knowledgeable about the use of the pupil premium and sports funding and their impact.

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

Local authority Slough Inspection number 406773

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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 709 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dennis Kitchener Headteacher Gill Denham Date of previous school inspection 14–15 July 2014 Telephone number 01753819900 Fax number 01753818996 Email address head@marish-primary.co.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 whenand 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 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