Sutton-on-Sea Community Primary School

School report Sutton-on-Sea Community Primary School Station Road, Sutton-on-Sea, Lincolnshire, LN12 2HU

p.1

Overall effectiveness

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Year 6 pupils last year made at least the nationally expected rate of progress in reading and writing. An above-average proportion made more than the expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Standards in Key Stage 1 continued their pattern of year-on-year improvement. Standards in Key Stage 2 improved over 2013 and an above- average proportion of pupils reached the higher levels.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their different starting points. The progress made by those eligible for pupil premium funding has improved rapidly, and previous gaps in attainment have been reduced significantly.  Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is good and they have positive attitudes towards each other and the adults in the school. Their attendance was above average last year. The school ensures pupils’ safety.  Progress is rapidly improving due to good teaching.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Since the previous inspection, leaders have addressed weaker teaching.  The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This helps prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.  The school has prepared well to take account of recent changes to the way subjects are taught and how pupils’ progress is assessed and reported to parents.  The governing body provides strong leadership. Governors are effective in holding the school to account and have had a positive impact on improvement since the previous inspection.  The provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and has a positive impact on the progress children make. They settle quickly into school life, making new friends and developing good social skills.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress, especially that of the boys, is not as strong in writing as in other subjects. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop writing skills by writing for different purposes.  Many pupils do not have a rich vocabulary, and this hinders their writing.  Pupils do not understand or use the targets in their books to help them know how to improve.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in 12 lessons or parts of lessons. A number of these were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings and discussions took place with the headteacher, a representative from the local authority, members of the governing body, staff, pupils and parents.  Samples of pupils’ work were examined, some with the headteacher present, and pupils read to the inspectors.  Too few parents responded to the online survey, Parent View, for it to be analysed. However, inspectors too account of the 33 responses to the school’s own parental questionnaire. The inspectors took account of the 14 questionnaires completed by staff.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents produced by the school, including data on pupils’ progress and attainment, procedures for safeguarding, the school’s own evaluations of its work, reports to the governing body and minutes of their meetings, and the action plans for raising attainment.

p.2

Inspection team

Geof Timms, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Sutton-on-Sea Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. Currently none speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average. There are three pupils with statements of special educational needs or education, health and care plans.  A well above-average proportion of pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school runs breakfast and lunchtime clubs.  There have been several staff changes since the previous inspection. There have also been changes to the

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Help more pupils, especially boys, make rapid progress in writing by:  providing more opportunities for them to develop their speaking skills and to extend their vocabulary  ensure that basic writing skills are taught consistently and progressively  provide more opportunities for pupils to use their skills by writing at length, for different purposes and in different subjects.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils are able to understand and make use of the targets in their literacy and numeracy books so that they are clear about what they need to do to reach the next level.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The leadership has improved rapidly since the previous inspection. The headteacher has focused his efforts correctly on school improvement, addressing any weak teaching and raising the amount of good or better teaching. The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning, and taking action where necessary, have improved, and this work has been supported well by the local authority.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The skills of senior and subject leaders have improved through appropriate training. New staff are being effectively inducted into the school. Weaknesses found at the previous inspection have been successfully overcome, and provision and results are much improved. In addition, the school has successfully recruited teaching and non-teaching staff whose work is promoting pupils’ achievement well.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and identifies what remains to be done to improve the school further. The improvement planning is detailed and has appropriate priorities. The monitoring of teaching and pupils’ learning is carried out in much more depth than at the previous inspection. The detailed and regular meetings held between staff and governors to look at pupils’ progress are very effective in checking their progress, spotting where extra help may be needed and ensuring that it is provided.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Training to develop teachers’ professional skills has been used effectively. For example, training has improved teachers’ marking of pupils’ work and their use of displays as a teaching tool. Within the school, staff have developed coaching and support systems to spread existing good practice.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Data on pupils’ progress and attainment are regularly checked, and internal and external checks are carried out to confirm the accuracy of teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work. The school has prepared well for the full implementation of its approach to assessment following the change next year to remove National Curriculum levels. However, the use of targets to support pupils’ understanding of what they need to do to improve is not well developed and they do not understand how to make use of the targets in their books.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Funding available through the pupil premium is used to help eligible pupils take a full part in school life, and benefit, where appropriate, from additional help from adults. The impact of this is evident in the significant narrowing of the gaps in achievement between eligible pupils and others over the past year, and the higher standards now achieved by disadvantaged pupils.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Good use is made of the extra funding available to promote physical education and sporting opportunities. There is an increased participation in a wider range of clubs and sporting activities contributing to pupils’ healthier lifestyles. The school is taking part in more competitions with other schools in a variety of sports. Staff training, such as that in gymnastics and dance, is promoting notable improvements in teaching.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The school has prepared appropriately for recent national changes to the curriculum. There is a good focus on high-quality provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There is good preparation for life in modern Britain. The school provides a good range of clubs and extra-curricular activities, including residential visits, which enhance pupils’ learning.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and enables the children to make good progress. Very effective use is made of available staffing and the good outdoor areas for Reception, and for Year 1, are used well to promote learning to the full.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Since the previous inspection, the governing body has changed its membership and improved the way it carries out its statutory duties. A number of very knowledgeable and enthusiastic governors provide the school with a good level of support and challenge. They have carried out an assessment of their skills and this has led to training to improve their understanding of how to hold the school to account.  Governors check the school’s work through a good range of visits, such as to observe and monitor the pupils’ behaviour and the use of sports funding. Members of the governing body have a sound understanding of the system used to determine teachers’ effectiveness in enabling pupils to make progress. Governors check how well school leaders improve the quality of teaching. Decisions about teachers’ pay are appropriately linked to their performance and responsibilities.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Governors track finances well and lead the school in deciding how to spend additional money, such as that to support disadvantaged pupils or to extend sports and physical education opportunities. They ensure that all the requirements for safeguarding pupils are met.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This is an improvement since the last inspection, when behaviour was an issue for improvement. In all lessons observed, and in assembly, the dining room and at playtimes, the pupils were well behaved and engaged in their learning. They demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning. This was supported by what pupils told inspectors about how much they enjoyed school, and it has a positive impact on their progress.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils talk enthusiastically about lessons and other aspects of school life. They clearly like school. Pupils show respect for the learning environment and do not drop litter. Pupils praised the way teachers provide interesting lessons and help them learn.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes demonstrate they respond well to the school’s expectations of their behaviour and social development. In addition, their horizons are widened through good opportunities to take responsibility, such as on the school council, running the fruit snack bar or as play leaders helping younger children at lunch times.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes towards others. They are polite and interested in other people. In one lesson, a Year 2 pupil, unprompted and voluntarily, exchanged his whiteboard with another because they were unhappy about its condition.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school, and parents confirm this view. The school provides a good range of activities to help pupils learn to stay safe, and they are taught how to safely use computers and the internet.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The pupils say there is no bullying but they are confident that if it occurred it would be effectively dealt with. When exclusions have been necessary, they were carried out appropriately and for the successful benefit of those involved.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The breakfast and lunchtime clubs provide pupils with a calm and productive start to the day, as well as a healthy snack, and good opportunities to develop social skills.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved rapidly and, last year, it was above the national average. It has improved as a result of the school’s strong and successful focus on encouraging better attendance, and monitoring and addressing persistent absenteeism. Most parents appreciate the importance of their children’s full attendance. Pupils are punctual.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work, the school’s assessment data on their achievement, and evaluations of teaching, together with inspectors’ direct observations in lessons, all provide evidence that teaching is good. Since the previous inspection, leaders have ensured improvement to teaching throughout the school, partly by addressing recognised areas of weaker teaching. The teaching now caters much more consistently for pupils’ different capabilities. This improvement in teaching has produced pupils’ current good progress and rapidly rising standards.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ensure that pupils’ attitudes to their learning, and their interest and engagement in their work, are good. Pupils are often encouraged to learn through imaginative tasks and well-chosen resources, such as the use of film. For example, in a Year 5 and 6 writing lesson, the teaching was targeted at developing pupils’ limited vocabulary using an imaginative film resource. However, the work to develop pupils’ vocabulary is less evident in other classes.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The learning environment throughout the school is kept very tidy, with most material resources easily accessible. Displays of pupils’ work create good opportunities for teachers to support pupils’ learning and vocabulary, and the ways these are used have been checked closely by governors.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils throughout the school talk positively about how they enjoy lessons, especially mathematics. They describe the progress they have made and talk with pride about their work. This pride is reflected in most of the pupils’ books which are tidy and well presented. Teachers paste learning targets in the front of pupils’ books but pupils do not all understand these targets nor what they need to do to reach them.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ use of assessment information and other data is good. Assessments are used to accurately group pupils by ability and provide work that is well targeted for their different capabilities. Teachers are more aware of how different groups are learning in lessons, and adjust their practice to make sure that everyone does well. Very effective deployment of the teaching assistants has also had a very positive impact on the progress made and levels achieved, particularly by those who find learning more difficult and those pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 The marking of pupils’ work has been a focus for improvement since the previous inspection. This is now more regular and provides pupils with clear and constructive suggestions for improvement. Pupils are beginning to get better at responding to the marking and this is having a positive impact on their progress.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported. This ensures they are able to take a full part in school life and that they make good progress from their different starting points. Teachers also provide well for other groups such as the most able, by ensuring that they set them appropriately challenging work.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have responded well to recent national changes to the curriculum. For example, in computing, plans have been drawn up to ensure that the curriculum covers all new aspects such as coding. Teachers ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education and their future lives. Even so, they do not yet ensure that writing skills are taught consistently; there are too few opportunities to write in different subjects and different genres.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 When they start in the Reception class, children have levels of knowledge and understanding which are below those typical for their age, especially for their communication and personal and social skills. Children make good progress in all areas of learning, although attainment in reading, writing, number and aspects of their creative development remain lower than the other areas. However, last year, a well above-average proportion of the children reached or exceeded the expected level of development in all areas of learning.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in the national tests at the end of Year 2 have risen slowly but consistently over recent years and are close to those expected nationally in reading and writing, and above in mathematics. Current pupils in Year 2 are building on the good progress they made in Year 1 and are attaining standards close to those expected in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 has been average for the past two years. This represents good progress in relation to pupils’ starting points. Last year, an above-average proportion made more than the expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, an above-average proportion of the pupils reached the higher levels. In addition, the results in the new spelling, punctuation and grammar test improved significantly from 2013 as a result of more focused teaching.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, the attainment of Year 6 pupils supported through the pupil premium funding in mathematics, reading and writing was around a year and a half behind pupils nationally and two years behind other pupils in their year group. Last year, the school significantly narrowed the gap between the attainment of these pupils and others. The gaps between their attainment and that of their classmates are now down to a term in mathematics and writing, although still around a year in reading.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 The results of the Year 1 check on pupils’ skills in linking letters and sounds (phonics) show that in 2014 standards were broadly average but this represented good progress given pupils starting points. This reflects good teaching that is helping pupils to grow into good readers with an interest in a range of books. An above-average proportion of those who took the phonics check again in Year 2 reached the expected level.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in reading and mathematics is good throughout the school although, in writing, progress is not as strong, especially for the boys. The school is aware of this through its analysis of data and has begun to implement measures to accelerate progress. However, pupils often have a poor level of vocabulary which hinders the content of their writing. Their basic writing skills are often weak and they do not have enough opportunities to write in different subjects, for different purposes.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 There is evidence of good achievement in other subjects, including through the effective use of homework, in creative activities and geography and history. The effective use of the sports funding money has improved teachers’ expertise and so raised standards in physical education.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout the school the most-able pupils make good progress and an increasing proportion attain higher levels in most subjects. The grouping of pupils means that the most able benefit from specific extension work often provided early in lessons rather than when they have completed other work. This happened in Year 5 and 6, for example, where the teacher provided extra challenge and pupils could talk about how well they had understood the use of pi.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because of the extra help they receive. Last year, pupils in all years made similar or better progress than their classmates.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 The early years provision is good because the children make at least good progress from their different starting points. Children in the Reception class have quickly got used to the school’s routines. They start the day happily and productively, quickly settling down to their activities.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 The accommodation is good, well-organised and provides a productive learning environment. The outdoors is used very effectively to extend children’s learning through a range of adult-led activities and those that the children choose for themselves.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. Teachers make good use of their assessments of what the children know and can do in order to plan the children’s next steps and activities that help to move children’s learning on. All adults have an input into observing children’s progress. Parents are regularly informed about progress and they are invited to record their comments in the children’s records of learning.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 The progress children make, including those who are disabled or who have special educational needs, is now good. The most-able children are well provided for and staff are very aware of all individuals’ prior knowledge and skills. Teachers use this knowledge well, for example, by using an able child to show others how he could blend letter sounds into words.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Some of the best progress is seen in children’s personal, social and emotional development. This is important because this is an area of development which is a weakness when children start school. Children’s good progress helps prepare them well for the next stage in their education. However, reading, writing, number and aspects of their creative development remain below that expected by the end of the year, even though progress has been good.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Children learn to behave well, are clearly happy at school and are kept safe. There is good provision for their health, safety and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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 failing

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

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 120479 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 449019

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 168 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sara Cooper Headteacher David Pearson Date of previous school inspection 26 February 2013 Telephone number 01507 441319 Fax number 01507 443578 Email address admin@sutton.lincs.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 .

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