Wootton Primary School

Wootton Primary School Farmclose Road, Wootton, Northampton, NN4 6HJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher leads the school well. She is ably supported by other leaders and governors and together they have created a thriving, hard-working and caring school.  Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement because of their effective checking and monitoring of pupils’ progress. They make sure that both teaching and achievement are good and that additional support is provided for pupils, where needed, so that they all achieve well.  Pupils behave well and feel extremely safe at school. They are polite, respectful and keen to learn. They readily take on additional responsibilities, with maturity and confidence.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and makes an important contribution to their good behaviour and positive attitudes to school and each other. Key values such as respect and responsibility are strongly promoted.  Pupils, including those who are more able,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

disadvantaged disabled or who have special educational needs, make good progress as they move through the school. This is because teaching is good and the curriculum is exciting.  From starting points which are typical for their age, pupils go on to reach levels of attainment that are well above average by the time they leave Year 6.  Children make good progress in the early years because provision is good and it is well-managed. As a result they are ready to learn effectively in Year 1.  The governing body provides a good balance of challenge and support to senior leaders. They have a good knowledge and understanding of how well pupils’ are doing and use their skills and expertise to help the school improve further.  Pupils enjoy school, and this is shown in their above average attendance.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 At times, teachers do not encourage pupils to move on to more challenging work quickly enough.  Occasionally, teachers accept work which is not the pupil’s best effort and they sometimes ask pupils questions which are too easy and do not make them think hard.  Some leaders are new to post so their roles are not yet fully developed. At present, some middle leaders do not carry out regular checks on teaching and achievement or provide enough support to colleagues so that they improve.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They saw 26 part lessons, five of which were jointly observed with the headteacher and one of the deputy headteachers.  Discussions were held with groups of pupils, members of the leadership team, the headteacher, and members of the governing body.  Inspectors took account of the 150 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also spoke informally to parents as they brought their children to school and considered the views expressed in emails from parents and members of the local community.  Responses to the inspection questionnaire from 16 staff were received and their views taken into account.  The inspection team listened to pupils read, talked to them about their learning and reviewed the work in their books.  The inspectors reviewed a number of documents, including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ current progress, leaders’ reports following lesson observations,

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Information about this inspection

and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Wootton Primary became an academy school in October 2012 and no longer comes under the control of the local authority. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted in March 2010, it was judged to be good.  The early years provision consists of two Reception classes.  Most pupils are White British and almost all speak English as their home language.  The proportions of pupils supported through school action, a statement of special educational needs or the new education, health and care plan are all below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is much lower than the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to help pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority. There are too few disadvantaged

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Information about this school

pupils in each year group to comment meaningfully on their attainment compared to other pupils and without identifying individuals.  A breakfast club is managed by a private provider and is therefore inspected separately. The report for this can be found at www.ofsted.gov.uk  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school has recently been awarded an Arts Mark for successfully meeting the standards set in art, dance, music and drama.  The headteacher is an LLE (Local Leader of Education) and supports other schools within the local authority.  The governing body and headteacher have recently re-structured the leadership team and appointed two deputy headteachers, a special needs coordinator, an additional literacy leader and a family support worker. Two newly qualified teachers also joined the school in September 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further accelerate the rate of progress made by pupils by making sure that:  pupils move on to more challenging work as soon as they show they are ready  teachers set high expectations and insist pupils’ work represents their best efforts at all times  questions asked by adults are probing and challenging and make pupils think hard in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the roles of leaders who are new to their posts so that they regularly check and contribute to improving the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and focused leadership. She is ably supported by governors and other leaders, and together they have successfully created a strong staff team who are ambitious and committed to improving their practice and raising pupil achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Effective leadership and regular analysis of information have led to significant improvements in pupils’ achievement. For example, attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 improved significantly in all subjects in 2014. Actions taken by leaders in reading in Key Stage 2 have led to standards now matching those in mathematics and being well above national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and some members of the leadership team carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching and systematically review information on how well pupils’ are achieving to ensure all enjoy equal opportunities to succeed. Some middle leaders are new to their post, however, and are not yet fully involved in this process.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders know their school well and their evaluations of teaching and achievement are accurate. Areas for development are identified with pinpoint accuracy and leaders’ action plans to drive these areas forward are tightly focused on securing rapid improvement. Challenging annual targets are set for all staff, including support staff. These are carefully linked to whole-school priorities and staff pay. Only those teachers who can demonstrate that their pupils make at least good progress receive pay awards.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strongly promoted and underpins the school’s motto to ‘be the best you can be’. Assemblies, lessons and displays around school focus sharply on key values such as respect and responsibility. As a result, pupils have a strong moral purpose and know the difference between right and wrong. They mix freely in lessons and at break times and know how to behave. This all contributes to the happy and harmonious atmosphere throughout the school. Leaders and governors together ensure safeguarding requirements are met in full.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is implementing the new curriculum for 2014 and is working with a group of local schools to refine its system for assessing the achievement of pupils in the light of recent changes at national level. Current assessment arrangements are well-established and have been effective in ensuring all pupils receive the support they need. The curriculum presently in use has been well-planned to make sure that pupils have a good appreciation and understanding of other cultures and respect those with different beliefs. As a result, pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum provides an excellent balance of subjects and experiences that allow pupils to fully develop their interests and talents. For example, the school has recently been awarded an Arts Mark for successfully meeting the standards set in art, dance, music and drama. The school’s exciting and carefully designed topics encourage pupils to develop their English and mathematics skills to the full whilst still learning lots of interesting facts and information. A wide variety of school clubs and trips and frequent visitors also contribute to pupils’ enjoyment of school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The sports premium has been used effectively by leaders to provide pupils with specialist sports’ coaching and to improve the training and confidence of staff in their ability to teach aspects of physical education, including swimming and dance. As a result, more pupils can now swim and they participate in a wider range of physical activities. Teachers’ skills and knowledge have also improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff morale is very high and all those who expressed their views have very positive views of the school and feel valued. They have confidence in the leadership team and feel their individual training needs are fully met.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s partnership with parents is very strong. Parents are actively encouraged to support their children’s learning at home. The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View would recommend the school to others.  The governance of the school:  Governors are highly effective due to their active involvement in school life. Together with the headteacher and staff, they track and evaluate school action plans to determine their success. They know about the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They know how well the school is doing compared to other schools nationally as they have a good understanding of data and use this information to ask school leaders challenging questions.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors know how the pupil premium funding is being used and check the impact this has on the progress of eligible pupils. They monitor the use of the budget extremely carefully and only approve spending once they are convinced that it will benefit pupils educationally.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors set targets for the headteacher and check that salary increases for staff are only awarded where there is clear evidence that pupils are making good progress. They know what the school is doing to reward good teaching and to tackle any underperformance and carefully oversee the arrangements for the performance management of staff, including that of the headteacher. Training is regularly undertaken to help governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively, for example in relation to safeguarding and finance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors ensure that the school encourages pupils to develop values of respect and tolerance for others, including those whose beliefs and culture are different to their own. They have developed good links with parents and listen carefully to their views about the effectiveness of the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and most want to do well and work hard in lessons. On occasion, their concentration wanders when teaching does not challenge them to think really hard.

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Behaviour

 Pupils behave responsibly in and around the school. Behaviour in lessons and on the playground is consistently good. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults at all times. It is the norm for pupils to hold doors open for adults, and the youngest children automatically say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ without being prompted. All pupils work well together in lessons and play happily together at playtimes.

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Behaviour

 Parents, staff and pupils who expressed their views agree that behaviour is good. This is also evidenced in school records. Where incidents do occasionally occur, these are dealt with effectively and appropriate actions taken.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils feel extremely safe at school and this is reflected in their above-average attendance. Leaders take this aspect of school very seriously and use every opportunity to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. For example, assemblies explore potential risks and dangers so that every child is keenly aware of hazards and unsafe situations - from skate-boarding to using the internet.

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Safety

 The strong and nurturing support pupils receive has a positive impact on their behaviour, attendance and achievement. Pupils know who to go to if they have a problem and feel very secure. When describing their school, one pupil said ‘it feels like a family.’ The recent appointment of a family support worker also demonstrates the school’s commitment to protecting pupils and supporting families with difficulties.

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Safety

 Pupils spoken to say that bullying is not an issue. They are very aware of the different forms that bullying can take, including the use of name-calling and cyber bullying. Anti-bullying ambassadors are also on hand to encourage pupils to report incidents which upset them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Consistently good teaching makes sure that all pupils achieve well and reach the levels they are capable of in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan lessons which are interesting and well-suited to the needs of pupils with different abilities. Equipment and other resources, including information technology are also readily available to help support pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan carefully so that activities are exciting and imaginative, help pupils develop good attitudes to their learning and build effectively on pupils’ prior learning. Attractive displays in classrooms and around school reflect the wide range of activities that lessons provide. Art work is very strongly promoted and the visual impact of the handmade poppies in the school library creates an atmospheric and vibrant learning environment, and is testimony to the hard work put in by teachers and pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers assess the progress pupils make accurately and regularly and keep a careful track on their achievement over time. These checks enable them to put additional support in place quickly if pupils are risk of falling behind.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning and collaborate well with class teachers. They provide valuable support for individuals and small groups, both within and outside lessons, in helping them with their reading, writing and mathematics. This extra well-targeted support ensures that pupils identified as needing help, including those who are disadvantaged or who are disabled or who have special educational needs are well-supported and make the same progress as their classmates.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers take account of the needs of the most-able pupils in their planning, utilise additional teachers to work with these pupils in English and mathematics and ensure that the work set for these pupils is appropriately challenging, especially in Years 5 and 6. This makes an effective contribution to their achievement. For example, in a Year 6 English lesson, the teacher skilfully challenged pupils’ perceptions of a book character through an in-depth and very thought-provoking discussion. As a result, pupils were engrossed in the lesson and produced work of a very high quality.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes, teachers do not move pupils on swiftly enough when pupils are able to do the work confidently and this limits pupils’ progress. In the main, teachers use good questioning skills, but on occasion, they ask questions which are too easy, when pupils would benefit from being made to think more deeply and explain how they reach their answers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work in pupils’ books displays evidence that many pupils make rapid progress, showing that teaching has been good over time. Work is marked regularly and teachers often add helpful and positive comments. However, on occasion, teachers accept work from some pupils which is not always well-presented as it should be or of a high enough quality.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The great majority of pupils achieve well and make good progress throughout the school. As a result, pupils reach overall standards which are well above the national average at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Results in writing at the end of Year 6 in 2014 were in line with national average but pupils made good progress from their starting points. Mathematics attainment and progress are consistently strong and reading has now improved and equals achievement in mathematics. Pupils are therefore well-prepared for the next stage in their education.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 are above average. This is because reading is taught well from the outset. Pupils quickly learn to break down sounds and letters and read unfamiliar words. Reading is strongly promoted across the school; libraries are well-stocked and there are attractive areas for pupils to use to browse through reading materials. As a result, pupils develop good reading habits and a love of books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Individual pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make at least good progress across the school in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because of the effective support they receive both within and outside lessons. This helps them to keep up with their classmates, demonstrating the school’s active promotion of equality of opportunity.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There are only a small number of disadvantaged pupils in the school who are in receipt of the pupil premium. The school’s own information and pupils’ work show that they make the same good progress as other groups. This is because the additional funding provided is used effectively to boost their reading, writing and mathematical skills and also to help develop their personal and social skills. It is not possible to comment in detail on the attainment gap between these pupils and their peers at the end of Year 6 without identifying individuals.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of the most-able pupils is good in all subjects. The numbers reaching the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 are usually above national average in all subjects. The proportion reaching the higher level in writing in Year 6 in 2013 was significantly above average, although it dipped in 2014. In contrast, significantly more pupils reached the higher levels in reading and mathematics due to consistently good teaching and effective leadership. Current pupils are again on track to perform above expected levels in all three subjects.

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The early years provision is good

 Children start school with skills, knowledge and understanding which are typical for their age in most areas. Children make good progress during their first year in Reception. As a result they enter Year 1 with skills and abilities that are increasingly above the national average.

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The early years provision is good

 All children settle very quickly into the school’s routines because of the very warm welcome they receive. Teachers plan exciting activities which help children build their confidence and independence whilst developing their early basic skills. Children learn how to get on and work together effectively from the outset. Children behave well and listen attentively to adults at all times.

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The early years provision is good

 Children make good progress because teaching is effective and activities are well-planned. Time and money have been invested to make sure that the indoor and outdoor environments both promote all areas of learning very well. There is a strong emphasis on developing children’s language skills, especially their speaking and listening and their reading. Adults regularly ask questions to check and extend children’s levels of understanding and they provide high-quality care.

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The early years provision is good

 Teachers and other support staff work closely with children and provide good levels of support during activities. Activities are exciting and build on children’s interests. For example, during the inspection, Reception children had a ‘bring your pet to school’ day. This created opportunities for children to ask and answer questions about the pets who were visiting. There is a good balance of activities involving children working alongside an adult and when they pursue learning individually through imaginative play.

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The early years provision is good

 Good leadership and management ensure that children work and play in a safe, attractive and purposeful environment where each child is known as an individual. Regular observations are carried out to track children’s progress. A new assessment system is being trialled and developed in order to collect precise and important information as children develop so that teachers can make sure that planning builds on children’s current levels.

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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 failing

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 138822 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 448636

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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 4-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 418 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Neil Roberts Headteacher Lorraine Schofield Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01604 761679 Fax number 01604 660832 Email address senco@wootton.northants-ecl.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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