Weston Favell CofE Primary School

Weston Favell CofE Primary School Westwood Way, Wellingborough Road, Northampton, NN3 3HH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The leadership of the school is very strong. All teachers share the headteacher’s commitment to continuously improving teaching and achievement and providing the best possible education for the pupils.  Pupils make outstanding progress and reach above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave at the end of Year 6.  Children make rapid progress in the excellent Early Years Foundation Stage. They achieve standards at the end of the Reception Year that are above those expected for their age.  The school makes very effective use of the pupil premium. Gaps between the attainment of eligible pupils and others in the school are quickly closed.  Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those learning English as a second language are all given very good support.  Pupils enjoy school and arrive punctually at the start of the day and for lessons. Pupils are very

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

proud of their school and have excellent attitudes to learning.  Their behaviour is outstanding. Pupils say they feel extremely safe, secure and well looked after. Attendance is above average.  Teachers have high expectations of their pupils, who respond by aiming high and doing their best at all times.  Teachers and leaders use assessment very well to ensure pupils make the best possible progress. Any pupils at risk of falling behind are quickly identified and helped to catch up.  Teachers mark books thoughtfully. They sometimes set additional individual tasks to support pupils’ understanding but teachers do not always check that these additional tasks are being completed by pupils.  Support for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils are very well-prepared for life in modern Britain.  Subject leaders and those with responsibility for leading specific aspects of the school are highly

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

effective.  School leaders work well with the other primary schools of the Northamptonshire Primary Academy Trust by regularly exchanging examples of their own good practice and that of the other schools in the Trust.  Governors know the school well and hold it to account for its performance very effectively.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 21 lessons, including two observations conducted jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors also looked at pupils’ work in their books, listened to pupils read, attended an assembly and observed behaviour at break times and around the school.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents including: the school’s own check on its performance and the quality of teaching; the school improvement plan; information on pupils’ progress; and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Meetings were held with key members of staff, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative of the academy trust board.  They took account of the 115 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and a telephone call from a parent, as well as informal conversations with parents. They also took account of the 33 responses to staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Mary Le Breuilly, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The school became an academy in September 2012. It is one of a group of schools that forms the Northampton Primary Academy Trust Partnership. The headteacher of Weston Favell CE Primary School is a director of the academy trust. When its predecessor school Weston Favell CE VA Primary School was last inspected it was judged to be good.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is larger than average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is smaller than average.  The number of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is lower than average. Pupil premium funding is additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children in local authority care.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is well below average. The proportion supported at

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Information about this school

school action plus is average. No pupils currently have an education, care or health plan.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  In September 2013, there were significant changes in staffing, with several new teachers joining the school.  There is a pre-school class known as ‘Shining Stars’ for three- to four-year-old pupils that attend on a part-time basis. This class was included in the inspection of the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure teachers check that pupils always complete the additional tasks they are given when their work is marked.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher expects the highest standards from her staff and she commands their respect. She is ably supported by a strong leadership team. She and the deputy headteacher work constantly to promote the best possible ethos throughout the school so that pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are frequently exemplary and they thrive, both academically and personally. School staff are united in their willingness to do the very best for their pupils.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils are assessed on a regular basis and the information from these assessments is used in half-termly meetings that hold teachers to account for the progress of pupils in their class. This means that any pupil who is at risk of falling behind is quickly identified and helped to catch up.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Governors, senior leaders and subject leaders demonstrate insight and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. The school’s planning correctly identifies the key priorities and actions needed to improve teaching and raise achievement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Teachers’ performance is managed very well. New and inexperienced staff are given help and support to raise the quality of their teaching to the high standards expected by school leaders. Staff report that they are given every opportunity to improve their teaching.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has already begun to refine its preferred approach to assessment so that it reflects the new National Curriculum. It is working very purposefully in collaboration with other schools in the academy trust to do this.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Subject leaders and those with responsibility for specific aspects of the school are highly effective. They work closely with senior leaders, providing support and guidance for other members of staff. They share in observing lessons and checking pupils’ exercise books to gauge the quality of pupils’ learning, as well as their standards of presentation and attitudes to work. The strong staff team are united in wanting the very best for their pupils and they plan learning together carefully so that they can all succeed.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The curriculum has been very well-planned to ensure that, as well as leaving with high standards in their academic subjects, pupils are thoroughly engaged by the education they receive. A broad range of trips, for example, to other places of worship, and visitors from many walks of life, prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Consistently well-planned learning experiences support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively. Consequently, pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong, behave impeccably and feel completely safe in school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Sports funding has been used to provide opportunities for pupils to engage in sport beyond the school. The school now takes part in a range of inter-school competitions where every pupil represents the school at some point. Pupils’ engagement in sport has increased and they say that they enjoy the opportunities made available to them to participate in sport through clubs and other events. Pupils understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school makes very effective use of the pupil premium. Consequently, any gaps between the attainment of eligible pupils and others in the school are quickly closed and, by the time they leave, these pupils frequently attain higher standards than their peers.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those learning English as a second language are all given very good support. The school demonstrates its commitment to equal opportunities by working exceptionally well to eliminate any barriers to learning that might prevent individuals or groups making outstanding progress.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is a director of the Northampton Primary Academy Trust Partnership with whom the school works in close partnership. The headteachers of the different partnership schools provide support and challenge to each other. They are supported by the previous headteacher of one of the schools, who acts as an external adviser to all the schools in the Trust. Expertise is shared between schools and they work together on projects such as the development of an assessment system to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum. This has been highly effective in improving all the schools in the Trust.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governing body carries out its duties very effectively. Governors are highly skilled and bring a range of professional experiences to the role. They keep up to date through regular training, including on how to use the school’s latest performance and other data. They are aware of national developments and discharge the responsibilities they have for the curriculum, assessment and the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively.  Governors ensure that statutory requirements, including those for safeguarding, are fully met. Finances are managed very well, with extra funds such as the pupil premium funding targeted precisely on areas of need so that all pupils can achieve equally. Governors monitor the school closely. Their regular visits to the school, together with progress reports from senior leaders, mean that they are informed of the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

school’s strengths and areas for development.  Governors know how strong teaching is and what is being done to improve it yet further. They fully understand the importance of ensuring there are close links between teachers’ pay and their performance and have acted to ensure that performance management is highly effective.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding and is praised by parents, staff and governors alike. Around school, at break times and in lessons pupils show respect and kindness for each other and for the adults in the school. Disruption in lessons is very rare.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ high attendance is an indicator of their enjoyment of school. In lessons they are keen to learn and respond quickly to the instructions of teachers and other adults. They work with enthusiasm in groups or individually, and pay close attention to their teachers.

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Behaviour

 Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. Incidents of unacceptable behaviour are extremely rare. Pupils understand that bullying in its various forms is wrong. The school is free from sexist, racist and homophobic bullying. Pupils are confident that should unacceptable behaviour occur, it will be dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff. Pupils enjoy each other’s company, secure in the understanding that any minor incidents of unkindness or misbehaviour will be quickly addressed.

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Behaviour

 Parents are quick to praise the school and the views expressed on Parent View are overwhelmingly positive. They appreciate the approachability of the school and they feel that the training they have been given on how to support their children’s learning has been helpful to them and their children.

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Behaviour

 The very caring, supportive and trusting relationships between staff and pupils mean that pupils are confident that they can always talk to staff should they have any problems in or out of school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.

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Safety

 Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and parents have a high degree of confidence that the school is taking every measure to keep their children safe both in school and on trips. All adults ensure that the playground is a safe place for pupils to be in at all times.

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Safety

 Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe. They have a very well-developed sense of how to behave in a range of potentially unsafe situations, including when using the internet. Pupils engage in a range of learning activities such as e-safety and road safety. Visitors to the school attend lessons and assemblies to support pupils’ personal, social and health education.

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Safety

 The school works very closely to support families struggling to cope with difficult circumstances. It employs a family support worker who supports pupils and their families in times of need. Her work is much appreciated by, and is making a positive difference to, the families she works with.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding. Teachers use their good subject knowledge and personal knowledge about each pupil to plan learning that is imaginative and challenging. Lessons are stimulating and engage pupils’ interest and commitment. For example, the school has recently implemented a programme of drama to support writing and pupils respond well to these sessions, showing imagination and flair in their writing. Pupils work enthusiastically at all the different tasks they are set and make rapid progress in all subjects.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is very good. Teachers ensure pupils develop both skills to read and write well and the desire to do both for pleasure. One Year 2 pupil described how he was reading a series of books and could not wait to finish each book so he could start the next. Provision for mathematics is equally good, with inspectors seeing several examples of effective and challenging teaching.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers manage behaviour skilfully. They set high standards and pupils respond well to the challenges that are set. Teachers make sure that pupils understand the purpose of the learning and that they know what is expected of them. Pupils are eager to please their teachers and work well individually and in groups. They listen carefully to teachers and apply themselves to their learning with diligence. Homework is used to good effect.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers know their pupils well and establish a good rapport with them. They treat pupils with respect and set good examples for them to copy through their own actions and speech. Teachers and pupils work together to create an atmosphere of concentration and a calm sense of purpose.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The support for disadvantaged and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is very effective. Teaching assistants provide effective catch-up sessions, often working with pupils in on-to-one support sessions. They make a very strong contribution to learning and skilfully question and support individuals and pupils working in groups to improve their progress. Any pupil identified as needing support is helped to improve, and as a result all groups of pupils make steady progress. Underachieving pupils catch up quickly and most reach standards that are at least average for their age.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers mark pupils’ books regularly and give helpful comments. On occasions they set individual tasks to support pupils’ understanding of the work they have been doing but sometimes pupils do not complete these tasks and teachers do not always check that they have done so.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers new to the school are given very good support and development to enable them to meet the high expectations of the school regarding teaching. As a result the quality of teaching remains very high.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children enter the Reception class with skills and abilities that are generally typical for their age. Outstanding teaching supports children’s rapid progress so that they consistently achieve a good level of development or better by the end of the Reception Year. This prepares them well for entry to Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils acquire knowledge, understanding and skills quickly. In Key Stage 1 they use and accurately apply phonics (letters and sounds) to their reading and writing. Pupils demonstrate high levels of confidence, knowledge and skill in reading, all of which are reflected in the high outcomes obtained in the national phonics screening check. In 2013 and 2014, results in the phonics screening exceeded what is expected for pupils of this age.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Both Year 2 and Year 6 pupils consistently attain standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are above national expectations and averages, often significantly so. School information shows that current pupils continue to make very good progress and the majority are set to attain high standards in 2015.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make rapid progress because of the high quality additional support they receive. By the time they leave school at the end of Year 6 some have caught up with their peers and have reached the standards that are expected of pupils of their age.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The progress of pupils who are supported through the additional funding via the pupil premium in 2013 is often better than that of other pupils in the school. In 2014, when these pupils left Year 6, their standards in reading, writing and mathematics were only half a term behind their peers in school and were as good as those of other pupils nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and pupils with English as an additional language also make strong progress and achieve well.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Children of all abilities and groups make good and sometimes outstanding progress due to the very good provision and outstanding teaching they receive. Learning is well-planned so that the needs of all learners are consistently met. Children are prepared well for Year 1, particularly in their acquisition of phonics.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Adults provide well-planned activities for children to develop physically and socially and to gain a wider view of the world around them. Members of staff provide good opportunities for pupils to learn to read and write, and to count and compare numbers. The learning environment is bright and engaging and adults skilfully question and interest children with activities to target their development in specific skills.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 The welcoming environment allows children in the Shining Stars pre-school class to settle quickly and happily. Adults carefully observe the children and are aware of the next steps in development for each child. Parents appreciate the training and resources they have been given to support the development of phonics at home and they are kept informed of activities taking place in the setting.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Behaviour in the pre-school and Reception classes is excellent. Children are encouraged to take turns and consider each other’s feelings. They demonstrate great self-reliance and high standards of conduct.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 The leadership and management of the Early Years are outstanding. Assessments are accurate and are used carefully to inform the planning of activities so that learning is often very rapid. The school balances its use of activities indoors and in the outside area, and uses both adult- and child-led activities very effectively to promote children’s independence, knowledge and skills.

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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 138956 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 448647

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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 Trust Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 407 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jim Phipps Headteacher Jill Ramshaw Date of previous school inspection 12 th January 2010 Telephone number 01604 401547 Fax number 01604 411016 Email address enquiries@wfps.northants.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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