Weyfield Primary Academy

School Close, Woking Road, Guildford, GU1 1QJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Early years provision Inadequate 4

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This is a school that requires special measures. It is not good because

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is inadequate. The provision does not ensure that children are well prepared for Year 1. Too few children achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception year.  Pupils, including those eligible for additional funding, do not make enough progress. As a result, standards are much lower than average in Year 2 and Year 6.  Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ learning, achievement and behaviour are too low.  Teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils are given enough challenge to enable them to achieve well, especially the most able.  There are too many incidents of poor behaviour. The number of exclusions for poor behaviour is much higher than in most schools.  Leaders and teachers do not use information from assessments effectively to ensure that pupils achieve well.  Leaders' views about the school's performance are over generous and do not adequately reflect the

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This is a school that requires special measures. It is not good because

school’s poor performance against minimum national expectations. The school’s development plan does not contain clear information about when specific improvements are expected to be in place.  The headteacher, other leaders and governors have not acted with sufficient urgency to bring about necessary improvements to pupils’ achievement and to the quality of teaching.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher and senior leaders have begun to raise expectations in the school. The new approach to managing behaviour has led to improved behaviour this term.  Attendance has improved as a result of the school’s higher expectations and actions undertaken by the home-school link worker and family support worker.  The school makes effective provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are given opportunities to take part in a wide range of clubs and musical and sporting activities, and are involved in fundraising for good causes.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with no notice.  The inspectors observed 10 lessons and pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime. Two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, two members of the governing body, the headteacher and other members of staff. Inspectors also talked to a representative of the Kemnal Academies Trust.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work. They heard pupils read and examined pupils’ work in their exercise books, as well as classroom and corridor wall displays.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including plans for what pupils will learn in each subject, plans for the school’s future development, and the school’s use of sport premium and pupil premium funding. They also examined the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records, minutes of governing body meetings, information about pupils’ achievement, and

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Information about this inspection

records of how the quality of teaching is checked.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers by considering three letters and 15 responses to the online Parent View survey, and through discussions with several parents.  Inspectors took staff views into consideration by looking at questionnaires completed by 43 staff members and through discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Full report

The school should not recruit newly qualified teachers.

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Information about this school

 Weyfield Primary Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 February 2013. When its predecessor school, Weyfield Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall. The school is supported by the Kemnal Academies Trust.  The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is much higher than the national average. This extra money is provided for children known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is higher than in most other schools. Some pupils have speech, language and communication needs, whilst others have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties or other needs.

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Information about this school

 A large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The headteacher joined the school in April 2014. The deputy headteacher joined the school in June 2014.  The Chair of the Governing Body was appointed in March 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by:  having consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and achievement  using assessment information effectively in order to give pupils work at the right level of challenge, particularly the most able  checking on pupils’ understanding frequently during lessons  marking pupils’ work regularly and giving pupils clear advice about how to improve their work and reach their targets.  Raise standards of behaviour further across the school and reduce the number of exclusions by:  implementing the new behaviour policy more consistently  making sure that all teachers’ expectations of behaviour are always high.  Raise standards of attainment, especially in mathematics, by:  focusing strongly enough on developing pupils’ key skills and knowledge  making sure that pupils are given enough opportunities to read in school and to take books home to read.  Improve the Early Years Foundation Stage provision by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensuring that the indoor and outdoor environments stimulate children’s learning effectively  making better use of resources to support the development of children’s skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing.  Ensure that leaders and governors act with greater urgency to bring about improvements to pupils’ achievement by:  making sure that checks on the quality of teaching focus strongly on its impact on pupils’ achievement during lessons  analysing assessment information with greater rigour  taking more account of national minimum expectations when coming to a view about the school’s performance  making sure the school’s development plan contains clear information about when specific improvements are expected to be in place  ensuring middle leaders take more responsibility for pupils' achievement  taking steps to improve communication with parents and raising their confidence in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The headteacher, other leaders and governors have not taken sufficiently prompt and decisive action to improve the quality of teaching and ensure that all pupils make good progress. Although there were improvements last year, standards in Year 6 remain well below average, while those in Year 2 are lower than they were when the school converted to become an academy.  Over time, school leaders have allowed teachers to have very low expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour. The headteacher and senior leaders have now begun to raise expectations in the school, but this has not yet had sufficient impact on pupils’ achievement or the quality of teaching.  Until recently, school leaders have not checked the quality of teaching rigorously enough. There has not been enough focus on the impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement in lessons. As a result, the quality of teaching has not improved sufficiently. However, leaders are now taking steps to promote more

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The leadership and management are inadequate

consistently effective teaching.  Leaders have not ensured that teachers use assessment information effectively to help pupils make faster progress. For example, the school’s analysis of assessment information from July 2014 lacks rigour and does not adequately represent how much improvement needs to be made.  The organisation and management of key information do not help leaders to be effective in their roles. For example, the school has not used performance management effectively to set improvement targets for teachers in order to raise standards of attainment. Key information from performance management which is essential in identifying where improvements are needed is not held centrally by the school. Some assessment data and some information about safeguarding, although complete, are not accessible enough to help leaders maintain an effective overview of the school.  Middle leaders are not effective enough and have not been held accountable for ensuring that pupils

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The leadership and management are inadequate

achieve well. A new middle leadership structure is in place but has yet to have an impact on improving achievement.  Pupils learn a wide range of subjects and explore interesting topics, such as homes around the world. The daily timetable has been revised this term to give more emphasis to the teaching of key skills. The school’s teaching about citizenship encourages a sense of social responsibility and helps prepare pupils for later life. Equal opportunities are promoted well through such work. Pupils also have many opportunities to engage in a wide range of clubs and musical activities. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively.  The home-school link worker and family support worker liaise well with families. They have helped to improve individual pupils’ attendance and well-being. This work is an example of the effective use of additional funding. However, this funding has not been used effectively to ensure that eligible pupils make

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The leadership and management are inadequate

enough progress or attain sufficiently high standards.  Sport funding is used effectively to develop teachers’ skills in teaching physical education, and to increase pupils’ engagement in dance and sports, including competitive sports. The school offers a range of lunchtime and after-school sporting activities.  The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.  The Kemnal Academies Trust understands where the school needs to improve and has made appointments to the senior leadership team to support school improvement.  Parents have very low levels of confidence in school leadership. A large majority of parents who offered an opinion thought that the school was not well led. Several parents expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of communication from the headteacher, and most parents who offered an opinion said they would not recommend the school to other parents.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Over time, the governing body has not made good enough checks on the school's work. Its impact on school improvement has been limited. Until the current Chair was appointed, governors did not ensure that they received enough information about pupils’ attainment and their behaviour, school finances, or the performance management of staff and any pay awards granted. Until recently, governors have not challenged leaders rigorously enough about pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching to ensure that the school improves quickly. They are not sufficiently well organised to ensure they can make effective checks. However, the Chair of the Governing Body has developed a plan to strengthen governance and deploy governors more efficiently. Arrangements are in place to manage the headteacher’s performance along with the academy trust.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.  There have been too many incidents of poor behaviour over an extended period, including some persistent disruptive behaviour, verbal abuse and some threatening behaviour towards adults. The proportion of pupils excluded for poor behaviour is much higher than in most schools.  Over time, the school’s management of behaviour has not been effective and teachers were not given enough responsibility and accountability for managing the behaviour of their pupils. Staff expectations of behaviour have been much too low. However, leaders are now taking steps to raise teachers’ expectations and make teachers more accountable for pupils’ behaviour.  Pupils do not always demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning, and teachers do not emphasise enough the importance of concentrating on learning in lessons. New approaches to behaviour mnagement have begun to improve pupils’ and staff’s appreciation of the importance of learning, and pupils mostly

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

understand the new ‘good to be green’ approach to behaviour. However, while there are signs of better behaviour towards one another during lessons, in the playground and during lunchtime, the impact is not great enough. In part, this is because staff are not implementing the new approach consistently.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement. Pupils who spoke to the inspectors said that, while behaviour has improved this term and most felt safe, several of them had experienced bullying while in the school.  Pupils are taught how to keep safe and avoid risk, including when online, whilst using sharp tools, and when on the road.  Attendance has improved and is now in line with national figures. This is because of the school’s raised expectations of attendance and effective work with families.  Most parents who expressed an opinion said they felt their children were kept safe by the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

However, a large majority of these parents do not think that the school manages pupils’ behaviour well or deals effectively with bullying.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ learning and achievement are too low. There is still too much inadequate teaching in the school. As a result, many pupils underachieve.  Teachers do not consistently plan work that challenges pupils, deepens their understanding and builds on what they already know. Many pupils said that the work they were given was too easy.  The teaching of reading and writing is inadequate. There is not enough good teaching of basic reading and writing skills. Until very recently, pupils have had too few opportunities to read and take books home and the school has not given enough attention to developing pupils’ handwriting.  Pupils underachieve in mathematics because teachers do not develop key skills and knowledge well enough. There has not been a consistent approach to teaching mathematics across the school until very recently.  Teachers’ use of assessment information during lessons varies in quality and is not effective overall.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

Teachers do not consistently use this information to give pupils work with the right level of challenge.  In some lessons, teachers and teaching assistants check pupils’ understanding frequently and give pupils helpful advice. At other times teachers fail to recognise what pupils are capable of and allow them to continue with undemanding work.  Some teachers give pupils useful guidance about how to improve their work, whilst others leave pieces of work unmarked. There are also inconsistencies in the way teachers use and refer to pupils’ targets. Classroom displays are not used consistently well. There are some stimulating displays that contain advice and other materials to support learning, but, at the time of the inspection, many display boards were empty and this does not promote learning well.  A majority of parents who offered an opinion think that their children are not taught well.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Pupils do not make enough progress in any subject. Achievement in mathematics is particularly low. Pupils do not develop a thorough understanding of mathematical ideas or how to apply them in everyday life. The most able pupils do not make enough progress in any subject, but again this is especially the case in mathematics. Very few of the most able pupils achieve higher results at the end of Key Stage 2.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage do not achieve well. Few children achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception year.  The results of the Year 1 national screening in phonics (linking letters to the sounds they make) are well below those seen in most other schools. Standards in reading and writing are not high enough because pupils have too few opportunities to practise and improve their skills.  Pupils eligible for additional funding make slower progress than other pupils across much of the school,

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

including in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are currently gaps in performance of approximately half a term in mathematics and one term in English at the end of Key Stage 2. School data show that a much lower percentage of eligible pupils achieved Level 4 in all subjects than other pupils.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make slower progress than other pupils; their results in all subjects are lower, especially in mathematics.  A majority of parents who offered an opinion think that their children do not make good progress.

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The early years provision

 The early years provision does not ensure that children are well prepared for Year 1. Few children achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception year, compared to national figures.  Children eligible for additional funding do not make as much progress as other children, particularly in reading, writing and number.  The indoor and outdoor classrooms do not stimulate children’s learning well enough. Teachers do not make effective use of the limited range of resources available to support the development of children’s skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing.  Children are able to choose from the range of activities offered, but these often lack challenge and do not develop children’s knowledge and skills well enough.  Teachers check children’s skills and identify their needs from when the children first enter the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, they do not use the information gained from these assessments effectively to

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The early years provision

plan activities that promote good learning.  Early years staff and children get on well together and children are well looked after.

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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 139070 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 447863

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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 350 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Clare Collins Headteacher Neil McDonough Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected as an academy Telephone number 01483 598956 Fax number 01483 598957 Email address office@weyfield-tkat.org guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

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

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School details

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

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School details

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

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School details

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

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School details

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

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