Nythe Primary School

Nythe Primary School Nyland Road, Nythe, Swindon, SN3 3RR

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Some of the teaching in Key Stage 1 and Year 3 does not fully engage the pupils. Too often, tasks are are not hard enough.  Work does not consistently challenge the most able. Consequently, some do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not consistently check the response of pupils to their marking. As a result, mistakes and misconceptions are too frequently left without correction.  The early years provision requires improvement. Many children enter Reception with physical development and skills in reading and writing that are below those typical for their age. Not enough is done to help these children to catch up by the time they move to Year 1.  Achievement in Key Stage 1 in reading and mathematics is not good enough. Attainment in these subjects is below average.  Pupils do not make enough progress in writing across Key Stage 2.  Leaders, managers and governors have not ensured

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

that teaching and achievement have improved enough to be good.  Leaders have not ensured that progress is fast enough in Key Stage 1.  The leadership of English has not ensured that pupils’ progress is analysed sufficiently. Targets are not challenging enough for pupils.

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The school has the following strengths

 The recently appointed interim headteacher has taken prompt action to bring about improvements.  Teachers and support staff form a cohesive and hardworking team. They respond well to the good range of opportunities they have to develop their professional practice.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 achieve well in reading and mathematics.  Pupils behave well and take pride in their school. They embrace the values that they are taught and treat each other with respect.  Leaders ensure that pupils are safe and they report that they feel well cared for.  Pupils are provided with an increasingly exciting curriculum and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.  Governors know their school well and provide a good balance of support and challenge for the school’s leaders.  Parents are supportive of the school. They ensure their children attend each day and that they read regularly at home.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ learning was observed in each year group. Inspectors conducted 11 lesson observations, four of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. They also conducted a number of shorter visits to lessons.  Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, staff and members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked a number of documents provided by the school. These included the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness and its checks on performance and the quality of teaching. They also looked at records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  There were 16 responses to the Ofsted online survey (Parent View). Inspectors spoke informally with parents and the start of the first day of the inspection and considered the school’s own surveys of the views of parents and of pupils. The inspectors considered 24 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Robert Eyre-Brook, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The previous headteacher left the school at the end of the last academic year. An interim headteacher was appointed from the beginning of the autumn term.  The interim headteacher is a local leader of education and is headteacher of another local school, Orchid Vale Primary School, which is judged to be outstanding.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It currently has one class in each year group. The early years provision comprises a full-time Reception class. The school does not have a nursery.  The great majority of the children enter the school from a private nursery that rents space from the school. Most pupils transfer at age 11 to the local academy.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is about one sixth. This is about the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported by the pupil premium (additional government

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Information about this school

funding to give extra support to those known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are in care) is about one quarter. This is about the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is about one sixth. This is below average. The proportion speaking English as an additional language is about one in fourteen. This is also below average.  In 2014, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school provides a range of clubs, some of which operate after the school day. However, it does not operate a breakfast club or a club to provide daily after-school care.  New governors have joined the governing body and a new Chair of Governors has recently been elected.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, so that it is consistently good and achievement rises, by:  ensuring that teaching engages all pupils, especially those in Key Stage 1 and Year 3, and work is always hard enough  making sure that teachers consistently challenge the most able  checking that pupils respond to marking and that teachers then check each pupil’s response  helping children in the early years overcome any areas of weakness.  Improve the effectiveness of middle leaders, especially those responsible for the leadership of Key Stage 1, early years and English by:  having higher expectations for pupils making faster progress in Key Stage 1 and in the early years  analysing the progress of pupils in more detail in English and ensuring that taregts set for pupils are always challenging.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because the leadership of English and of the early years and Key Stage 1 has not ensured that the teaching in these areas is good enough for all groups of pupils to make good progress.  Middle leaders are being developed but, as yet, they rely a great deal on support from the interim headteacher and advice from outside the school. Expectations are not high enough for pupils in Key Stage 1 and for children in the early years.  The analysis of pupil performance is now more robust than it was at the time of the last inspection. This means that teachers have a more accurate picture of the attainment and progress of each pupil and are able to set pupils appropriate targets. However, the leadership of English has not ensured that this is consistently the case in writing, so targets in this subject are not always sufficiently challenging.  The interim headteacher rigorously monitors and evaluates the quality of teaching. This, together with

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The leadership and management require improvement

well-judged appointments, has brought about improvements in teaching. These are particularly evident in Years 4, 5 and 6 and in the early years. However, improvements in other year groups have been less marked and too much teaching still requires improvement.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. Assemblies help pupils to reflect on important values. They develop a good understanding of right and wrong.  The school provides an engaging and motivating curriculum, so pupils are keen to learn and are now becoming more interested in writing. An artist in residence, opportunities to learn a wide range of musical instruments and specialist sports teaching all contribute to a rich and varied provision and to pupils’ cultural development.  School leaders have been successful in creating a culture and ethos which promote and celebrate good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. As a ‘values-based school’, a different value is taught each

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The leadership and management require improvement

month and this has a strong impact on pupils’ attitudes. This month’s value, ‘Respect’, was clearly evident in the pupils’ behaviour.  The staff comprises a cohesive team, which is focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers and support staff are keen to make the most of the wide range of training and support that is available to them to make improvements to their practice.  Parents are supportive of the school and those spoken to commented on the improvements they have seen recently. Some said that the procedures are now ‘sharper’ than they were. Parents ensure that their children read regularly at home and comment regularly in their children’s reading records.  Pupils of different background work and play together very harmoniously. They show interest in, and respect for, the range of faiths and beliefs about which they learn. One pupil showed great enthusiasm for all he had learned about Sikhism. Pupils are keen to take on responsibility and hold elections for house

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The leadership and management require improvement

captains and the school council. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  School leaders are increasingly successful in ensuring equality of opportunity, including through improving the effectiveness of the support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. They foster good relationships throughout the school community and are robust in ensuring any discrimination is tackled.  Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used well. The appointment of a parent support advisor has contributed to their good attendance. Disadvantaged pupils make progress that is similar to that of their peers in other year groups, and gaps are closing.  The primary sports premium is being used effectively to provide a wide range of sporting opportunities for pupils to enjoy and to help them be active. Specialist coaches provide training for the school staff so the premium impacts on the quality of PE teaching across the school.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Safeguarding procedures are effective and meet statutory requirements. Leaders have created a safe and secure environment for the pupils and they and their parents express confidence that they are well protected.  Support from the local authority has made a strong contribution to recent improvements. Regular visits are made to the school and result in detailed reports of which the school makes good use. Support for the governance of the school is of high quality.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has improved since the last inspection and is now effective. New governors have increased the range of expertise available.  The Chair of the Governing Body, and other governors spoken to, displayed a good understanding of the strengths and weakness of the school and a strong resolve to bring about further improvements. Governors are now working more closely with school leaders to monitor the quality of the school’s work.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Governors are knowledgeable about the strengths and weakness of the teaching and about the performance of groups of pupils within the school. They are also knowledgable about data on the school’s performance and know how well the school is performing in relation to others.  Governors provide a suitable balance of support and challenge for school leaders. They ensure that their statutory duties are fulfilled and provide good oversight of the school’s processes of performance management, ensuring the poor performance is tackled and good performance rewarded.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are very respectful towards each other and towards adults. They work and play together harmoniously. In discussions with inspectors, pupils listened carefully to each other’s contributions and consistently allowed each other to complete their comments without interruption.  Improvements made by the interim headteacher have brought about significant improvements in behaviour. These include better training for staff as well as clear and consistent expectations. There is a relentless focus on values and better organisation and a wider range of resources at play and lunch times.  Pupils are smartly dressed. They take pride in their school environment and ensure it is kept tidy. They readily take on additional responsibilities and older pupils look after the younger ones.  Pupils behave well in lessons. In most lessons, they contribute fully, remain on task throughout and reflect

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Behaviour

carefully on what they have learned. Where teaching is less effective, some pupils lose focus and this affects their progress. Disruption to lessons is very rare.  The school has worked very well with the families of the very small number of pupils who show very challenging behaviour. Senior members of staff have taken and acted on advice from other agencies, to provide support for these pupils and to address their difficulties, ensuring these do not impact on the learning of others.  Behaviour records are kept and these show that behaviour continues to improve.  Attendance is high and is improving still further. Pupils are very keen to come to school and absence is followed up rigorously. Pupils are punctual and very few are late.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are taught well how to keep safe, including when using computers and other devices online. They show a good understanding of road safety.  Pupils report that bullying is very rare and, whenever it has happened, is dealt with quickly and effectively. They say that the recent anti-bullying week helped them to understand how harmful bullying is, how they can help prevent it and what they should do if ever they were bullied.  Pupils say they feel safe in all parts of the school and throughout the school day. They are confident that adults in the school will look after them.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching, including that of literacy and mathematics, is not consistently good enough to make sure that pupils make good progress in each year group.  Pupils are taught about letters and the sounds they make (phonics) and use these skills in their reading. However, the quality of this teaching is not consistently high enough for pupils to make gains as quickly as they should.  In Key Stage 1 and Year 3, too much teaching fails to engage pupils fully, so their attention wanders. In some lessons, work that is set is not always hard enough so some do not make enough progress. In Years 4, 5 and 6, almost all teaching is good and some is outstanding. Assessments accurately identify what pupils can do and are used to set targets. Pupils are helped to remember their targets, for example by having a laminated bookmark on which their individual target is printed.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs have work that is carefully planned and specific

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

teaching is provided to help them overcome difficulties. This ensures that they are able to take a full part in lessons.  A well-thought-out system of marking and feedback has been introduced and is being used throughout the school. This uses highlighters to show where a pupil has done well and where they could improve, and provides ‘reflection time’ during which pupils respond to their teacher’s marking. However, teachers do not always check each pupil’s response. Consequently, mistakes and misunderstandings are often not identified and corrected.  Additional adults are well deployed in most classes. They have a notable impact on the progress that pupils make.  Teachers ensure that pupils read regularly at home and set homework for them.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement as the progress of pupils at each stage of the school have not been consistently good.  Pupils enter the school with skills that are generally typical for their age. However, these skills are weaker in the areas of physical development, reading and writing. These weaknesses are not well enough addressed in the early years and so they remain when children move into Key Stage 1.  The proportion of pupils reaching the threshold in the phonics screening check has risen, but is still below the national average.  Achievement at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading and mathematics is below the national average. Progress made is these classes is not always sufficiently rapid, because work is not always hard enough.  The proportion of pupils reaching expected levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 is above the national average. More able pupils do not always do as well as they could as

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

they are not always sufficiently challenged.  Disadvantaged pupils make progress that is similar to that of other pupils nationally, in reading and in mathematics. However, they made less progress in writing. The disadvantaged pupils who left the school at the end of Year 6 in 2014 were, on average, about three terms behind other pupils nationally in reading and mathematics and five terms behind in writing. They were about seven terms behind other pupils in the school in each subject. These gaps are similar to those seen in 2012 but greater than those in 2013.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve in line with other pupils in the school in the early years and Key Stage 1. The school’s own records show that disadvantaged pupils currently in the school make progress at least in line with their peers and the gaps with other pupils in the school are narrowing.  The progress made by more able pupils in mathematics across Key Stage 2 is greater than the national

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

average, but in reading and in writing is less. More able pupils in Key Stage 1 and Year 3 do not make consistently good progress in lessons, as the work set is not consistently challenging enough.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils in the school. The education provided for them is helping them to catch up with others.

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The early years provision requires improvement

 The early years provision requires improvement because the gaps in their physical and literacy skills with which they enter, are not fully addressed during the year. Consequently, they start Year 1 without sufficient skills in these areas  The quality of teaching over time in the early years has not been good enough to enable the children to make good progress in all areas. However, due to the teacher embracing good training and advice, this is now improving.  Children settle quickly into the Reception Year. They display good levels of self-confidence and play happily together. They behave well, are caring and respectful towards each other and look after equipment well. Staff ensure children are well looked after and feel safe.  Learning resources are well organised. They are stored in a way that enables the children to access them easily. This helps them to develop their independence.  The provision for outdoor learning has been greatly improved since the previous inspection. Children can

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The early years provision requires improvement

access a wide range of activities which help them make progress in each area of the early years curriculum. However, not all members of staff are sufficiently skilled at intervening at the right moments to help the children move their learning forward.  The interim headteacher has provided good support and challenge for the early years staff. High quality external advice has been provided, to which the staff team have responded very positively. However, leaders need to ensure that what is provided for children helps them to make good progress in their learning in all areas.

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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 126249 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 453474

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 166 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Best Headteacher Debbie Kalynka Date of previous school inspection 21–22 February 2013 Telephone number 01793 524024 Fax number 01793 528009 Email address admin@nythe.swindon.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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