Woolhampton C.E. Primary School

School report Woolhampton CE Primary School

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Woollhampton Hill, Upper Woolhampton, Reading, West Berkshire, RG7 5YB

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a good school

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Their impeccable manners and excellent attention in every class are impressive. This ‘perfect’ behaviour effectively supports good achievement for all groups of pupils.  The school ensures that pupils’ safety in school is good. The school is currently developing its cyber- bullying policy to ensure outstanding safety.  The school’s relationships with parents and the support given to families are key strengths of the school’s work. This helps pupils feel very positive about their school. They describe school as an extremely friendly and welcoming place because it is ‘like their second family’.  When pupils leave the school, attainment is above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to their classmates.  Teachers’ marking has improved so that pupils have a very good understanding of what they do well and what they need to do to improve.

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This is a good school

 Leaders have ensured that the good quality of teaching has been maintained during a period of significant staff changes. This has enabled pupils to achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics within this improving school.  Leadership of the early years is good. Children settle into Reception well and learn quickly alongside pupils in Year 1. Through good teaching, these children make good progress and are well prepared to move onto Key Stage 1.  The governing body has a clear focus on the achievement of pupils. Governors are now holding the school to account more than they have over the last few years. They have raised the level of challenge to leaders in order to support further school improvement.  All leaders and teachers are passionate about the school and the dedication of all adults makes this a very happy and harmonious school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always check that every pupil’s needs are being sufficiently met and that all pupils are sufficiently well challenged, especially for more able pupils.  Leaders’ analysis of the large amount of information gathered about the pupils is not always used precisely enough to guide learning in classrooms.  Too many pupils who are less able and do not have significant difficulty in learning are identified as having special educational needs.  Children in the early years do not have enough time to choose, explore and play indoors and outdoors when undertaking new learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in nine lessons. Of these observations, five were undertaken jointly with the headteacher. All teachers were observed.  The inspector and headteacher looked at pupils’ work in their books and heard pupils read in Year 6 and Year 2.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and members of staff. They discussed pupils’ progress in literacy and numeracy and the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and those who are entitled to the pupil premium fund.  Meetings were held with two groups of older pupils who spoke about their work and other aspects of school. The inspector observed pupils at playtime and lunchtime.  A meeting was held with three governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspector also spoke with an advisor from the local authority.  School documents were examined, including the school development plans, school self-evaluation, records

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Information about this inspection

of the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding and behaviour policies and procedures. A close scrutiny was made of school records of pupils’ progress.  The 43 responses to the online Parent View survey were analysed and two parent letters taken into consideration.  The opinions of staff were taken into account, using the 16 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Claire Thompson, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Woolhampton CE Primary School is much smaller than most other primary schools.  Pupils are taught in four classes. There are three classes that have mixed ages and there is a dedicated small class for Year 6 pupils. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, who all attend full time, share a class with Year 1 pupils. They are taught in ability groups because of a high ratio of adults, which include a senior teacher and three teaching assistants.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is well above average at 28.3%.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is well below average at 9% and this is a declining number during this school year. This is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and to children in care.

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Information about this school

 About half of the teachers are new to the school since the last inspection and are recently qualified or newly qualified teachers.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  In the past year, the school has received support from a Local Leader in Education.  The school provides a daily breakfast club for pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  planning work that is more carefully matched to pupils’ differing needs and abilities  ensuring there are more careful checks on pupils’ understanding in lessons, so that all pupils are consistently challenged and learn exceptionally well, especially the more able  giving the Reception children more opportunities to initiate their own learning both inside and outdoors.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership by :  ensuring senior leaders and teachers use deeper analysis of pupils’ attainment and progression data to drive improvement in lessons  review the way that special educational needs are identified so that the group only includes those who need extra support because of their specific need, such as their social and emotional needs, and is not just based on their attainment and progression in lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The enjoyment and pride of all adults who work at the school has been fostered through the caring and committed headteacher. He takes care to make sure that the school is a happy and harmonious community where pupils all have opportunities to do well. He ensures that teachers are able to maintain and further develop their skills within a good climate for learning.  The headteacher gathers a lot of information about the pupils and demonstrates accurate knowledge of each individual pupil. This has accurately informed the school’s self-evaluation and priorities for school improvement. Data are used less effectively within classrooms for pupils to make more rapid progress in every lesson.  Leaders identify too many pupils as having special educational needs. They include too many pupils who are of low ability but reaching similar standards and rates of progress as are nationally expected for all pupils. There are a number of pupils who achieve well and have special educational needs because of

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The leadership and management are good

social and emotional reasons. Sometimes these pupils do not receive enough help which is dedicated to improving their personal needs.  The extra funds available to support disadvantaged pupils have been used well to make sure these pupils make similar progress to their classmates.  Subject leaders have developed their role and have introduced improvements to the marking and feedback policy and this is being well used to help pupils understand how well they are doing and what they need to learn next.  Links with parents and families are an impressive strength of this small school. Relationships are very strong and parents appreciate the effective support for families. This includes running a highly subsidised breakfast club. This club is well attended and offers a happy and positive start to the school day.  The school has a large number of computers, which encourages pupils to use them to support

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The leadership and management are good

independent approaches to their learning. It also offers relevant ways of recording learning and teaches them the most relevant skills for their future lives within the 21 st century. This provision grows as the pupils get older so that by Year 6 all pupils have their own computer throughout the year. Leaders are currently considering how pupils’ work within workbooks compares to that that is word-processed and how the two can be used to support pupils to further improve their achievements.  The new curriculum is being developed to make sure that children are inspired and excited by their learning. Pupils enjoy a range of trips and activities which broaden their experiences and their understanding of the world. Visitors to the school particularly enrich the curriculum.  Pupils are taught about rules and laws and the school council contributes to the decisions made by leaders well. This is supporting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils and is helping

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The leadership and management are good

them prepare for life in modern Britain.  The staff do not tolerate discrimination of any kind and this ensures that pupils are offered equal opportunities to participate in the full curriculum.  The headteacher recognises that he is currently undertaking too much personally. He knows the value that being part of a collaboration of schools will bring to help support more decisive and shared ways for leaders of small schools to develop their own ideas and is taking action on this presently. As a result of too few networks, the school’s approaches to developing the new curriculum and assessment of pupils are only in the early stages of development.  Safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements.  The local authority has provided some good support since the last inspection through a local leader in education. This has helped develop specific support in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have effective structures in place for undertaking their statutory responsibilities. They have improved significantly since the last inspection. Through changes to membership of the governing body, they now offer a range of skills that is well matched to the school’s needs. Currently governors are undertaking a robust review of school policies.  The governing body is well informed about all aspects of the school’s work and especially focuses on how well pupils achieve in their lessons. Members know how well various groups of pupils are progressing and how this compares equally well with other pupils nationally. They have also correctly raised concerns about the numbers of pupils identified as having special educational needs when matched to the rates of pupils’ progression each year.  Governors visit the school regularly to observe pupils’ learning, talk to staff and to look at pupils’ books.

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The leadership and management are good

They understand how staff performance is evaluated so that only good leadership and teaching are rewarded.  Finances are well managed and additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is given wide consideration for meeting the needs of these pupils to suitably support their learning in school and at home. As a result, these pupils are helped to achieve well. Governors also monitor the use of the additional sports funding and know the contribution this is making towards more pupils participating in an exciting range of sporting activities. This fund is also helping staff to be more proficient in their teaching of physical education.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. This was seen during the inspection both in lessons and around the school. Parents, pupils and school records show that this is typically the case.  The perfect behaviour seen in every lesson contributes extremely well to pupils’ good achievement. This school is a very purposeful and calm learning environment. No time is lost in lessons because there were absolutely no distractions seen in any classroom; pupils listen keenly and are enthusiastic about learning.  Pupils eagerly take part in their lessons and always give their best. They accept the challenges they are given and apply themselves immediately. Pupils are really keen to take part in activities and they demonstrate committed attitudes to their learning. They cooperate extremely well with staff and with each other.  Pupils really enjoy school and feel very well cared for. When asked about their views, pupils spoke with

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Behaviour

great pride and about just how much school really matters to them and how school life is an extension from their home lives. This is very impressive.  Playtimes and lunchtimes are happy and sociable occasions. Pupils say that name-calling and inappropriate language are unusual. Their manners are impeccable, with pupils being highly respectful and polite at all times. They address each other and adults very well, hold doors open for each other and have very strong relationships.  Behaviour records show that there are very few behaviour lapses. Parents and staff are also highly positive about this aspect of the school’s work.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils move around the school with care and look after the environment with consideration.  Pupils have complete confidence in adults, firmly believing that any concerns will be dealt with very quickly. They feel that teachers care for them and they feel safe and well protected at school.  Attendance is consistently above average because of considerate arrangements to help pupils get to school.  Pupils of all ages are clear that bullying is rare and this is confirmed by the school’s records. They understand that bullying can take different forms and have a growing knowledge of the safe use of the internet because of filters. This has been strengthened by a police visit to school to explain internet safety. The school is developing its cyber-bullying policy currently and, as a consequence, safety is not yet outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The good progress in reading, writing and mathematics made by the majority of pupils in every year group provides clear evidence that teaching is good overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use it effectively.  Pupils benefit from a wide range of well-planned, interesting opportunities to develop their literacy and mathematical skills across a range of subjects, such as Mayan pyramids in Year 6 and Anglo-Saxon sagas in Years 2 and 3.  Learning is greatest when teaching is stimulating and quickly engages pupils’ interests. Teachers explain to pupils at the start of the lesson what is expected of them and what they need to include in order to be successful; consequently, pupils feel confident in understanding what to do. One pupil summed up the value of having her own personal next steps in lessons by saying ‘It helps you because you can get more done and you won’t get stuck because it is about what you need.’ This is a most perceptive comment,

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The quality of teaching is good

exactly describing the types of improvements required to be outstanding.  Teachers’ marking has improved. It now consistently helps pupils to improve their work; this was evident from the detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work and in discussions with pupils. Detailed comments provide pupils with a clear indication of what they have achieved and what they need to do next. When teachers plan these next steps into the subsequent lessons, this helps pupils make very good progress. Currently this flexibility in planning is not always seen in lessons.  A review of their books showed that pupils do respond to teachers’ marking. However, in some books, pupils only write comments such as ‘OK I will try harder’ because opportunities to improve are not given sufficient time for deeper reflections in lessons.  Teaching is not yet outstanding because there are occasions when pupils in every class are given work which is either too easy or too hard for them. This is mostly with the more able pupils, who sometimes

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The quality of teaching is good

find their work too easy because too many activities have the same expectations across the class.

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is good

 Children join the school with skills and understanding that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress in the early years and start Year 1 with standards that are just above average overall.  Good progress continues as pupils move up the school. Pupils achieve above-average results in their Year 1 phonics check. In 2014, pupils completed Key Stage 1 with standards that are also above the average in all subjects.  Achievement is good overall. This is confirmed by data held in the school and analysis of the work in pupils’ books. By the time they leave the school, above-average proportions of pupils sustain high attainment in reading and mathematics and above-average attainment in writing. In 2014, the majority of pupils in Year 6 made more than expected progress. These results represented an improvement on 2013, when results were lower because the group was unusually small and included a very high percentage of

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is good

pupils with special educational needs.  Pupils enjoy writing. They have good opportunities to write for long periods of time and, as a result, many pupils achieve standards of writing which are above what is expected for their ages. There are many examples of effective writing, such as when a Year 2 pupil wrote ‘The land of the Gods is really pretty with birds that are red, orange and yellow; they are called Firebirds or a Phoenix. The apples are reflective of the sun and will turn purple…’  The numbers of disadvantaged pupils who left Year 6 in 2014 is too low to compare their attainment to that of others without identifying individuals.  There are very few differences in the progress made by different groups of pupils. Disadvantaged pupils make at least the same good progress as their classmates. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs also make good progress. In lessons, they often work in small groups with an adult

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is good

effectively supporting them. Pupils who could learn well yet have social and emotional needs do not always have enough additional help identified in their support plans to support their individual needs.  By the time they leave the school, the most able pupils have made good progress. The proportions reaching the higher levels at the end of Year 6 are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. The level of challenge given to these pupils in lessons is more variable and does not always help them achieve even higher attainment.  Pupils’ standards of grammar, punctuation and spelling are closer to average. Pupils do not always pay enough attention to their spelling and too many errors go uncorrected.

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is good

 Children enter school with skills which are typical for their ages overall. In fact, the skills of all children are either above or below what is usually found for their ages. The small year groups contribute to the regular fluctuation in starting points every year.  School assessments show that children make good progress and achieve a good level of development on entry to Year 1. Children settle quickly and are happy at school. They concentrate well during adult-led activities and apply themselves diligently to new learning.  All children make good progress in the Reception Year, thanks to the good teaching they receive. The effective leader is very thorough in her marking and assessment and knows each child well. Careful records are kept of what children have achieved and this enables adults to plan what the children need to learn next.  The class has a high number of adults, which contributes to children being able to learn at rates which

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is good

match their abilities. Children’s achievements are recorded in attractive ‘learning journeys’ which present a very detailed picture of their attainment in all their areas of learning.  Secure routines across the class ensure that children understand what is expected of them from an early age. They cooperate well with each other and children of all ages within the class get on well together, demonstrating their good behaviour and attitudes towards school. Children are sufficiently confident to try new activities, joining groups of children and sharing their enjoyment together.  The provision is not outstanding because there are too few opportunities for the children to choose their own activities, to explore the new ideas being taught inside and to develop their learning more purposefully outside in order to learn through more highly structured play.

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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 110025 Local authority West Berkshire Inspection number 444048

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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 Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 92 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Saunders Headteacher Andrew Bingham Date of previous school inspection 28–29 June 2011 Telephone number 0118 9712270 Fax number 0118 9714424 Email address office@woolhampton.w-berks.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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