Nursling Church of England Primary School

Nursling Church of England Primary School Nursling Street, Nursling, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 0XH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 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:

 Pupils’ levels of attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 have fallen for two of the last three years since the last inspection, especially in reading and writing.  Boys’ reading and writing are significantly poorer than those of girls, particularly in Key Stage 1.  Most groups of pupils are not making the progress that they are capable of.  Teaching is not consistently good enough to make sure that pupils’ progress is good. Pupils are insufficiently challenged and teachers have low expectations of what pupils can achieve in some classes.  Teachers do not always give feedback which shows pupils what they need to do to improve or give them time in lessons to make changes.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons requires improvement. They sometimes take too much time to settle to a task because they are not challenged or motivated enough.  Children in the Reception class do not make rapid enough progress in communication and literacy

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

because the help they need does not start soon enough.  The school’s leaders, including subject leaders, have not yet made teaching good across the whole school. As a result, pupils do not achieve what they are capable of in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The school has the following strengths:

 The school’s ethos and excellent relationships at all levels make a strong contribution to pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.  Pupils are safe and well cared for. They know how to stay safe.  The headteacher knows exactly how to improve the school, is giving the correct training and support to improve teaching and standards are no longer falling.  The governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They now have the capacity to hold leaders to account and to make sure that the recent improvements are sustained.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 18 lessons; five of these were jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, short visits were made to classrooms and inspectors listened to pupils read. Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in books to check their progress.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and eight other governors, two representatives from the local authority and two groups of pupils. There were informal discussions with parents and carers.  The inspector took account of the 53 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View, a recent parent questionnaire conducted by the school and an email from a parent or carer.  The inspection team looked at school documents, including information relating to checks on pupils’ progress, plans for school improvement, records of the monitoring of teaching and learning, records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance, the minutes of the governing body and safeguarding

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Inspection team

Janet Dinsmore, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Nursling is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of a local authority, is smaller than average. The proportion of children in the school who are looked after by local authorities is higher than average. There are only a few eligible pupils in Year 6.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is slightly lower than average.  Most pupils are White British.  Half the teaching staff and three members of the governing body have joined the school since the last inspection. The headteacher took up her post in January 2013.  The early years provision is full time, in a Reception class.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Speed up the progress of all groups of pupils by making sure that teachers:  have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve in lessons  give the most able pupils more opportunities to develop higher order thinking skills through investigation and enquiry in all subjects  give pupils, especially boys, in Key Stage 1, frequent opportunities to read and write for a clear purpose in lessons  give pupils feedback which shows them what they need to improve and allow them time in lessons to make changes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by making sure that:  teaching is consistently good across the whole school  subject leaders contribute effectively to sustained improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement  children in the Reception class make rapid progress in developing their communication and literacy skills from the moment they join the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ behaviour in lessons by making sure that they are all appropriately challenged and involved in activities.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Since the last inspection, the school’s leaders have not succeeded in maintaining the quality of teaching. Systems for managing the performance of teachers have been weak. As a result, pupils’ levels of attainment have fallen in reading, writing and mathematics. Teaching remains in need of improvement.  Leaders have failed to tackle weaknesses in boys’ reading and writing and to ensure that the most able pupils are suitably challenged to do their best.  Systems for checking pupils’ achievement across the school have been ineffective.  Subject leaders have not made an effective contribution to improving teaching and raising standards.  The headteacher and governors are now committed to improving the school. The headteacher knows the strengths and weaknesses of teaching across the school and how to improve individual teachers’ skills. There is a good programme of training and coaching in place but this has not yet had enough time to

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The leadership and management require improvement

improve teaching.  Teachers can now be fully held to account for the progress of pupils in their classes and they have access to accurate information about pupils’ progress and achievement as they move through the school.  Recent appointments, training and support are making sure that subject leaders are more effective. The local authority has provided some support for the new headteacher and now considers that the school has the capacity to improve because of the strength and support of the governing body.  The range of subjects is suitably broad and balanced and contributes well to pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain. The school’s positive ethos and an extensive range of sports and other activities make a very strong contribution to pupils’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual development.  The primary school sports funding is used well and there has been increased participation in a wide range

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The leadership and management require improvement

of sports. All Key Stage 2 pupils have participated in competitive sports and there are good opportunities for pupils to learn new skills in clubs such as the karate club.  The pupil premium is used well to provide individually tailored packages of support for disadvantaged pupils. These include counselling and support with reading. These measures have helped the few eligible pupils in the school to do as well as or exceed the achievement of their peers. The school has good relationships with three local authorities to support effectively the needs of those children in their care. The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is checked well and the support they need is well organised.  Statutory requirements for safeguarding are met.  Equality of opportunity is promoted well in this inclusive school. The school removes barriers to good relations and prevents discrimination of any sort.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors now have a good range of skills that enable them to hold the school to account. They have reviewed their procedures and practices, having judged them lacking in the past, and are now well trained for their role. They understand the school’s performance data, make regular visits to the school to monitor its work and contribute effectively to the school’s self-evaluation. They gain a wide range of views from pupils and parents and carers. The performance of the headteacher is managed well and challenging targets are set which hold teachers to account for pupils’ progress and determine their advance up the pay scale. They know that the pupil premium funding and the primary school sports funding are spent effectively.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is sometimes poor when they are not fully motivated or challenged by the tasks they are given.  Pupils’ behaviour in the playground and around school is good; they are courteous and polite and show respect for and understanding of each other. Older pupils take on responsibilities well in assembly, in the playground and for younger pupils.  There is good support for individual pupils who find managing their behaviour difficult.  Pupils’ attendance is above average; they are keen to come to school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils feel safe at school and they know that there is always someone to talk to.  Pupils fully understand about different forms of bullying including cyber bullying. They say that bullying is rare at school and when minor incidents occur they are dealt with well by staff.  Parents and carers appreciate the care that the school takes of their children and say, ‘It’s like a family.’

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils is sometimes poor. Pupils do not always know exactly how to improve their work and are not always given time to demonstrate that they can improve.  In Key Stage 1, teachers do not always take sufficient account of pupils’ ability or what they already know and can do. As a result, the reading and writing tasks they set are too hard for some pupils while the most able pupils are not sufficiently stretched and do not have opportunities to improve their work. This is compounded because teachers’ assessments of pupils’ reading and writing and have not always been particularly accurate.  Key Stage 1 pupils are given too few opportunities to read or write at length in different lessons.  Teachers give the most able pupils too few opportunities to develop higher-order thinking skills through investigation and enquiry in all subjects.  Teaching assistants are not always deployed effectively to support pupils’ learning for enough of the time.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In mathematics, teachers give pupils too few opportunities to apply their calculation skills to the solving of problems.  In Key Stage 2, there are some examples of good teaching that is beginning to speed up pupils’ progress in writing by encouraging them to write longer pieces. This is especially evident in upper Key Stage 2.  The teaching of reading is now better organised and pupils learn using a good choice of high-quality books. Teaching assistants are used effectively to support pupils in Key Stage 2 whose progress in reading is slowing.  There are some notable examples of high-quality marking in mathematics and writing in some classes and teachers’ assessments of pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics are now accurate.

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requires improvement

 Boys’ achievement in reading and writing is significantly poorer than that of girls at Key Stage 1. By the time they reach the end of Key Stage 2, boys have caught up in reading but not in writing.  The most able pupils are not achieving their potential. Fewer than average achieve the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1. At the end of Key Stage 2, although an average proportion reach these levels in reading and mathematics, the proportion achieving them in writing remains below average.  Pupils’ progress is below average at Key Stage 1 in reading where their levels of attainment are low. In reading and writing, pupils learn phonics (letters and the sounds they make) but do not always have enough opportunities and support to apply this knowledge in a range of reading and writing tasks.  By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in writing is below average.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics and reading improved in 2014 and most pupils currently at the school

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requires improvement

in Key Stage 2 are now making average progress. During the inspection, pupils demonstrated that they can use calculation skills well to solve problems.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress at the school. The school makes sure that they receive the help that they need.  Disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium make good progress and achieve better than others at the school and better than similar pupils nationally, particularly at Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 2, the small numbers in each cohort make good progress. They did better than their peers in 2014, exceeding their performance by one term in mathematics and two terms in writing. Children who are looked after by local authorities achieve well at the school because they receive the support they need to catch up quickly.  Reception children and Key Stage 1 pupils performed well singing and dancing in the school nativity play.

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requires improvement

 The most able children do not always make the progress of which they are capable in the Reception Year, especially in phonics.  Those children with underdeveloped communication and literacy skills are identified and receive help, but the school’s leaders have not yet made sure that there is prompt enough support for this group.  Children arrive in the Reception class with a wide range of ability and skills. The majority join the school with levels of skill and knowledge slightly lower than would be typically expected. They then make sound progress and the majority are well prepared for Year 1. Some children do particularly well in aspects of personal and social development.  Children have good opportunities to develop their skills because resources are used effectively. Children make good choices about what they want to explore and these are supported by all staff who question children skilfully to help them develop their thinking.

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requires improvement

 Children develop mathematical skills well and get on well together. In one lesson, they were happily discussing how full containers were and helping each other with counting and number recognition games. Children in class are always engaged in activities that promote their learning, and their behaviour is good.  Leaders and managers make sure that children are safe and learn to manage risk.  Staff work well with parents and carers who highly value the school and say that their children enjoy attending.

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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 116303 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 444233

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Jackson Headteacher Julie Luke Date of previous school inspection 19−20 May 2011 Telephone number 023 8073 2289 Fax number 023 8073 9733 Email address admin@nursling.hants.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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