Weston Hills CofE Primary School

Weston Hills CofE Primary School Learning Lane, Weston Hills, Spalding, PE12 6DL

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is good throughout the school. Lessons are interesting and well planned to challenge pupils of differing abilities.  Pupils respond well to the good teaching they receive and behave well. They work hard in lessons and are polite to each other and adults at all times.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are consistently above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Good teaching of stimulating activities for children in the early years means they make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.  Good teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) interests pupils and lays the foundation for them to read with accuracy.  Pupils feel safe in school because adults create a secure and very caring atmosphere.  The varied and interesting subjects taught are enriched by a wide range of clubs and activities that develop pupils’ sporting, musical and artistic talents.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Together with close links with the church and local community, means that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed.  The new headteacher has very quickly got to know the school and its pupils and parents. Together with other leaders and governors she is ambitious to make the school even better. She has identified the right priorities for development and these are leading to further improvement.  Governors are knowledgeable. They understand the school’s needs. They also provide a good level of support and challenge to the headteacher.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always give clear advice in their marking on how pupils can improve their work, or ensure that pupils to respond to this advice.  Teachers do not have enough opportunities to learn from best practice in their own school or schools in other areas.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector, jointly with the headteacher, observed 10 sessions of teaching. In addition, she looked at the work in pupils’ books and the youngest children’s ‘learning journeys’.  Meetings were held with school staff, three governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector talked to pupils about the school’s work and listened to some pupils in Years 1 and 2 read.  The school’s work was observed and the inspector looked at a number of documents. These included the school’s information about pupils’ attainment and progress, planning and monitoring documentation, the school improvement plan and self-evaluation summary, safeguarding policies, and behaviour and attendance records.  Account was taken of 29 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, together with the results of the school’s own parental questionnaires. The inspector also spoke with parents as they were dropping off

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Information about this inspection

their children to school.  The questionnaire responses received from 17 staff were also considered.

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Inspection team

Joan Beale, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school provides for children in the early years through a mixed Reception and Year 1 class, which children attend full time.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium, about 13%, is below average. Very few pupils in Year 6 in 2014 were eligible for this funding, which is for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, at around 18%, is higher than average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  A club run by the school provides breakfast and care for pupils before the school day begins.

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection there have been a number of changes in teaching staff. The previous headteacher retired at the end of the 2014 summer term and a new headteacher has been in post since September 2014. A new early years leader has been appointed and there are new teachers in the mixed Year 1/2 and Year 5/6 classes.  During the academic year from September 2013 to September 2014 there was some inconsistency in teaching due to staff illness and difficulty in recruitment.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and further accelerate pupils’ progress by:  giving pupils consistently helpful feedback about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve their work, and ensuring that pupils respond to this  providing opportunities for all staff to learn from best practice in their own and other schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers at all levels, supported by the governing body, are ambitious to make the school even better than it already is. This aspirational vision is shared by all staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new headteacher has continued to monitor the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress and attainment using the existing rigorous systems, and has strengthened these further. Leaders collect information about pupils’ attainment and progress at regular intervals. They make frequent checks on the quality of teaching by observing lessons, examining pupils’ work and analysing pupil progress data in detail. Leaders set challenging but realistic targets for teachers to improve pupils’ achievement and closely monitor their progress towards achieving these.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is taught through interesting themes. Learning is further enriched with visits to interesting places and visitors to the school. During the inspection, the local Member of Parliament visited the school and talked to Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. They demonstrated a good understanding of the British parliamentary system, having previously visited Westminster.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is developed well through the subjects they study and through assemblies. They learn about other cultures and beliefs, for example through a link with a school in Gambia. Pupils understand that everyone is equal and that discrimination is not tolerated. In a celebration assembly, pupils show good appreciation of each other’s achievements when certificates are given out for effort and good work and behaviour. Pupils sing well; for example, when practising a song for the school show. Pupils’ overall learning experiences prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the additional money that it receives, such as the pupil premium and primary school sports funding to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to learn. Funding is spent wisely to provide staff training, a wide range of extra-curricular activities and expert coaches. All are having a positive effect in engaging pupils in sport, giving them good confidence and self-esteem and ensuring that disadvantaged pupils’ progress does not lag behind that of their peers.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong collaborative partnership working with seven other schools in the locality has enabled all staff to benefit from a range of training opportunities. Such partnership work is promoted by the local authority, which also keep a watchful eye on the school to ensure high standards are maintained. However, teachers do not have enough opportunities to benefit from observing teaching in their own and other schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 Arrangements to safeguard and protect pupils are effective and statutory responsibilities are met. Good pastoral support is offered to both pupils and their families through a dedicated worker.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. Members of the governing body make regular visits to the school and receive detailed reports from the headteacher and other leaders. They have a good understanding of performance data and know how pupils’ achievement compares to that of pupils in other schools. They ensure that leaders are doing all they can to improve achievement still further. They have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and know what leaders are doing to make this even better. They ensure that any pay increases for teachers are explicitly linked to the achievement of their targets. The governing body takes good care of the school’s finances. Its members ensure that resources are used well to improve provision, for example by enabling pupils to benefit from up-to-date computing equipment. Governors are also aware of the positive impact provided by additional financial resources,

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The leadership and management are good

such as the pupil premium and primary school sports funding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite and courteous in and around school. They respectfully step aside and hold doors open for adults and other pupils. They are eager to talk to visitors and do so with great confidence. At break and lunch times pupils share play equipment and play happily together in spacious surroundings.

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Behaviour

 Pupils say that behaviour is generally good. They like the system of losing or gaining part of ‘golden time’ activities, depending on how they behave, and look forward to this time.

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Behaviour

 In lessons, pupils show good attitudes to learning and are keen to succeed. They answer questions readily. Work in their books is usually neat and well presented. Pupils in all year groups respond maturely when given opportunities to discuss their work with others. This contributes positively to their good learning.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ enjoyment of school is reflected in their attendance, which is consistently above average. Pupils arrive punctually to school, ready to learn and wear their uniform with pride. Those who attend the pre- school club benefit from having something to eat and are well prepared for the school day.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. School routines ensure that pupils are kept safe, for example when arriving at and leaving school. Pupils say that they feel safe in school, and that this is due to their caring teachers and other adults who look after them and keep them safe.

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Safety

 Pupils have a good understanding of bullying and the different forms it can take, including physical and cyber bullying and name-calling. They say that bullying of any kind is rare, but that when it does happen it is dealt with effectively. They know who to go to if they have any problems, such as the head of pastoral support, who oversees the well-being of pupils and provides good support for both pupils and their families.

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Safety

 Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the internet and travelling to and from home to school and in their homes. Some are Junior Road Safety Officers and Junior Home Safety Officers. They are encouraged to eat healthily through the ‘legacy challenge’ and are encouraged to do ‘sugar swaps’ through the ‘Change4life’ programme.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching in all areas of the school is good. Teachers know their pupils very well and use this knowledge to inform planning for the next steps in their learning. As a result, pupils achieve well throughout the school. Classrooms are bright and colourful and pupils make good use of the literacy and numeracy displays to support their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have a secure understanding of the different subjects they teach, which enables them to explain tasks and topics clearly and accurately. The interesting activities they plan and provide and their enthusiasm in lessons ensure that pupils are engaged and motivated to learn and develop their knowledge.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ask pupils searching questions to develop and check their understanding. Pupils are confident to ask for help when they do not understand topics. Teachers are quick to identify any difficulties pupils may be having. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the teacher identified difficulties that pupils were having with subtraction and re-taught this, ensuring that they could successfully use a number line to support them to subtract accurately.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is effective and most pupils are confident readers. Pupils in Year 6 were heard reading out the play scripts that they had written. They read with good confidence and excellent expression.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ensure that pupils’ mathematical skills are developed well and they have ample opportunities to apply them; for example, when using brackets to help them solve word problems.  Pupils write confidently because they are given topics that stimulate their interest. Pupils in the Year 4 and Year 5 class were enjoying learning and writing about the ‘Vicious Vikings’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Additional adults in the classroom are skilled and work effectively alongside teachers. They are well briefed by the class teachers and provide a good level of support to groups and individuals, including the most able, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. This ensures all make good progress from their different starting points.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking is thorough and often of high quality. However, this is not yet consistent across the school. Sometimes pupils are not given sufficiently clear pointers for improving their work and taking the next steps in their learning. Teachers do not always ensure that pupils learn from the advice they have been given, for example by correcting mistakes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils of all abilities achieve well. They attain levels above those seen nationally in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave at the end of Year 6. Work in pupils’ books, that displayed on walls and the school’s own tacking system all confirm that good progress is being made.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of Year 1 pupils in the national screening check for reading is well above the national average. During the inspection, pupils used their skills confidently and accurately to read and write unfamiliar words.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1. By the end of Year 2 they reach standards that are usually in line with or above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By the end of Year 6 pupils reach standards which are consistently above average in reading, writing and mathematics. In both 2013 and 2014 the proportions of pupils making expected progress and the proportions making more rapid progress in all subjects were at least in line with those seen nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils make at least expected progress to reach the higher Levels 5 and 6 in the national tests. In 2014, a higher proportion than average made rapid progress in writing and mathematics to reach Level 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well and make good progress from their various starting points. Their needs are met well and they receive constructive individual help, both in class and in small groups, which is carefully matched to their needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses the extra funding it receives for disadvantaged pupils well. The small number of pupils supported by this funding make similar progress to other pupils in the school. Too few disadvantaged pupils took the Year 6 national tests in 2014 to comment on their attainment without risk of identifying individuals.

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The early years provision is good

 The majority of children start school with skills that are broadly developed for their age. However, this varies from year to year and a number of children each year start school with more limited skills and understanding. They achieve well, regardless of ability or background.

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The early years provision is good

 Children, including those who benefit from extra funding, disabled children and those who have special educational needs, make good progress in their learning and in their physical and social development. This is evident from their ‘learning journeys’ which staff use to record and to keep parents informed about their child’s progress. Parents are able to access these electronically and contribute to them.  Adults make sure that children gain a good grasp of basic reading and writing skills as they accurately model letter sounds and shapes for them. As a result, children make good progress in their ability to recognise words and understand their meaning. Children also have good opportunities to develop their number skills, for example when learning to add one number to another by placing the larger number in their head and counting on. All of this ensures that children are well prepared for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively together to cater for children of all abilities and make learning fun for them. Children behave well. Most listen to instructions carefully, concentrate on the task in hand and share and take turns. They are polite to each other and adults. They are kept very safe by suitably trained staff who are well aware of children’s individual needs.

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The early years provision is good

 The early years provision is led and managed well, and the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection have been addressed effectively. Leaders have identified the right priorities to improve teaching and achievement still further.

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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 120554 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 449621

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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 144 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Weller Headteacher Jane Fitzgerald Date of previous school inspection 10 February 2010 Telephone number 01406 380309 Fax number 01406 380309 Email address enquiries@westonhills.lincs.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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