Westbury Leigh CofE Primary School

Westbury Leigh C of E Primary School Sandalwood Road, Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13 3UR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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

 Since the previous inspection, the school’s leaders have taken decisive steps to improve the quality of the teaching and pupils’ achievement. The school continues to improve.  Leaders’ checks on teaching are frequent and thorough. They provide teachers with effective support so that the quality of teaching is consistently good.  Leaders at all levels have increased their focus on raising pupils’ achievement. This has led to better progress for all groups.  Well-informed governors give good levels of support and challenge to school leaders. They have a clear view of how well the school is doing because they check the school’s work for themselves.  All groups of pupils achieve well. Attainment is rising across the school as pupils make faster progress in all subjects.  Children in the Reception classes get off to a good start because of the effective early years provision. Children thrive as a result of the interesting range

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of activities on offer.  Pupils behave well and enjoy school. They feel safe in school because the adults provide a secure place in which to learn.  Pupils have many memorable experiences, including those in music and history activities. These contribute strongly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Reading is taught well. Pupils quickly acquire the skills they need to become confident and fluent readers.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not yet outstanding, as in a few instances, pupils could learn at a faster rate.  Sometimes the younger pupils cannot read and understand teachers’ comments in their marking, to know what to do to improve their work.  Information for parents on the school’s website is not detailed enough about the impact and use of additional funds provided to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning across the school, some in conjunction with the headteacher. In addition, they made a number of visits to classrooms, the dining hall and the playground.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body and school leaders. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 54 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as consulting informally with parents at the start of the school day. They also took account of the 33 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plans. They examined information on current pupils’ progress, minutes of the governing body meetings, safeguarding procedures and the plans for the use of additional sports funding.  Inspectors heard pupils read, talked to them in classrooms and evaluated samples of their work.

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Inspection team

Sandra Woodman, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised in 14 classes, all of which are single-age.  The very large majority of pupils have a White British background.  All the children in the early years (Reception classes) attend full time.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below average. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils who are eligible for free school meals or children who are looked after. Currently, there are very few children on roll who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to outstanding levels by making sure that teachers:  provide sufficient challenge for all groups of pupils throughout their learning activities  adapt their marking to enable younger pupils to know how well they are doing and how to improve their work.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders:  evaluate precisely the impact of the use of additional funds in terms of disadvantaged pupils’ achievement  communicate this information clearly to parents on the school’s website.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in staffing of the school, including some new leaders. However, the dedicated headteacher has formed a strong staff team and all leaders, including governors, share a strong sense of ambition for the school.  A strength in the leadership is the enabling of staff to observe and share good practice to improve their effectiveness. Staff training has a high priority and is linked to stringent checks on staff performance. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning across the school is now good.  Middle leaders check the quality of teaching frequently and thoroughly, and this has aided the improvements to good levels of teaching. However, they have not yet fully identified those areas which would move teaching to outstanding, such as remedying the weaknesses in teachers’ marking.  The increased focus by leaders on rigorous and accurate assessment has led to an improvement in pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

achievement. The information gathered is used to make sure that pupils are making good progress, and in providing additional support and challenge where needed.  Teachers have challenging targets for improving their practice, and this has led to improvements in the quality of teaching. They know that any salary increase is linked to the progress that pupils make.  Pupils’ learning experiences across a wide range of subjects are varied and memorable. These contribute strongly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Activities such as those during the celebration of Black History month, along with studies of others from varying backgrounds, prepare them well for living in modern Britain.  Senior leaders promote equality of opportunity at all times. Any discrimination is tackled well and there have been no incidents of harassment since the previous inspection.  The pupil premium funding has been used to provide well-targeted teaching in small groups and emotional

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The leadership and management are good

support for some pupils. Consequently, the achievement of disadvantaged pupils is improving, particularly in mathematics. However, until recently, leaders have not evaluated the impact of their plans precisely enough, in order to assess how to improve achievement even further.  Checks on the use of the sport funding show that more pupils take part in different sporting activities and competitions. Staff are better able to teach physical education as they have benefitted from working alongside a specialist teacher.  The large majority of parents are positive about the work of the school and judge that their children are making good progress. However, the school’s website does not provide parents with sufficient detail about the difference that the additional funds make to disadvantaged pupils’ achievement to ensure they are well informed about this aspect of the school’s work.  The local authority has provided some effective support for leaders in making judgements about the

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The leadership and management are good

school’s effectiveness and improvement planning.  All statutory requirements for safeguarding are met. Training for staff is up to date and checked regularly in areas such as child protection routines.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are very well organised and knowledgeable about the school. They have a good understanding of its relative strengths and weaknesses, including those related to the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  They check the work of the school regularly for themselves. This enables them to provide helpful support as well as good levels of challenge to school leaders.  They understand how the performance of staff is managed, how this aligns to pay progression and how any underperformance is tackled.  They keep their skills up to date through good-quality training provided by the local authority. They reflect on their contribution to helping the school to continue improving.  They manage the school’s finances efficiently. They know how the additional funds are being spent in order to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and to develop sport.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Typically, pupils are polite, friendly and very considerate of each other. They are well motivated and increasingly take pride in their work.  In classrooms, pupils settle to work quickly, concentrate hard and persevere well with their tasks. They produce good amounts of work, especially in their written work, and this contributes to the faster progress now being made.  Pupils, their parents and staff are mostly positive about standards of behaviour. The school’s records show that there are few incidents of poor behaviour. The small numbers of pupils with poor behaviour are supported well, eliminating successfully the need for exclusion.  Relationships throughout the school are effective as the adults know pupils well. The school is successful in fostering good relations and tackling discrimination. The playground is a harmonious place as pupils are supervised well and have a good range of equipment and activities.

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Behaviour

 Pupils say they are proud of their school and that their views are taken into account routinely by the adults. They like taking on roles and responsibilities, such as being school councillors or play leaders, and know the difference their contribution has made.  Pupils learn effectively about British values. For example, they are encouraged to apply for their ‘jobs’ in school and undergo interviews before being appointed to their posts. This helps to develop their sense of fairness and democracy.  Attendance is in line with the national average and improving. The school checks absences carefully and has introduced measures to support any pupils whose attendance gives rise to concern.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel safe in school because the adults look after them well. The large majority of parents who completed the online questionnaire or who spoke to the inspectors agree.  Pupils are clear that bullying and derogatory and aggressive language is rare. If any problems occur, then they are swiftly sorted out by the adults. Pupils know what constitutes bullying and the different forms this can take, such as cyber-bullying or racist name-calling.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe as a result of effective training by the school. They are particularly knowledgeable about how to maintain their safety in relation to staying safe on the internet.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good. Generally, teachers devise activities that capture pupils’ interests and motivate them to try hard to succeed. For example, pupils in Year 5 were inspired to write to good standards about life as an Anglo-Saxon as a result of their re-enactment of the battle of Ethandune.  Teachers and teaching assistants work together well to provide the right amount of support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. This is helping them to make good progress. Similarly, the activities for those pupils supported by the pupil premium are targeted more carefully now, ensuring that they too make good progress.  Teachers use their subject knowledge well to design tasks that build on pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding. They question skilfully to promote discussions which develop pupils’ understanding effectively. They check frequently on pupils’ learning, often adapting the activities to speed up progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use a consistent system of marking across the school. Older pupils say that teachers’ comments are helpful and enable them to make improvements to their work. ‘It’s easier to visualise what you should be doing now,’ was one such typical comment from a Year 6 pupil, and others agreed.  However, sometimes pupils in Key Stage 1 cannot always read and understand comments about what they have to do next to improve their work. This slows their progress.  Teachers develop pupils’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics well, as teaching is effective. Pupils have good opportunities to practise and apply their skills across other subjects such as science and history. This is particularly effective in writing and is leading to better attainment in current year groups.  Teaching is not yet outstanding as, in a few instances, teachers do not provide the right level of challenge throughout the learning activities to enable all pupils to reach their full potential.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils benefit from expert teaching in subjects such as music, so they develop their skills to impressive levels. They have regular opportunities to perform to an audience, enabling them to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Teaching has also benefited from specialist advice about teaching sport and physical education to better levels.  Teachers are keen to extend their practice still further. They work well together to share good practice and introduce new ideas from training events.

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is good

 Achievement is good for all groups of pupils in all subjects. Since the previous inspection, pupils have made faster progress. The standards reached are increasingly above the national average by the end of Year 6.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school. Pupils demonstrate their confidence and understanding through well-focused discussions about their work. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress, because of the carefully tailored support they receive. Other pupils are very considerate in supporting their friends with their learning.  By the end of Year 6 in 2014, the attainment of pupils supported by the pupil premium was over a year behind that of their classmates and others nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. However, this was due to the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in this group with low academic

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is good

starting points. Current groups are making more rapid progress and any remaining gaps in their achievement are closing quickly.  The most able pupils make good progress on the whole and more pupils now reach the higher levels of attainment. However, achievement is not outstanding as, on a few occasions, some pupils are not stretched to the full throughout their learning activities and could achieve more.  Pupils say that they enjoy their learning and that the teaching is getting better. They judge that they are achieving more now as they know how to improve their work. However, sometimes younger pupils in Key Stage 1 find it difficult to make these improvements as they cannot always read or understand the comments in teachers’ marking.  The greater emphasis the school has put on the teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is helping pupils to become fluent readers more quickly. This is ensuring that more pupils pass the Year 1 phonics

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is good

check than previously. Older pupils speak with confidence about their reading and have a good understanding across a range of literature.

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is good

 Good leadership and management have created a very cohesive staff team. The adults undertake regular training so that the quality of their work is continually improving.  Effective arrangements for starting school ensure that children settle quickly into their new routines. They soon understand what is expected of them and they enjoy school life.  Most children arrive in the Reception classes with skills that are typical for their age. They make good progress, especially in their mathematical development. As a result, they start Year 1 as confident learners, having the skills and understanding expected for their age, with some exceeding this.  Children are taught well with an interesting range of activities that cover all areas of learning. They were enthralled by their work about space based on the book Aliens Love Underpants, and produced some delightful writing and drawings as a result.  Disabled children and those with special educational needs are supported effectively so that generally,

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is good

they make progress in line with others’. Increasingly, the most able children are stretched by stimulating activities, although occasionally a few children are not fully stretched in their learning because the work is not challenging enough.  The adults assess children’s skills frequently and accurately, and are becoming more skilled in identifying the next steps to move the learning on. They use this information to better effect now and are more proficient at knowing how to adjust their plans to meet children’s needs.  Children are very cooperative and behave well. They show great delight and curiosity in their learning. The adults implement robust safeguarding policies and procedures so that the children are kept very safe.

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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 126370 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 453425

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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 395 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ellie Mistretta Headteacher Debbie Grimsey Date of previous school inspection 28 February–2 March 2013 Telephone number 01373 822230 Fax number 01373 822230 Email address admin@westburyleigh.wilts.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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