Old Clee Primary Academy

Old Clee Primary School Colin Avenue, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN32 8EN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Requires improvement 3

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

 Pupils make expected rather than good progress throughout the school. Standards are not high enough.  This is because teaching is variable in quality and results in pupils making no better than expected progress over time.  Information about pupils’ achievement is not used carefully to provide work that enables all groups of pupils to achieve well.  Marking is variable in its helpfulness in informing pupils what they know and need to do next, and not enough checks are made to ensure pupils make any corrections the teacher tells them to.  Teaching assistants do not all have the knowledge, skills or involvement in the planning of learning to ensure they are effectively helping pupils who need extra support to achieve well.  Pupils do not have many chances to practise their mathematical skills in other subjects, in order to secure and extend their knowledge and understanding.  Leadership and management are not fully effective

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

because leaders’ roles, responsibilities and accountability do not best meet the school’s drive to improve teaching and achievement.  There is not a clear routine for checking all aspects of the school’s work, in order to know exactly how well the school is doing.  Senior leaders do not ensure that information about pupils’ achievement is used as a starting point for the school’s work.  Performance targets are not all measureable nor are there clear goals for teachers to meet to ensure that teaching and standards improve as quickly as possible.  Children in the early years make expected rather than good progress because activities are not always carefully enough planned to encourage their curiosity and engagement.  Opportunities to develop pupils’ cultural awareness are missed.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils behave well. They feel safe and secure and have a good knowledge of how to keep safe. The school cares for them well.  Pupils’ attendance is above average.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) in the early years and Key Stage 1 is good.  Governance has been strengthened. Governors challenge and support the school to ensure that teaching and pupils’ achievement improve.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 30 lessons of which five were observed with the headteacher or an individual member of the senior leadership team.  The inspectors spoke with pupils while they were playing and learning, watched two assemblies, and listened to pupils reading. They watched several pupils being taught in small groups.  One inspector held a formal meeting with a group of pupils to find out their views of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior and subject leaders and members of the governing body.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation about the school, including information about pupils’ achievement and how well the school’s improvement plan is helping it to improve. They checked minutes of the meetings of the governing body, samples of pupils’ work and policies to keep them safe.  The inspectors considered the 38 parental responses to the online Ofsted questionnaire (Parent View) in

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Information about this inspection

carrying out the inspection. They checked the 53 responses of the staff to their questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Lynne Blakelock, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than most primary schools and continues to increase in size.  Old Clee Primary Academy converted to become an academy in April 2013. When its predecessor school, Old Clee Primary School was last inspected in June 2009, it was judged to be a good school.  Children attend nursery part-time and reception full-time. They are taught in year groups throughout the school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported through the pupil premium, is just above average. The pupil premium funding is additional funding for those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has recently started to work in partnership with Lisle Marsden Academy, Thrunscoe Primary Academy, St Peter’s Church of England Academy and Bursar Primary Academy to help raise standards across the four academies.  There have been numerous staff changes in the last two years, for unavoidable reasons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is always at least good, in order to raise standards and accelerate pupils’ progress, by making sure that:  teachers use the information that the school has about the achievement of pupils to set work that provides accurate challenge to them all and enables them to achieve well  marking tells pupils what they have learned well and what they need to do next, and ensures that pupils respond to this  pupils have regular opportunities to practise and strengthen their numeracy skills in other subjects  teaching assistants have the training and skills to carry out their roles effectively and are involved in the planning of learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness of leaders at all levels in driving improvements in pupils’ achievement and in the quality of teaching more rapidly, by ensuring that:  leaders’ roles, responsibilities and accountability meet the school’s needs and they have the training to equip them well for their roles  there is a clear structure and timetable for monitoring all aspects of the school’s work, overseen by the headteacher  senior leaders ensure that information about pupils’ achievement is understood and used as the basis for all of the school’s work by all teachers and teaching assistants  performance management targets for staff are measureable and lead to improvements in teaching and learning  opportunities for pupils to develop a greater understanding of cultural diversity are incorporated regularly into planning for learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders’ checks on the school’s work lack the necessary rigour to drive improvement as quickly as possible and to ensure pupils’ good rather than expected progress. This is because the leadership structure, which includes senior and middle leaders, does not ensure that all aspects of the school’s work are checked thoroughly and regularly. Although leaders work hard, their responsibilities, roles and accountability are not always matched carefully to the school’s needs.  Led by the very determined headteacher, the school is developing strategies to increase the rate of pupils’ progress. More regular and focused support interventions have been put in place to ensure that any gaps in pupils’ learning are addressed. Pupils have daily guided reading sessions, which have resulted in an improvement in their reading and comprehension skills. Pupils’ progress meetings are held very regularly and ensure that class teachers are accountable for the progress of pupils in their class. An extra class has

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The leadership and management requires improvement

been added to Year 4 to make sure that those pupils capable of reaching the higher levels acquire the skills to do so. All of these actions are starting to make a difference to pupils’ learning.  While the school has a lot of information about pupils’ performance, it is not yet the basis of all the school’s planning. Progress information is not always analysed so that all staff understand what it means and it is not put to full use when planning new learning, including in the early years. The special educational needs coordinator appropriately organises the support for pupils who find learning difficult but staff do not have a sharp enough knowledge of the needs of different groups of pupils. The current progress of pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is also not fully clear.  The leadership of teaching is improving. Teaching is observed regularly, the findings recorded, and staff given advice in order to improve their practice. There is some good and occasionally better teaching,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

which teachers demonstrate to others. Teachers’ performance targets match priorities set out in the school improvement plan but targets are not all measureable nor have clear outcomes. This means they are not as effective as they could be in quickening improvements in teaching, achievement and leadership.  Subject leaders continue to work purposefully to embed the new curriculum which provides a broad range of learning in different subjects. They make sure staff develop the necessary skills to teach subjects and topics across the curriculum but they are not currently carrying out enough checking of work and learning in their areas of responsibility.  The staff value and care for all pupils equally and pupils know this. They learn and play in a supportive ethos and feel secure. However, the curriculum does not allow all pupils equal opportunity to achieve because work is sometimes too hard or too easy.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils’ social and moral development is good and exemplified by their behaviour and attitudes to each other. British values are promoted throughout the school day; in lessons and through the school’s ethos. Pupils like the programme of personal, social and health education which gives them information about many aspects of life and growing-up. Their spiritual awareness is increasing, but the curriculum does not provide enough opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the world.  Lunchtime and after-school clubs are popular, especially the table-tennis club, from which pupils derive real enjoyment and a sense of achievement.  The primary school sport funding is spent carefully and has resulted in greater proficiency of staff in teaching sports skills and a much wider choice of activities for pupils. Pupils are delighted with the opportunities they have to take part in competitive sports, which they are doing with some considerable

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The leadership and management requires improvement

success. They also understand more fully the link between a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body.  The school is working to develop partnerships to strengthen the school’s effectiveness. Some subject leaders have started meeting with staff from the other academies to check the grading of pupils’ work, to discuss effective practice, and to share resources.  Parents are made very welcome in the school, about which they speak highly. Many attend assemblies and school productions. The school holds workshops about teaching and learning, which helps parents to support their children’s learning at home.  The staff support the school’s goals and the headteacher. They feel that they have the opportunities they need to develop their skills as teachers and leaders.  The school makes certain that safeguarding procedures meet the statutory requirements in helping to ensure that pupils keep safe.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management requires improvement

- The governors know a lot about the school’s performance. Regular and comprehensive training, and a review of what they do, have ensured that they understand their responsibilities. - The governors have responded quickly to the dip in test results and are increasingly questioning the school’s performance. They have asked, for example, for information about the extent to which intervention programmes are speeding up pupils’ progress. - Governors know that teaching and achievement need to improve and that the school’s leadership must be organised to ensure everyone has a full picture of how well the school is doing and why. - The governors understand what national data says about the school’s performance and the priorities for improvement. This helps them to challenge the school about the impact of its work. - Some of the governors come into school regularly, and organise activities for pupils. They know they

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The leadership and management requires improvement

could usefully develop their links with leaders to make sure they have a clearer and wider picture of the school’s work. - The governors understand well the purpose of performance targets for the staff and the importance of targets being met in order for any increase in salary. Support is put in place for any staff who need help to meet their goals. - The governing body can explain how the pupil premium funding is spent on improving pupils’ reading, writing and number skills and asks for information about the difference the funding is making in quickening the progress of disadvantaged pupils. - The governing body makes sure that the budget balances and money is spent well to benefit the pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils move sensibly round the school, showing consideration for others. They learn and play cooperatively. In assembly, they behave particularly well, and messages from the headteacher reinforce the school’s high expectations of how pupils should treat each other.  Many pupils show pride in their work by writing and setting it out neatly. Presentation of some work, however, does vary.  Pupils help the staff and other pupils by taking responsibility for activities such as running the school bank and checking the physical education equipment. Key Stage 2 pupils support the younger pupils during break and lunch times.  Pupils behave well in lessons and show positive attitudes to learning. They take their lessons seriously which helps them to become better learners. If teaching does not interest them or they find the tasks too difficult, pupils can be a little restless but the staff manage pupils’ behaviour well.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils understand some of life’s risks and the school makes sure they are appropriately aware of safety matters from the Nursery class onwards. In the Reception class, children are encouraged to move carefully round the classroom and not to take short cuts. All pupils are taught about the internet and how to use it safely.  Pupils say that some pupils ‘fall out’ and are sometimes unkind to other pupils. It is not a big problem because the school does not tolerate this behaviour and deals with it quickly, so that it does not develop into bullying.  Pupils know that they should treat everybody the same and respect one another’s beliefs and ways of life.  Pupils’ attendance is consistently above average. Pupils understand that good attendance is important in helping them to make faster progress. The school is taking steps to improve the attendance of pupils

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Safety

eligible for pupil premium funding, which is not as good as that of other groups of pupils in the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is variable, across subjects and classes and all three key stages, so pupils make expected rather than good progress throughout the school.  Information about the levels at which pupils work is not used as a matter of course in setting tasks that are an accurate match to pupils’ learning needs. Too often, work is too hard or too easy. This means that pupils’ progress slows.  The impact of teachers’ marking is variable, and school leaders are aware of this. Sometimes it is no more than a tick and does not give helpful information about what pupils have learned well and need to do next. In some marking, teachers ask questions to help the pupils think more carefully about their work but pupils do not always respond. Nevertheless, there is some marking that demonstrates very good practice which enables pupils to learn well.  Pupils’ learning in lessons usually starts well because they know exactly what they have to learn.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Throughout the school, there are good relationships at all levels and this encourages pupils; they want to learn and do well.  Pupils are encouraged to participate in lessons, in order to practise their speaking and listening skills. This is an effective feature of teaching and, from the Nursery class onwards, helps to develop pupils’ confidence in articulating their thoughts and strengthens and extends their vocabulary.  Some teaching assistants are very effective in making sure that pupils who find aspects of learning difficult are helped to master specific skills. However, across the school, practice varies because some staff are more effective than others at helping pupils to understand and learn.  Pupils have many opportunities to read, including through daily guided reading sessions. They enjoy reading and discussing texts.  Pupils enjoy solving problems in mathematics, but they have few chances to develop and use their

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement needs to improve because standards are not high enough in reading, writing and mathematics through Key Stages 1 and 2 and most pupils make expected, rather than good, progress. Achievement has dipped, due to variable teaching and numerous unavoidable and sometimes lengthy staff absences.  By the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics is broadly in line with the national figure. However, not enough pupils reach higher levels because the tasks they are given do not enable them to develop the necessary skills, particularly in writing. Last year, pupils did not learn as well as expected in mathematics and writing, prompting the school to ensure this is not repeated. The school’s predictions for 2015 indicate that current Year 6 pupils are making the progress expected of them.  Work in pupils’ books show expected progress overall throughout the school, with quicker progress in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

lessons where teaching is regularly good and pupils are challenged to think hard.  Leaders have prioritised the teaching of literacy and this is reflected in the well-above average standards in grammar, punctuation and spelling by the end of Year 6.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have been below average. However, early extra support with learning is helping pupils to have more secure skills and a small increase in standards is expected in 2015.  Pupils’ standards in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) in the Year 1 check were below average in 2014, having fallen from just above average the year before. However, the teaching of phonics is now good and pupils are developing well in their pronunciation of words and basic writing skills.  All groups of pupils make similar rates of progress. From the time they join the Nursery class, disadvantaged pupils receive specific support in order to help them secure key literacy, numeracy and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

mathematical skills, and this is helping to lift standards in Key Stage 1.  By the end of Year 6 in 2014, disadvantaged pupils were behind those pupils not supported by pupil premium by about one term in reading, writing and mathematics. Compared to non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, Year 6 pupils in 2014 who were eligible for the funding were around two terms behind in reading and writing and three terms behind in mathematics.  Not enough of the most able pupils make good progress and reach the higher levels because tasks do not consistently enable them to use what they know in order to move their learning on and to hypothesise and evaluate what they are doing.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make expected progress but it quickens when they get support from skilled staff who understand their learning needs.

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The early years provision requires improvement

 Many children join the Nursery class with knowledge and skills below those typical for their age, particularly in language and number. About 20% join the school in the Reception class.  Children settle quickly in to the Nursery class because the staff make sure they know a lot about the children by meeting with them and their parents before they start school. The staff also enable parents to help their children by, for example, holding workshops about how they teach letters and sounds.  All groups of children make the progress expected of them through Nursery and Reception class in the areas of learning. The children have access to a lot of activities but these activities do not all provide enough challenge or interest to enable them to make good progress over their time in the Nursery.  The children respond quickly to the high expectations the staff have of their behaviour. They learn to be

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The early years provision requires improvement

kind in their words and actions and to think about the other children, as well as of their own wants and needs.  Phonics is taught well. The children enjoy the sounds and actions and the constant repetition, which helps them to pronounce and spell words accurately and to develop their reading skills.  All groups of children make expected progress. Children with special educational needs are given extra help but it is not always carefully enough organised to help them to progress at a quicker pace.  The most able children enjoy learning, but activities do not regularly enable them to learn and develop as quickly and as widely as they are capable of.  The leadership and management of the early years are developing, including the quality of checks made on children’s learning and the use of progress information to plan lessons and activities that help children to learn more.  Effective procedures are in place to keep children safe.

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The early years provision requires improvement

 By the end of the early years, a below average proportion of children reach a good level of development and are therefore not fully ready for Year 1 learning.

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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 139472 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 449957

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 683 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roy Robinson Headteacher Steve Gallaway Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01472 691887 Fax number 01472 200606 Email address office@oldcleepa.co.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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