Priory School

Priory School Orchard Avenue, Slough, SL1 6HE

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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

 The headteacher leads and manages the school well. She is ably supported by other senior leaders and governors. Together, they have secured good improvements in teaching and pupil’s achievement since the previous inspection.  Leaders monitor the quality of teaching regularly and accurately. They set all teachers challenging targets. These have helped to improve the quality of teaching.  Pupils achieve well and their attainment is now above average by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those from the special educational needs Resource Unit, make good progress when being taught in mainstream (those that are not part of the unit) classes.  The good teaching of literacy and numeracy helps pupils to acquire new skills quickly.  Teachers have high expectations. Their enthusiasm motivates pupils well, encourages them to do their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

best and develop a love of learning.  Children make good progress in the early years because it is well managed. Teaching focuses particularly well on developing children’s language skills, especially their speaking and listening, and their reading.  Pupils behave well and feel very safe. They are polite and very sensitive to the needs of others.  Pupils are proud of their school and their work. They thoroughly enjoy school, especially the high- quality sporting provision.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. It makes an important contribution to their positive attitudes to school. Key values such as respect, citizenship and responsibility are strongly promoted and are reflected in all aspects of the school’s work.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress when they are taught in the Resource Unit is not as rapid as elsewhere in the school. There are occasions when teaching in these classes does not move learning on quickly enough.  Until recently, leaders, including governors, have not checked pupils’ progress in the Resource Unit with sufficient rigour so that the needed improvements can be identified and tackled.  In the mainstream classes, there are occasions when work is too easy for the most-able pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 38 lessons, 11 of which were observed jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made some short visits to lessons.  Discussions were held with pupils, staff, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.  The inspectors took account of the views of 64 parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also analysed the school’s own surveys of parental views and talked to parents at the end of the school day.  The inspectors observed the school’s work, heard pupils read and looked at a number of documents, including: the school’s own information about pupils’ learning and progress; planning and monitoring documents; the school development plan; records relating to behaviour and attendance; safeguarding information; and health and safety documentation.  The inspectors analysed 105 questionnaire responses from staff.

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Inspection team

Mike Capper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Clementina Olufunke Aina Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, with around four in 10 White British, two in 10 Pakistani and one in 10 Indian. Around a quarter speak English as an additional language. The most common first languages for these pupils are Gujarati and Punjabi.  Children in early years provision are taught fulltime in one of four Reception classes and part time in the Nursery.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is around four in 10. This proportion is much higher than average when compared with all schools nationally because the school has a special educational needs Resource Unit that caters for up to 52 pupils. Most pupils in the Resource Unit are taught in the school’s mainstream classes but there are also four separate small classes: one for pupils with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties, one for pupils with complex physical, sensory and

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Information about this school

medical needs, and two classes for pupils on the autistic spectrum.  Around one in five pupils is supported by the pupil premium. This is lower than the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided to give extra support to disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The breakfast club and after-school club are run by the school and managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs when they are working in the Resource Unit so that it is consistently good by:  ensuring that teaching always takes account of what pupils already know and work builds closely on this  strengthening the role of all leaders, including the governing body, in monitoring pupils’ progress and driving improvement.  In mainstream classes across the school, increase the amount of outstanding teaching by ensuring that work is never too easy for the most able.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and focused leadership and has ensured rapid school improvement since the previous inspection. She is ably supported by other senior leaders. Together, they have successfully created a strong staff team. They work well to promote equality of opportunity, foster good relationships and tackle discrimination.  The management of teaching is good. Leaders know their school well and accurately evaluate the quality of teaching. Areas for development are identified with pinpoint accuracy and, from these, challenging annual targets are set for all staff, including support staff. These are carefully linked to whole-school priorities and staff pay.  Leaders make good use of information on pupils’ progress to identify where additional support is needed. Middle leaders are effective and play a full part in this process. A new team of year group leaders is already having a positive effect in their areas. They check teaching and pupils’ performance carefully. This

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The leadership and management are good

helps them to identify and focus on the most important priorities for improvement.  Leaders have improved the use of the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils. It is now used well by, for example, funding access to activities outside lessons and providing extra help where needed. This is ensuring that disadvantaged pupils are now making good progress across the school.  Leadership is not outstanding because over the last two years improvement in the Resource Unit has been slower than elsewhere in the school. Until recently, checks on pupils’ progress in the unit have not been rigorous enough to secure rapid improvement. Difficulties in recruiting specialist staff for some classes have led also to inconsistencies in pupils’ progress. However, the new leader for special educational needs has a good understanding of the main priorities. They have made a good start to tackling them by, for

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The leadership and management are good

example, already establishing stronger links with a nearby special school to improve staff expertise.  The curriculum (the topics and subjects taught) is lively and engaging. It ensures that pupils flourish academically and strongly promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Assemblies, lessons and displays focus sharply on key British values such as respect, kindness and responsibility. As a result, pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. They mix freely in lessons and at break times, and know how to behave. This contributes well to the happy and harmonious atmosphere around school.  A wide variety of school clubs and trips also contribute well to pupils’ enjoyment of school. Creativity is promoted successfully through art and music with, for example, pupils singing with great enthusiasm at regular lunchtime concerts. The national primary school sport funding has been used very effectively to

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The leadership and management are good

improve provision and to raise the physical performance of pupils. The school has employed specialist sport staff. They provide pupils with a wealth of opportunities to develop physically and to adopt healthy lifestyles.  The local authority has provided effective support to the school and is working with leaders to improve provision in the Resource Unit. School leaders also make good use of professionals from further afield to validate their judgments and to provide additional support where needed.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and are effective. Leaders are diligent in carrying out their own checks so that they can be certain that children are kept safe at all times.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are fully involved in school life. They are effective, providing good support and challenge to other leaders. They know how well the school is doing compared to other schools nationally as they have a good understanding of data. However, as with other leaders, they do not do enough to check provision in the Resource Unit.  Governors know how the pupil premium funding is being used and ensure that it has a good impact on the progress of eligible pupils.  Governors set targets for the headteacher and check that salary increases for staff are only awarded where there is clear evidence that pupils are making good progress. They know what the school is doing to reward good teaching and to tackle any underperformance. They carefully oversee the arrangements for the performance management of staff, including that of the headteacher.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  All staff, along with most parents and pupils who expressed their views, agree that behaviour is typically good. This is also seen with school records which show a sharp fall in incidents of misbehaviour over the last two years. Where occasional incidents do occur, mainly involving a very small number of pupils with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties from the Resource Unit, these are dealt with effectively and appropriate actions taken.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and they want to do well. They take good care of the school building. They are very clear that they like school and enjoy their work. They work hard in lessons, although, just occasionally, they lose concentration if work does not challenge them fully.  Pupils are polite and respectful to adults at all times. It is normal for pupils to hold doors open for adults, and the youngest children automatically say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ without being prompted. All pupils

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Behaviour

cooperate well in lessons and play happily together at playtimes.  The well-organised before- and after-school clubs are greatly enjoyed by pupils. Behaviour in both clubs is good, with pupils from different year groups helping each other and talking to adults about their work.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Processes of monitoring and systems of security are robust. All adults working in school are appropriately vetted and the site is maintained to a high standard.  Pupils know how to ask for help, and they can identify risks to themselves and others. During a snowy day, they showed great self-control in the way that they ensured they kept each other safe by not throwing the snow or making ice-slides.  Pupils say that there is very little bullying and they are very confident that when it does occur it is dealt with immediately. As one commented, ‘There is always someone to talk to if we have a worry.’  Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe when using computers (e-safety). They know about the potential dangers of social network sites and what to do if they encounter cyber-bullying.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and promotes pupils’ learning well. Across the school, teachers get on well with pupils and encourage them to develop a love of learning. Teachers plan work that is engaging and fun. They encourage pupils to work without fear of failure.  The teaching of literacy, reading and mathematics has a good impact on pupils’ progress. Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is taught particularly well and helps pupils to become confident readers and writers.  Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour extremely well and have high expectations of both the quality and quantity of their work. They widely praise pupils’ efforts, which encourages them to try even harder. This is done through rewards such as house points and stickers, and through good-quality marking. Most marking in English and mathematics is very detailed and helps pupils to understand how to improve.  Teachers plan activities carefully and ensure there is a good level of challenge for pupils. However,

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The quality of teaching is good

occasionally, work for the most-able pupils does not stretch them fully. Teachers constantly check that pupils who speak English as an additional language take a full part in activities and ensure that they understand new vocabulary. This helps them to make the same good progress as others.  Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to the learning of pupils. They are deployed well by teachers and give good-quality support, especially when working with disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. This helps these pupils, including those from the Resource Unit when they are working in mainstream classrooms, to make good progress.  Teaching is not outstanding because when disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are working in the Resource Unit, there are occasions when teaching does not move their learning on quickly enough. This happens when teachers have not taken enough account of what pupils already know

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The quality of teaching is good

in order to plan what to teach next. This is most evident in the classes for pupils with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties or those on the autistic spectrum. In contrast, pupils with physical, sensory and medical needs are taught well most of the time. In this class, adults provide good support that quickly improves pupils’ physical skills and their academic development.  Most parents are positive about the quality of teaching across the school. Homework is enjoyed by pupils who say that ‘There is not too much but it is helpful.’

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is good

 Pupils achieve well and make good progress as they move through the school. Pupils’ attainment has been rising and it is now above average by the end of Year 6. Results in national testing at the end of Year 6 in 2014 were the best ever.  Across the school, pupils read well. They have a good knowledge of phonics and use these skills well to sound out new words. In Year 1 national phonics checks, the proportion of pupils meeting or exceeding the expected level was above average. Data show that there has been a three-year trend of improvement in this area and this has helped to improve pupils’ reading and writing.  By Year 6, pupils write confidently for a range of purposes. They have a secure knowledge of punctuation and use grammar accurately most of the time. They show good empathy for others when, for example, writing about why immigration can be beneficial to a country.  Across the school, pupils make good progress in mathematics. By Year 6, they have a secure

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is good

understanding of numbers and calculations, and solve mathematical problems speedily and accurately.  Most groups of pupils make similar progress to their classmates with boys and girls achieving equally well.  The quality of support given to disadvantaged pupils who receive additional government funding ensures that they make the same good progress as others nationally and in the school. In national testing at the end of Year 6 in 2014, disadvantaged pupils were around two terms behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. When compared with all pupils nationally, the gap was two terms in reading and mathematics, but in writing, the gap was less than one term. The good-quality support given to disadvantaged pupils is helping to close the gap between the attainment of these pupils and others in the school and all pupils nationally.  The most-able pupils achieve well most of the time. This can be seen in the increased proportion reaching

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is good

the higher Levels 5 or 6 by the end of Year 6 in 2014. These pupils are given good-quality support outside lessons through activities such as a reading club to help them fulfil their potential. However, they are sometimes given work in lessons that is too easy for them.  Most disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similarly good progress to other groups. In the school’s mainstream classrooms, pupils have benefited over the last two years from more closely tailored support that is well matched to need. Pupils from the Resource Unit also achieve well when they are taught in mainstream classes. They are well supported at these times and benefit both socially and academically from working alongside their classmates. However, when they are working in Resource Unit classes, there are occasions when progress is steady rather than good, especially for pupils with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties or for those on the autistic spectrum.

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is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language, including those from Indian or Pakistani families or other backgrounds, achieve well. They quickly improve their speaking skills. Their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is at least as high as others by the end of Year 6.

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is good

 Early years provision has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Attainment is rising and children now achieve well. Good teaching means that children are prepared well both socially and academically for their move to Year 1.  When they start school in either the Nursery or Reception classes, a minority are working at the levels typically expected for their age. From these low starting points, children make good progress and their attainment is broadly average by the end of the Reception Year.  Children make especially strong progress in reading. Teachers introduce phonics extremely well and focus successfully on improving children’s reading skills by, for example, hearing them read to correct errors or misconceptions.  Children settle very quickly into the school’s routines because of the very warm welcome they receive. They learn how to get on and work well together. Children’s behaviour is good. They listen attentively to

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is good

adults at all times. They feel very safe and say that the ‘grown-ups are kind’.  Teachers and other support staff work together well to plan exciting activities that help children build their confidence while developing their literacy and numeracy basic skills. For example, during the inspection, Reception children explored the properties of different liquids by seeing how they reacted when put with baking powder. This created opportunities for children to talk about what they were seeing and to count and describe shapes.  Teachers and other adults challenge children well most of the time, although there are occasions when work is too easy for the most able, slowing their progress. Disabled children and those who have special educational needs, including those who spend part of their time in the Resource Unit, quickly acquire new skills because they are well supported at all times. Teachers also give good help to children who are in the

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is good

early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language. They check that children understand new words and model good spoken English to them.  Good leadership and management has had a good impact on provision. Leaders ensure that children work and play in a safe, attractive and purposeful environment where each child is known as an individual. Regular observations are carried out to track children’s progress. This evidence is recorded in very detailed ‘Learning Journals’ which give a very clear picture of children’s good progress over time.

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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 110089 Local authority Slough Inspection number 4453522

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 862 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Smyth Headteacher Jacqueline Laver Date of previous school inspection 21–22 March 2013 Telephone number 01628 600300 Fax number NA Email address office@prioryschool.com 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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