Wateringbury Church of England Primary School

School report Wateringbury Church of England Primary School 147 Bow Road, Maidstone, ME18 5EA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Require improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Requires improvement 3

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

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress in every year group.  Teachers do not always give pupils work that engages and challenges them.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not consistently positive. In some lessons pupils lose focus and concentration and this slows learning.  The early years provision requires improvement in order to provide an engaging learning environment with high-quality experiences.  Teachers in charge of subjects are relatively new to their posts and not sufficiently involved in driving improvements.  Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ handwriting and general neatness are not high enough in both English and mathematics.  Pupils do not behave well in lessons where teachers do not explain tasks clearly enough.  Some adults lack the skills to ask questions that extend pupils knowledge and deepen their understanding.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher and the governing body work successfully together. They have taken decisive action to improve the school since its previous inspection.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.  Leaders have improved the quality of teaching and accelerated pupils’ progress at Key Stage 2.  The school provides a good range of subjects and activities based on interesting and engaging themes.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 16 lessons, or parts of lessons, taught by eight teachers. Joint observations were undertaken with the headteacher. Inspectors also heard children read.  Discussions were held with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, senior leaders, subject leaders and other staff and pupils.  Inspectors examined school documentation, including school performance checks, safeguarding information, the school’s development plan, minutes of meetings of the governing body, pupils’ books and displays exhibited around the school.  Inspectors observed the methods employed by the school to establish the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils.  Inspectors analysed 64 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire, as well as letters from parents. They also gathered evidence from talking informally to parents and checking 15 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Julie Ritchie, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Inspection team

Barbara Saltmarsh, Team inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The majority of the pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding provided for children in the local authority care and those eligible for free school meals) is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  Since the previous inspection a new headteacher has been appointed and has been in post for 18 months.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so it is consistently good across all year groups by:  ensuring teachers plan work that interests and engages pupils and builds effectively on their previous learning, improving the quality of questioning in order to extend and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding  ensuring all teachers have strong subject knowledge in mathematics,  implementing the school’s behaviour management policy consistently in every class.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of pupils’ written work by:  making sure teachers always have high expectations of the way pupils present their work  ensuring consistent approaches to teaching handwriting across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the contribution of middle managers by:  giving them time to develop their roles and implement their ideas  enabling them to observe and support their peers  supporting the new early years leader in implementing agreed plans to improve the provision and the learning environment in Reception.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is uncompromising in her drive for improvement. As a result of her endeavours and with the support of the governing body, the school has successfully addressed the issues raised by the previous inspection.  Teaching is improving strongly but is not yet consistently good across all classes. Leaders continue to tackle the remaining weaker aspects through coaching, careful monitoring and sharing good practice.  The leadership team makes frequent checks on the progress of individual pupils and uses this information effectively to identify pupils who need additional support.  Leaders share their findings with teachers, and set challenging targets for them that are based on the progress pupils make in their class.  The school uses additional government funds effectively to help disadvantaged pupils, and this is raising their achievement. As a result, the gaps in attainment between them and other pupils are reducing and

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ are now achieving in line with their peers  Leaders ensure that the additional funding for physical education is used well to improve the quality of teaching by employing a sports coach to work alongside teachers. This is helping to improve pupils’ skills and increase their health and well-being.  A number of teachers are relatively new to their roles. They are implementing new initiatives and developing their respective roles but it is too early to measure their impact on improving teaching and raising achievement.  Pupils enjoy a variety of trips to various museums and places of interest, related to the interesting topics they study, and this reinforces their learning. Pupils participate in an assortment of clubs, including creative and physical activities. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils lead some of these clubs.  The promotion of spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is good. Assemblies focus on ethical

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The leadership and management are good

issues and values such as tolerance, respect and understanding. Pupils are given appropriate time for reflection and discussion. They have a good understanding of their own and other cultures through studying various religions in religious education and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils have a strong sense of their place in the community. The choir sings for the older members of the community. The school council has a shop where pupils sell pencils and other items to raise money to improve the school.  Parents who responded to the online questionnaire were very positive about all aspects of the school. The majority of parents would recommend the school to others and say their children are safe and well looked after.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding the pupils meet statutory requirements and are effective in keeping pupils safe.  The school receives valuable support from the local authority which has helped drive improvements since

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The leadership and management are good

the last inspection.  The governance of the school:  The governing body shares the headteacher’s ambition and strategic direction for the school. Governors are very knowledgeable about the school’s strengths and areas for development and provide both support and challenge. They know the quality of teaching is improving and how the school plans to improve it further. Their good understanding of data and comparisons with the national picture enable governors to ask challenging questions about pupils’ achievement. Governors know how the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent and the impact it has on pupils’ progress. They also check how effectively the additional sport funding is spent. Governors take responsibility for the headteacher’s performance management and are well informed about the arrangements to check the performance of other staff. They know what the school is doing to tackle underperformance, and that salary increases are dependent on

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  There are inconsistencies in the way staff implement the school’s systems for managing behaviour in lessons. As a result, pupils do not always listen carefully to teachers or follow their instructions. This slows their learning.  Most pupils concentrate well and work hard, but in some classes a small minority lack positive attitudes to learning. Some pupils show reluctance to contribute to lessons and need repeated reminders to focus on their work.  Behaviour at playtimes and around the school is generally good.  The older pupils provide a positive example of good behaviour to the younger pupils within the school and at playtime. Year 6 pupils help and support the younger children at break times, playing with them and helping them find friends. Older pupils run clubs for younger pupils, building relationships across the school.  Attendance is above average and pupils are on time for school. There is a thorough system in place for

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Behaviour

monitoring attendance and following up unexplained absences.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils generally feel safe in school. They know to tell the teachers if they have a problem and are confident that it will be dealt with.  Pupils have been taught about all types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. Some of the older pupils take on the role of ‘digital leaders’ for which they applied, having been required to complete a task competently before being appointed. These pupils take their role seriously, advising their peers and checking computers to ensure everyone is safe online.  The pupils recognise that bullying is unkind and say that incidents are rare but it happens occasionally.  Pupils understand the importance of keeping themselves safe when using computers and how to avoid risks.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ expectations are not consistently high enough to ensure good progress for all groups of pupils across the school.  In some English and mathematics lessons, teachers do not explain tasks with enough clarity to ensure that pupils understand exactly what is expected. This leaves pupils confused and hinders their learning, for example when tackling new mathematical concepts.  Learning also slows when teachers’ subject knowledge is imprecise and tasks are not well chosen or planned to help pupils understand new ideas quickly.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is generally good and lays a secure foundation for the development of pupils’ reading and writing skills.  Marking has improved and is now consistent across the school. The use of pink and green pens to highlight areas for improvement and celebrate successes is helping pupils to make better progress.  In the early years, the planned activities do not develop children’s literacy and numeracy skills consistently

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

well. Children sometimes choose activities for themselves and also take part in others that are supported by an adult. This helps to develop their personal and social skills as well as their self-confidence and independence.  Additional adults work closely with the teaching staff to provide effective support for selected pupils’ learning. A number of carefully targeted interventions for small groups help to tackle gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills.

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requires improvement

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress across the school. This is because of variations in the quality of teaching between classes.  Most children enter school with skills that are typical for their age. Effective daily teaching of phonics enables children to use these skills successfully in learning to read and write.  The results of the Year 1 check in phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) are broadly in line with the national average.  Most pupils make the progress expected at Key Stage 1. The most able pupils do particularly well in mathematics.  Progress at Key Stage 2 has improved significantly over the last two years, but there are still inconsistencies between year groups because teachers do not always match tasks well enough to pupils’ needs.  Additional group interventions in English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6 help pupils achieve their potential and prepare them well for the next stage of their education.

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requires improvement

 Pupils are confident readers who read widely and with good understanding of the text. Writing is an area of focus for the school as the quality of handwriting and presentation in pupils’ books is not good enough. In some year groups, pupils lack the motivation to write at length and do not approach tasks with interest and enthusiasm.  The most able pupils make faster progress than previously because they are given challenging tasks and encouraged to think deeply about their work and then explain their thought processes.  The very small number of disadvantaged pupils in each year group make good progress. There are no significant gaps between their attainment and that of other pupils. Funding is allocated effectively to support pupils in class and when taught separately in small-group work.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good support and achieve well. They make particularly good progress in reading and mathematics but do relatively less well in writing.

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requires improvement

 The early years provision requires improvement and is a developing area. A new phase leader has been appointed and is at a relatively early stage of implementing plans to ensure consistently good teaching and progress for all children across all areas of learning. The local authority is providing support in developing plans to improve the inside and outdoor learning areas.  Entry into the Reception class is well planned. Staff visit local feeder pre-school providers and talk to parents to gather as much knowledge as possible about children’s likes and dislikes and levels of development. This gives staff a good knowledge of the children as they start school.  Children make steady progress overall in Reception and enter Year 1 with appropriate skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  The classroom and outdoor area are not planned and resourced well enough to give children a broad, interesting and engaging range of opportunities and experiences that promote good learning.

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requires improvement

 The teaching of phonics is good; children enjoy these lessons which give them a secure base for reading and writing.  The children know the routines for lining up to wait for an adult to accompany them outside. Their behaviour is generally good, but some do not listen to or take notice of what adults tell them. They do not always show enthusiasm for learning because some activities fail to engage them.  The early years provision provides a safe, secure environment where adults build warm relationships with children and their parents.

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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 118632 Local authority Kent Inspection number 453637

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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 220 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Clark Headteacher Chasey Crawford Usher Date of previous school inspection 12–13 February 2013 Telephone number 01622 812199 Fax number 01622 812199 Email address office@wateringbury.kent.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

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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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