Willowbrook Primary School

School report Oasis Academy Longmeadow Broadcloth Lane, Trowbridge, BA14 7HE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires 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:

 There are gaps in the leadership of subjects and key stages. Too few teaching staff are permanent and this has made it difficult to establish good quality teaching across the academy  In some lessons the poor behaviour of a few disrupts the learning of other pupils.  Pupils’ attainment across the school in writing and mathematics is not yet high enough, especially in Key Stage 1.  Teaching does not always challenge and inspire pupils to do their best. As a result, the most able pupils do not always attain high enough standards, especially in writing and mathematics.  There are inconsistencies in the quality of teachers’ marking. Pupils are not always sufficiently aware of what they need to do to improve their work, especially in writing and mathematics.  Teachers do not always check pupils’ learning carefully enough in lessons and so do not always spot mistakes.  In the early years provision, children do not achieve

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The school has the following strengths:

 The strong vision and ambition of the interim principal is starting to successfully resolve long- term weaknesses.  Although the academy council has only recently been established, governance arrangements are effectively supporting the academy’s drive to improve.  The academy is being exceptionally well supported by the Oasis Multi-Academy Trust.  From starting points that are often very low, pupils in Key Stage 2 make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics Pupils with special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and disadvantaged pupils also make good progress in these subjects.  Arrangements for keeping pupils safe are good and they say that they enjoy coming to school. Attendance is improving as a result.  The subjects that pupils learn are well planned to generate an enthusiasm for learning. The academy effectively promotes British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector saw learning in every class and observed 10 lessons. Some were observed jointly with the interim principal.  The inspector met with a group of pupils, heard some of them read and talked informally to pupils in the playground and around school. Meetings were also held with the interim principal and staff members, the Chair of the Academy Council, the Regional Academy Director, and the Director of Academy Improvement.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including plans for the academy’s improvement, information about how well pupils are achieving and records of academy council meetings. He also examined records relating to pupils’ behaviour, attendance, safety and welfare.  The inspector looked at pupils’ books and other pieces of work to see how well they are doing.  The views of parents and carers were taken into account through scrutiny of the 15 responses to the

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Information about this inspection

online Parent View survey and the outcomes of the academy’s own parent survey. A discussion was also held between the inspector and a representative group of parents and carers.  Staff views were taken into consideration through discussions with staff and by scrutinising questionnaires completed by 21 staff members.

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Inspection team

Christopher Nye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There is one full-time Reception class in the early years provision. In Key Stage 1, there is one Year 1 and one Year 2 class. In Key Stage 2, there are two mixed-age classes: one for Years 3 and 4 pupils, and one for Years 5 and 6 pupils. At the time of the inspection, over half the classes were being taught by temporary or supply teachers.  The academy receives pupil premium funding for around 60% of the pupils. This proportion is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for disadvantaged pupils.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is 20%, which is close to the national average.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage of pupils from other ethnic heritages is similar to that for other schools nationally. The proportion who speak English as an additional language

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Information about this school

has increased since September to around 25%, which is above that found in other schools nationally. Most of these pupils are from other European countries.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  Oasis Academy Longmeadow converted to become an academy school on 1 April 2013 and is a part of the Oasis Academy Trust. When its predecessor school, Longmeadow Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in January 2012, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  An interim principal was appointed in February 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress and attainment by: – ensuring that the learning of all pupils is not interrupted by the low-level disruption of a few – ensuring that teaching more consistently inspires and challenges all pupils, especially the most able, to attain higher standards in writing and mathematics, especially in Key Stage 1 – ensuring that teachers check pupils’ learning carefully so that pupils’ mistakes can be identified and tackled – improving consistency in the quality of marking so that the guidance given to pupils about how to improve is as good as the best – ensuring that all pupils have a clearer understanding about what they are aiming to improve, especially in mathematics and writing, and how they will achieve this – ensuring that permanent solutions to the temporary staffing issues are found so that teaching is more secure.  Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– a middle leadership structure is developed which effectively supports the school’s drive to improve.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because recent developments have not all had time to have had an impact on teaching and pupils’ achievement, and gaps in the management structure remain.  After an extended period of underachievement, the inspiration, determination and ambition of the interim principal is starting to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. She has successfully united the whole staff team, who fully her support her clear vision for the future development of the academy.  Improvement plans are well designed, based on accurate analysis of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are starting to have an impact. Together with effective governance and the good leadership of the interim principal, this shows that the academy has a good capacity to improve further.  The interim principal undertakes robust checking of teaching and is fully aware of where weaknesses lie.

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The leadership and management require improvement

She takes swift action to address these and inadequate teaching has been eliminated as a result. However, because too many teachers are either temporary or supply teachers, improvements that have been introduced are not fully embedded and therefore the quality of teaching is not consistently good.  Leaders have established good systems for managing the performance of permanent staff, clearly linked to pupils’ achievement and training opportunities.  Middle leadership, such as the leadership of subjects and key stages, is not secure enough. Currently there are gaps in the leadership structure, which hinders the improvement of teaching and pupils’ achievement. However, suitable plans are in place to resolve this by appointing key stage leaders.  The recently expanded role of the special educational needs coordinator is improving the teaching for those who have special educational needs. As a result, these pupils make good progress.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The academy provides a broad and balanced coverage of the subjects that pupils study. These accurately reflect the requirements of the new National Curriculum and include suitable arrangements to assess how well pupils are doing in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ learning is enriched by trips, visitors and clubs. An exceptionally well-stocked library and a good range of up-to-date information and communication technology resources are used well to encourage pupils’ reading and research. Pupils are therefore well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The academy actively promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and understanding of British values. The pupils’ wide-ranging linguistic and ethnic backgrounds are celebrated and increasingly close links are being developed with the academy’s diverse local community.  Pupil premium funding is used well to provide support for disadvantaged pupils and this is clearly

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The leadership and management require improvement

improving their achievement. For example, in 2013/14 all the disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 made the expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and some exceeded this.  Additional government funding for primary physical education and sport is used well to improve pupils’ health and lifestyles. Clubs, physical activities and competitive sports are being encouraged and developed and take-up by pupils has increased as a result.  The academy has been successful in improving links with parents and carers, including those who in the past have been hard to reach. This is because the academy has actively brokered a wide range of support to meet the needs of its families. The parents and carers who met the inspector and the very large majority of those who responded to the Parent View survey felt that the academy is well led and managed and that their child is happy in the academy.  The academy promotes an atmosphere where adults and pupils are valued and listened to and in which

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The leadership and management require improvement

equality of opportunity, high standards of care and an intolerance of all forms of discrimination are the norm.  The Oasis Multi-Academy Trust has provided very effective support, especially during the last year, and continues to do so. Frequent and regular monitoring is carried out jointly with the interim principal. This leads to training and support for leaders and staff which is well matched to their needs and includes the development of links with other academies. This is having a significant impact on supporting the academy’s drive to improve; as one staff member commented, ‘Oasis has taken a small, struggling school and breathed new life into it.’  All safeguarding procedures are securely in place, meet statutory requirements and are rigorously applied.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governance, which is provided by the academy council working in tandem with the Oasis Multi-Academy Trust, provides well-balanced support and challenge to leaders resulting in an improving school. Academy councillors are well led and have a suitable range of skills in order to carry out their roles effectively. They know the academy well and have a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Challenging targets are set and used to measure the performance of the interim principal. The academy council and chain are kept informed of how teachers’ impact on pupils’ progress is linked to salary increases and about how underperformance is tackled.  The academy council and Trust ensure that resources are effectively deployed to meet the needs of pupils. For example, they have authorised the use of pupil premium funding to employ additional teaching and support staff to provide extra help where it is needed.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because, although most pupils behave well, where teaching is less effective, pupils’ learning is slowed by the low level disruption caused by a few.  Pupils who spoke to the inspector said that they enjoyed their lessons and the clubs and activities provided by the academy. Attendance, which had been below average, has improved this year.  Most pupils have positive attitudes to their learning, are polite and friendly and play well together during break and lunchtimes. Relationships between adults and pupils are good. Clear behaviour management systems are in place but teachers do not always consistently apply these systems in lessons. As a result, their impact is variable, especially on those pupils who do not always behave well.  Staff actively encourage pupils to care for each other and the school, and to take their responsibilities seriously. Their views are listened to and valued by adults.

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Behaviour

 The parents and carers who met the inspector felt that behaviour had improved significantly following the appointment of the interim principal. A large majority of those parents and carers who responded to the Parent View survey and the academy’s own survey felt that the academy makes sure that pupils behave well.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils and parents and carers say that pupils feel safe and well cared for, and safeguarding systems are effective. The academy’s safeguarding officer is very effective in ensuring a robust response to any safeguarding concerns that are raised.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different types of bullying, including racist and cyber bullying. Although bullying is rare, pupils know what to do if they encounter it. Meticulous records of all forms of unacceptable behaviour are kept and closely analysed so that issues or trends can be identified and resolved at an early stage.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because weaknesses in teaching mean that not all pupils are making the progress that they should. Teaching is most effective in the older classes. In Key Stage 1, changes in class structure have been put in place to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement. However, these have not yet had enough impact on raising standards, except in the teaching of phonics.  At times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding carefully enough and so do not always spot early enough where pupils are making mistakes.  The quality of marking varies. Although some provides pupils with clear and helpful guidance on how to improve, this good practice is not widespread across the academy.  Pupils do not always have a clear enough understanding of what they need to do to improve their work in writing and mathematics. This narrows their understanding of how to make more rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Where teaching is most effective, teachers have high expectations of pupils. Lessons are well planned and include imaginative activities which motivate pupils. For example, in one lesson pupils were enthusiastically discussing and composing a letter from Macbeth to Lady Macbeth describing the battle that he had just won.  Where teaching has the most impact on pupils’ progress, tasks are well matched to the needs of pupils. In such classes, teachers demonstrate writing and mathematical skills clearly and use questioning to assess how well pupils have understood what they are being taught.  A strength of teaching throughout the school is the positive learning environment created by staff. Displays are bright and well planned to celebrate pupils’ achievement and support their learning. This is helping pupils to develop a sense of pride in their work and school.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, especially for those pupils who speak

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

English as an additional language. As a result, these pupils make good progress in developing the language skills they need to succeed.  Where teaching is less effective, this is because activities, especially in writing and mathematics, lack challenge and do not engage pupils, particularly the most able. As a result they lose interest, become easily distracted and do not make the progress that they should.  Recent improvements in the teaching of phonics are starting to improve reading. The school is effective in encouraging pupils to read widely and often. More emphasis is now being placed on the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills and this is encouraging more positive attitudes to learning.  There is an appropriate homework policy which is consistently applied across the academy. Parents and carers who met the inspector said that they would appreciate clearer guidance on how to support mathematics homework, for example by publishing the academy’s calculation policy on the website.

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requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because not all pupils are making enough progress in writing and mathematics. However, pupils are now beginning to make better progress and their achievement is improving.  Children in Reception make slow progress in all their areas of learning, especially in the development of their numeracy skills. At the end of last year the proportion who achieved a good level of development was well below the national average. However, recent improvements mean that children are doing much better this year.  Pupils achieve well in phonics because improvements in how this is taught have raised standards. Last year, 75% of Year 1 pupils who took the the phonics screening check attained the expected standard, as did all of the Year 2 pupils who retook the check. These figures are above the national average.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has been significantly below average in reading, writing and

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requires improvement

mathematics. The most recent academy assessments show an improvement in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics, but progress remains slow in Year 1 in all three areas. The academy has put in place suitable strategies to address this, but it is too soon to judge their impact.  At the end of Key Stage 2, attainment is improving in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils that attained the nationally expected levels was close to the national average at the end of last year, although fewer than average attained at the higher levels. Because many pupils in this cohort started in Key Stage 2 with exceptionally low levels of attainment, this means that many made good progress overall.  Since September 2014, in all Key Stage 2 classes, academy assessments and scrutinies of pupils’ books have shown that they are continuing to make better progress in reading and writing. However, in mathematics progress in some year groups is not swift enough.

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requires improvement

 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in reading and writing relative to their starting points. This is because the academy’s leadership is ensuring that the additional provision and support that they receive meet their needs.  There is no significant difference in the progress made by pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. However, pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress relative to their starting points, especially in speaking and listening.  A high percentage of disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to other pupils, both in school and nationally, in reading, writing and mathematics. However, although disadvantaged pupils attain at a similar level to their classmates in the academy, there are significant gaps between their attainment and that of other pupils nationally. For example, in the 2014 national tests, the academy’s disadvantaged Year

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requires improvement

6 pupils were around a year behind other pupils nationally in writing and mathematics and eight months behind other pupils nationally in reading.  The most able pupils do not make the progess that they are capable of because the work set for them is not always demanding enough. They are starting to attain higher levels in reading, English, spelling, grammar and punctuation, writing and mathematics. However this is a more recent development and the academy recognises the remaining weaknesses in the most able pupils’ achievement, especially in writing and mathematics.

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requires improvement

 The early years provision requires improvement because children do not make enough progress, especially in their understanding of number, shape, space and measure. In the current year, pupils are making better progress, but it is too early to see the impact of the improvements that the academy has made, particularly in the teaching of mathematics in the early years.  Learning activities are often imaginative and well planned so that children enjoy their learning. Phonics is well taught, and this is helping them to develop their literacy skills. Children talk confidently about what they are learning and activities generally support their needs.  The inside learning environment is bright and attractive and supports children’s development in a range of areas. There is a good flow between inside and outside areas and a suitable balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities.  Children’s behaviour varies, and although staff support those children who find behaving well a challenge,

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requires improvement

poor behaviour sometimes disrupts children’s learning.  All adults work well together to contribute towards accurate and well-organised records of children’s progress, known as their ‘learning journals’. Parents and carers are actively encouraged to work with the academy to support their child’s learning.  The interim principal is currently providing effective leadership of the early years.  All safeguarding arrangements meet legal requirements.

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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 139281 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 449885

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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 sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 107 Appropriate authority The academy council Chair Margaret Shipley Headteacher Caroline Cox (interim principal) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01225 355511 Fax number 01225 355512 Email address admin@oasislongmeadow.org 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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