Witley CofE Controlled Infant School

Witley CofE Controlled Infant School Church Lane, Witley, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 5PN

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

p.1

This is a good school

 School leaders, with the support of dedicated governors, have maintained and improved on good teaching since the previous inspection. They have robust systems in place to check the quality of teaching.  The school’s procedures to keep pupils safe and secure are outstanding. Staff are very caring and ensure that all pupils are safe at school.  Pupils work hard and they make good progress to achieve standards that are above average.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well. They receive additional help from skilled staff to help them to catch up with their classmates.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They get on very well together and show respect towards each other and adults. They are friendly, polite and kind towards each other. Their attendance is above average.  Pupils are successfully taught about how people from other countries, faiths and backgrounds live and this prepares them well for life in modern

p.1

This is a good school

Britain.  The curriculum is very well planned, with a good range of additional activities that add to pupils’ interest and enjoyment.  The vast majority of parents are very positive about all aspects of the school. They feel that their children are safe and happy and that they make good progress.  Children in the early years get off to a good start. They are warmly welcomed into a stimulating environment where they enjoy learning and playing.  Governors are highly effective. They work closely with school leaders to plan actions for improvement that will help the school to improve further. Strong teamwork is a key factor in the continuing success of this good school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress is slightly slower in writing than in reading and mathematics. This is because teachers do not always correct pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation.  Teachers do not always insist that pupils present their work as neatly as they should.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed pupils working in six lessons and some small group teaching of letters and sounds. The headteacher joined her for all of these observations. The inspector looked at work in pupils’ books and she listened to pupils reading in Year 2. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school and in the playground. She attended one assembly.  Meetings were held with school leaders, four governors, including the Chair of Governors and the headteacher. The inspector spoke to pupils at break time and she held a meeting by telephone with a representative from the local authority.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised. These included systems for checking pupils’ progress, records relating to behaviour and attendance, safeguarding and child protection arrangements. The inspector also examined the school’s own analysis of how well it is doing and how it plans to improve. She considered

p.2

Information about this inspection

the records of checks on teaching and minutes from governors’ meetings.  The views of parents were taken into account by analysing the 60 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and by speaking informally to parents as they brought their children to school. The views of staff were considered by taking into account the 17 responses to the staff survey.

p.2

Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school and pupils are taught in single age classes. Currently there are two classes in the early years to accommodate an increase in pupil numbers.  There have been a number of staff changes, including the appointment of a new headteacher, since the previous inspection.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium grant provides support is below the national average. This funding is used to support pupils who are looked after and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  There is provision for children in the early years in the Reception classes. These children attend school full time.  There was a Church Inspection of the school, under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005, in March 2015.

p.3

Information about this school

The school’s provision was judged to be outstanding.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of pupils’ written work by ensuring that:  teachers correct pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation when marking their writing so that pupils do not repeat the same errors  teachers have high expectations for pupils’ handwriting and that pupils always present their work to the highest possible standard.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is ambitious for both staff and pupils. She has developed a strong team of staff who share her enthusiasm. Together, they have developed a culture in which good teaching, achievement and behaviour thrive. Leaders and governors are reflective and constantly strive to look for new ways to improve upon what they already do well.  School leaders know their school well. They use performance information effectively to identify key priorities for school development. This ensures that their plans are always targeted on the areas that the school most needs to improve. Staff work in close partnership with other local schools for training and sharing ideas and this helps them to develop their expertise further.  Leaders regularly check on the work of teachers both by observing teaching formally and by visiting lessons informally. Staff are provided with clear guidance about what they need to do to enhance their

p.4

The leadership and management are good

skills. Consequently, teaching is good and improving. Teachers have targets linked to pupils’ achievement and are fully aware that they are accountable for pupils’ progress. Their progression on the pay scale is linked to their performance in the classroom.  Most teachers have leadership responsibility for one or more aspects of the school’s work. They receive good quality training and support and this has led to improvements in reading and mathematics. They have put into place actions to improve pupils’ writing but these have not yet fully addressed the occasional weakness in pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar skills.  Leaders and managers ensure that safeguarding procedures fully meet statutory requirements and are implemented very effectively to keep pupils safe in school. All staff are fully trained and they are very clear about what they need to do if they are concerned about the safety and welfare of pupils.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Equality of opportunity underpins the ethos and values of the school. Staff will go out of their way to help pupils and to ensure they all succeed. Discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated. This is reflected in the way that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used Skilled teaching assistants provide additional support to improve their self-confidence, literacy and numeracy skills and so they achieve as well as their classmates.  The school provides a suitably broad and balanced curriculum. Apart from developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills successfully, it also promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively through subjects such as art, history and religious education. The study of ‘Black History’ and an assembly linked to fundraising for orphans in South Africa provided pupils with rich experiences. They reflect on how different their own lives are to those from other times or other parts of the world and so

p.4

The leadership and management are good

are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The school uses the primary sports funding, appropriately, to enhance sports provision for pupils. Some has been used to lay an astro-turf pitch so that pupils can take part in sports activities all year round. A further sum has been used to increase staff skills and confidence so they can provide pupils with higher quality lessons. This has had a positive impact on increased pupils’ participation and enjoyment of sports.  The local authority has full confidence in the school and provides appropriate ‘light touch’ support for school leaders.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly effective. They are ambitious for the school and they work closely with leaders to secure a good quality of education for pupils. They know the school very well because they visit regularly. They talk to staff, parents and pupils to find out how well things are going. This helps them to test the accuracy of the information provided by the headteacher on the rates of pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. They know how well pupils achieve in comparison with schools nationally and they consistently challenge the school’s leadership to improve teaching still further. They consistently check on the impact of additional funding to ensure that those pupils who are eligible are making good progress.  Governors have completed an audit of their skills and they keep up to date with regular training. They carry out termly checks of the premises to make sure that the school is a safe place for staff and pupils.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

Governors manage finances well to ensure that teachers have the resources they need and to ensure that the school provides good value for money. Governors have a clear understanding of the principles underpinning the performance of teachers. They ensure that only the best teaching is rewarded and that underperformance is tackled robustly.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are happy and they love school. This is demonstrated by their above average attendance. They get on very well together both in classrooms and in the playground. They enjoy learning, especially when sharing and discussing their ideas and learning from each other. They are confident that everyone in their class listens carefully to what they have to say.  Pupils are friendly and polite and they go out of their way to help each other. They treat each other with respect and they are kind to each other. Pupils’ behaviour towards each other reflects the school’s strong inclusive ethos very well.  Most of the time, pupils are enthusiastic in class and they have positive attitudes to their learning, especially when they are inspired by challenging teaching.  Staff apply consistent systems to manage pupils’ behaviour and so their expectations are clear. School records show very few reported incidents of poor behaviour over time. There have been very few

p.5

Behaviour

exclusions in recent years.  Pupils have a good understanding of different forms of bullying, including that relating to internet and social media use. Pupils who spoke to the inspector said that bullying and other forms of poor behaviour are very rare in school. They say that staff deal with any issues quickly and calmly. Pupils praised staff for being patient and caring towards them.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. The school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe meet all statutory requirements and the leaders make sure that all staff implement these diligently.  Staff take great care to keep pupils safe. For example, staff provide excellent support for families whose circumstances might make them more vulnerable. They will go out of their way to seek additional help and expertise to prevent problems from escalating.  Staff know pupils and their families very well. Arrangements for protecting pupils are extremely thorough and all staff have an excellent understanding of their role in safeguarding pupils. Staff and governors say, ‘Protecting pupils is everyone’s responsibility.’  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe outside. They know how important it is to take care when crossing roads and they know it is dangerous to go near water without an adult to help.

p.5

Safety

 The school site is very safe, secure and very well maintained. All visitors are thoroughly checked and provided with clear guidance about how to stay safe. This shows the importance school leaders place on health and safety. Risk assessments are routinely carried out. Governors carry out a termly audit of safety procedures and rigorously monitor all safeguarding procedures for the pupils.  All parents who responded to the survey agreed that their children are happy and safe at school and that they behave well. Governors and staff agreed that pupils’ behaviour is good and that they are very safe in school.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is lively and engaging. There have been consistent improvements over time. This inspires pupils to work hard and make good progress. Pupils learn well because teachers plan activities and work that is at the right level for them. There are effective checks on the continuing progress which pupils make and teachers adapt activities appropriately for groups and individuals.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. This was seen, for example, in one lesson where the teaching assistant noticed that a pupil was struggling to complete his work. She intervened by helping the pupil to sound out his letters to write words relating to work about the senses. As a result, the pupil made good progress and was able to confidently finish his work.  The teaching of reading is effective. Pupils are successfully taught phonics (linking sounds and letters) and they apply their understanding to read unfamiliar words. Phonics lessons are very well structured to meet

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

the needs of different groups of pupils.  Mathematics is also taught effectively. Work in pupils’ books shows that they confidently use their knowledge and understanding of numbers to reason and to solve problems. In one highly effective mathematics lesson in Year 1, pupils calculated the change needing to be given when ‘buying’ items such as an ice cream. The most able pupils used higher value coins and this helped them to make rapid progress.  Although pupils’ achievement in writing is good, work in pupils’ books shows that their basic skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar occasionally go uncorrected and so they repeat the same mistakes  Pupils enjoy sharing their ideas. Teachers question pupils well to draw out these ideas to extend their understanding. For example, in a Year 2 science lesson, the teacher built on pupils’ responses to the question, ‘What do we need to stay healthy?’ Owing to his further probing, pupils identified other

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

important ways in which they could stay healthy. They realised that staying healthy is not just about making choices about food and exercise but that they also need to wash their hands before meals and to make sure that they get enough sleep.  Parents who expressed their views agree that teaching is good.

p.6

is good

 Pupils work hard and they make good progress to reach standards that are above average by the end of Year 2. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Their current work shows that they do slightly better in reading and mathematics than they do in writing.  Pupils develop very good speaking and listening skills. This is because they have plenty of opportunities to share and discuss their ideas and this contributes to their good learning and understanding.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress and achieve well due to the carefully planned support they receive. Teaching assistants are trained and highly skilled and so they know exactly how to help those pupils who struggle with their work.  Disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium are fully included in all parts of school life. Staff provide good quality support that targets their personal as well as their academic needs and so they

p.6

is good

achieve well. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils currently in Year 2 is on course to match that of other pupils nationally and within the school.  The most able pupils achieve well. For example, in a Year 1 literacy lesson, the teacher constantly probed pupils to find more interesting words to improve their writing. This helped them re-tell the story of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ using a wide range of vocabulary to express their ideas.  Pupils’ achievement in writing is good. They write at length in literacy and when learning other subjects. They are developing a wide vocabulary and using features of language such as similes to express their ideas in a way that engages the interest of the reader. However, they do not all have a sound grasp of correct spelling, punctuation and grammar and this prevents them from reaching higher standards.  Pupils’ progress in reading is good. School leaders took decisive action following disappointing results in

p.6

is good

the 2013 Year 1 phonics screening check. They reorganised the way in which phonics was taught. Subsequently, results in the 2014 check improved substantially. Pupils enjoy reading and happily shared books with the inspector and talked about their favourite stories.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is good. They have a good grasp of basic number skills and they use these to solve real-life problems involving division and multiplication.

p.6

is good

 Children are welcomed into a bright attractive environment that is very well resourced with good quality books and equipment both indoors and outside. Staff are highly responsive to children’s needs and they endeavour to provide activities that are stimulating and help them to learn.  Early years staff keep children safe at all times. Staff are diligent in ensuring that safeguarding arrangements are fully implemented. They take great care to meet the sometimes quite complex needs of individual children to ensure that they feel happy, safe and secure.  The behaviour of children is good overall. Most have settled well and they happily work and play together. There is a very small minority of pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour but, due to the kindness and patience of staff, they are making good progress in learning and adapting to the school’s expectations of their behaviour.  Teaching is typically good and this enables children to make good progress. All staff work closely together

p.6

is good

to make sure that learning is interesting and motivating. There are times when children choose their own activities and those that are led by adults. Just occasionally, there are times when children do not learn as well because they spend too long on the same activity with very little interaction with adults to develop their understanding.  Adults carefully note down the children’s achievements. They use this information to plan new learning and so children develop their skills step by step. This allows children, including disabled children and those with special educational needs, to make good progress across all areas of learning in the Reception classes. Most children reach a good level of development and are well prepared for Year 1.  The leadership and management of the early years provision are good. The leader has a good understanding of the strengths of provision and what needs to be improved further. She works closely

p.6

is good

with other leaders to ensure that the early years has a high profile across the school.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 125159 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 449667

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Infant School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 112 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Charlie Lewis Headteacher Jo Fraser Date of previous school inspection 23 November 2009 Telephone number 01428 682420 Fax number 01428 685094 Email address info@witley.surrey.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10