The Dawnay School

The Dawnay School Griffin Way, Leatherhead, KT23 4JJ

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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, working closely with governors, has successfully improved teaching and achievement since the last inspection.  Good leadership and management since the last inspection mean that the school continues to improve. Leaders at all levels share the ambition and drive of the headteacher. They provide effective support for all staff.  Teaching is now good. Teachers plan purposeful lessons so that pupils learn well.  Pupils achieve well. They make good progress in mathematics and literacy. All groups, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress.  Governance is good. Governors know the school well and provide constructive challenge.  Children in the Reception class get off to a good start. They are taught well and make good progress in a nurturing atmosphere.  Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They are helpful and respect each other and adults.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is a safe environment. Pupils feel safe because adults provide good care for them. Parents agree that the school is a safe place to learn.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement in mathematics is not as high as in reading and writing. This is because sometimes activities are too easy or too difficult for pupils.  Teachers do not use pupils’ individual targets consistently well across the school to boost their achievement.  Some pupils have too many absences, which affects the consistency of their progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils working in 26 lessons or parts of lessons. They observed 11 jointly with school leaders. They looked at pupils’ work in their books. Inspectors listened to pupils reading and attended one assembly. They observed pupils’ behaviour in class, during lunchtime and break times.  Discussions were held with pupils, three members of the governing body, including the Chair and Vice- Chair, and school leaders. Inspectors also met with the headteacher of the local teaching school which has provided support on behalf of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 72 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and the four letters from parents that were received during the inspection. They gathered parents’ views on the playground. They also took account of the 18 staff questionnaires that were completed.  Inspectors scrutinised documents including the school’s plan for improvement, the headteacher’s reports

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Information about this inspection

to the governing body, and documents relating to safeguarding, attendance and managing behaviour.

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Inspection team

Joanna Toulson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized school. Classes in Key Stage 2 are mixed age.  Children in the early years are taught in one Reception class on a full-time basis.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The next largest group is from the Traveller community.  The proportion of pupils who join the school at times other than Reception is higher than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is much higher than average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for additional pupil premium funding is average. This funding is available for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those 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 school runs a breakfast club.  There has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. Most classes are taught by teachers new

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Information about this school

to the school.  The school has been supported by staff from a teaching school, St John the Baptist School in Woking.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to make more of it outstanding by making sure that pupils’ individual targets show precisely how they can improve their work.  Improve progress in mathematics in Key Stage 2 by making sure that all pupils receive work that is at the right level so that all can achieve as well as they can.  Work more closely with the families of those with the most absence to improve pupils’ attendance to acceptable levels.

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The leadership and management are good

 Following the previous inspection, leaders and managers, in partnership with governors, have taken effective action to improve the quality of education provided by the school. Leadership and management are now good.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have managed the high turnover of staff well. New staff receive good support so that they quickly become effective. Newly appointed phase leaders provide effective support and challenge to teachers. As a result, teaching has improved.  Leaders provide strong leadership of teaching. They give frequent, constructive feedback to teachers following checks on pupils’ work, analysis of information about how well pupils are doing and lesson observations. Teachers’ pay is linked to their performance.  Leaders make good use of data to check that all groups of pupils and individuals do as well as they can. They make sure that any pupils in danger of falling behind are given appropriate additional support so that

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The leadership and management are good

they catch up quickly. Leaders work in partnership with other local schools to check the accuracy of teachers’ assessments.  The school’s evaluation of its work is accurate. Improvement plans are focused on the right priorities.  Leaders and teachers have benefited from the support brokered by the local authority, including the work they have done with a National Leader of Education from a local teaching school. This support has included working with the headteacher to plan for school improvement as well as working alongside teachers to support their teaching of English and mathematics. The impact of this work has been positive and the intensity of support has decreased as improvements have been made.  Pupils enjoy their learning. The range of subjects is broad and balanced. It promotes English and mathematics well. Music has a high priority within the school. Pupils play instruments in the ‘Dawnay

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The leadership and management are good

Players’ and have recently played at a local venue with the Royal Marines band. The choir, too, has a high profile and pupils are proud to have taken part in a festival at the O2 Arena.  There is a good promotion of British values through the curriculum. For example, pupils made poppies after visiting the Tower of London First World War remembrance event. Pupils learn about the importance of democracy as they vote for pupils to represent them on their school council. Displays around the school remind pupils about British history. For example, the 800 th anniversary of Magna Carta and the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II. There is a strong culture in the school of pupils helping others, for example through raising money for charity. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to provide support for disadvantaged pupils so they

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The leadership and management are good

achieve well. In addition to providing additional help in classrooms and in small groups, the funding is used to provide support for pupils’ emotional and social skills. The school also subsidises the cost of school visits and music tuition. Consequently, these pupils grow in confidence and are better placed to succeed.  The primary physical education and sport premium has been used effectively to increase the participation of pupils in sport, both in school and in after-school clubs. A specialist teacher helps teachers to develop their skills in teaching physical education. This increases teachers’ subject knowledge and equips them to teach to teach sports well.  School leaders have created a very cohesive community in which pupils behave well. At all levels, leaders are highly committed to the well-being of the pupils. As a result, the school has a very caring, nurturing atmosphere in which pupils can thrive. Leaders are rightly proud of the inclusive nature of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

Pupils from different backgrounds are well supported. There is no discrimination and staff foster good relationships in school and in the community. There is a strong commitment to promoting equal opportunities for all.  Staff make good links with parents. As the number of pupils from the Traveller community is rising, the school has worked closely with their parents. Nearly all parents who responded to Parent View, as well as those who wrote to the inspectors, would recommend the school to others.  Arrangements to keep pupils safe are effective and meet statutory requirements. Appropriate checks are made on staff and these are monitored by the governing body.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Governors have a good understanding of how well the school is performing in relation to other schools nationally. Governors are clearly ambitious for the school and provide effective challenge to school leaders. They are also supportive. Governors visit the school frequently. They visit

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The leadership and management are good

classes, talk to pupils and meet with staff. This ensures they know about the quality of teaching and how well pupils are achieving. They oversee the management of leaders’ performance closely. They support the headteacher in ensuring that good teaching is rewarded and any underperformance of staff is quickly tackled and put right. Governors ensure that additional funds, such as the primary physical education and sport premium and the pupil premium are used effectively. They check that funds are having a good effect on pupils’ achievement and the experiences they have. Safeguarding is given a high priority. The impact of the governing body on school improvement is good.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Nearly all staff, as well as the parents who completed Parent View, agree that the school makes sure pupils are well behaved. School records show that staff manage pupils’ behaviour well. There are marked improvements for individual pupils who have behavioural needs.  Lunchtimes are calm and orderly. A good range of equipment, such as bats, balls and skipping ropes, helps to keep pupils active on the playground.  Pupils say they enjoy school and the opportunities it brings. They are polite to adults and work well together in class. Pupils who attend the breakfast club enjoy the opportunity to play with their friends before school starts.  Pupils value opportunities to contribute to the local community. For example, the choir frequently sings at local venues.  Pupils take the roles and responsibilities they are given seriously. Year 6 pupils are trained as ‘squabble

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Behaviour

busters’ and support good behaviour on the playground. Other responsibilities, such as serving on the school council, provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their personal and social skills. The levels of school attendance are not improving quickly enough and the school has identified that more needs to be done with some families to ensure that all pupils attend regularly.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  All governors and staff, together with parents who completed Parent View, report that pupils feel safe in school. Those pupils spoken to during the inspection agreed with this opinion.  Pupils understand how to keep safe in different situations, including when crossing the road or using computers. They know they should not share personal information on the internet.  They are aware of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and the impact this can have on them and their friends. Pupils report that they know who to turn to if they are worried.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has significantly improved since the last inspection.  Teachers plan interesting activities which inspire and motivate pupils, promoting good learning and sustained progress. For example, in a design and technology lesson, Year 2 pupils were keen to use hack- saws to make a chassis for their buggy, measuring the wood carefully beforehand.  The teaching of writing is good. Phonics (the linking of letters with the sounds they make) is well taught. Exciting lessons help to motivate pupils to write well. For example, Year 1 pupils were keen to write about worms, after observing them, using a microscope. Older pupils applied their skills in meaningful, thought- provoking contexts when writing diaries of a soldier in the First World War or when reporting on the destruction of the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986.  Pupils have good opportunities to develop their reading skills by reading to an adult or using the well-

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The quality of teaching is good

stocked library. Teachers often provide activities across the curriculum which require pupils to draw on their developing reading skills, for example during daily guided reading sessions.  Teachers generally provide work in mathematics that is at the right level for most pupils. However, sometimes, especially in Key Stage 2, pupils are given activities which are too difficult or too easy, and this slows their progress.  Teachers’ marking of books is thorough and guidance is given to pupils about their next steps in learning. Targets have recently been introduced to guide individual pupils’ progress, but these are sometimes not precise enough to help the pupils improve, and this slows their progress.  Teaching assistants provide good support to pupils. They skilfully assist disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs so that they achieve well. One-to-one sessions and special programmes of

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The quality of teaching is good

work are well matched to the needs of individual pupils.

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is good

 From the time children join Reception, all groups of pupils, including those of White British heritage, achieve well, although this has not always been the case in previous years.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are rising steadily. In 2014, an above average proportion of pupils achieved the higher levels in reading and mathematics. The proportions reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check also improved in 2014 to being just above the national average.  There is an improved picture for progress through Key Stage 2 since the last inspection. As a result of improvements in teaching, pupils currently in school are making good progress. In 2014, standards at the end of Year 6 were average. Pupils’ books, as well as the school’s own assessment information, indicate that a greater proportion of the current Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve at least average standards in the combined measure of mathematics, reading and writing in 2015. Pupils are, therefore, well prepared

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is good

for secondary school.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium make good progress and the gap in attainment between eligible pupils and their peers in school is closing. This is as a result of improvements in targeted support.  In 2014, disadvantaged pupils made less progress than other pupils nationally. Their attainment was one- and-a-half-years behind other pupils nationally in mathematics, one year behind them in reading, and one year and one term behind in writing. Disadvantaged pupils were about a year-and-a-half behind other pupils in the school in mathematics, and about a year behind in reading and writing. Most of these pupils had complex learning or behavioural needs. The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in school is narrowing more quickly in reading and writing than in mathematics. This is because sometimes mathematics work is not well matched to their needs.  The most-able pupils achieve well. Standards are now broadly in line with national expectations for those

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is good

achieving the higher levels in Year 6. They make good progress because they have been challenged more effectively since the last inspection. The achievement of Traveller pupils is good. They are well supported in school and make good progress.  The school caters well for pupils who join the school at times other than in Reception. Work in the books of these pupils indicates that they settle quickly and make good progress.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. Work in pupils’ books and the school’s assessment information show that these pupils’ needs are identified quickly and appropriate support is given. This enables them to achieve well and ensures that the education they receive is meeting their needs.

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is good

 Children in Reception get a good start to their education. Most join with skills well below those typical for their age, especially in language and communication, and social and emotional development. Several children have no pre-school experience. Others have not attended pre-school regularly. Many children in last year’s Reception class did not reach levels of development which fully prepared them for Year 1 because so many of them started with very low levels of skills. However, the transition into Year 1 is well managed, and this enables pupils to continue to make good progress and catch up quickly.  All groups of children are well nurtured and cared for. The learning journals (collections of children’s work with comments by adults) show all children, whatever their starting points, make good progress.  Children learn to talk about their learning. They behave well. Children identified with difficulties with

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is good

speaking are given good support through an individualised programme, which includes additional support to learn the names and sounds of letters.  Teaching is good. Adults regularly check how well children are learning and plan activities designed to enable them to make good progress. These activities are often exciting. For example, children extended the story of the ‘Billy Goats Gruff’ by following ‘footsteps’, making food for the troll and counting the goats during mathematics activities.  The early years is well led and managed. Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and levels of development. There is a very happy atmosphere in Reception. Adults provide a very safe, secure environment in which children learn to work and play well together. Children learn about the lives of others by, for example, making Diva lamps, celebrating Chinese New Year and visiting the local church.  Good links are made with parents, who often display work done by their child at home in the school’s

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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 130397 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 453480

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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 Community Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 233 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Annette Di Giovanna Headteacher Gail Hard Date of previous school inspection 19–20 March 2013 Telephone number 01372 456774 Fax number 01372 452267 Email address head@dawnay.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 .

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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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