Terrington St John Primary School

Terrington St John Primary School School Road, Terrington St John, Wisbech, PE14 7SG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Good 2

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

 School leaders have not yet secured good achievement in all subjects across all year groups.  Governors do not have the information they need to hold school leaders to account and to help to drive further school improvement.  Although the quality of teaching is improving, there is still too much that requires improvement.  In Key Stage 2, pupils’ work is not always marked accurately and pupils do not get enough information about how they can improve. Too often, basic errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling are not corrected.  The work of subject leaders is not effective. The checks that they make on the quality of teaching and learning have not secured good provision in mathematics and writing.  In mathematics lessons, pupils do not have enough opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills.  The most able pupils are not always provided with sufficient challenge to enable them to reach their

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils enjoy school and their attendance is above average.  Pupils behave well, have good attitudes towards their learning and feel safe and secure at school.  Children in the early years are taught well and make good progress.  The school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in five lessons; four jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of short visits to lessons.  The inspector held discussions with pupils, staff, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.  The inspector talked to parents at the beginning of the school day. He also took account of the views of parents who responded to a questionnaire about their views of the school.  The inspector observed the school’s work, heard pupils read and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information about teaching and pupils’ attainment, and the school development plan.  The inspector scrutinised documentation relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  The inspector met with nine pupils from Key Stage 2, who completed a questionnaire on bullying. He also spoke to these pupils about reading.

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this school

 Terrington St John is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children in the early years attend full time.  Pupils are taught in two classes. The early years children and Key Stage 1 pupils are taught in one class; Key Stage 2 pupils are taught in the other.  The school became part of a federation of schools on 1 June 2014. The federation shares an executive headteacher (referred to in this report as the headteacher), governing body and leadership team with three other schools: West Walton Community Primary School, Walpole Highway Primary School and Tilney St Lawrence Community Primary School.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2013.  Most pupils are White British.  Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and supported by the pupil premium is below the national

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Information about this school

average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils starting or leaving the school at times other than the beginning of the Reception Year or the end of Year 6, is significantly above the national average.  There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2014 to compare the school’s performance with the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in writing and mathematics by ensuring that all teachers:  plan work that challenges pupils and closes the gaps in their knowledge and understanding  make accurate checks on pupils’ work, in all subjects, and give feedback that shows pupils how to improve, including their spelling, grammar and punctuation  provide pupils with regular opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in investigations and problem-solving activities  provide greater challenge for the most-able pupils, in mathematics across the school and in writing in Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:  the checks that subject leaders make on the quality of pupils’ learning are rigorous and lead to improvements in the quality of teaching  governors are provided with the information they need to challenge the school’s performance effectively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Although school leaders have secured significant improvements to the quality of provision over recent months, they have not yet ensured that teaching is good across all year groups in all subjects. Consequently, not enough pupils are making good progress, particularly in mathematics and writing.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The checks that subject leaders make on the quality of pupils’ work are not rigorous enough. Consequently, leaders do not have an accurate view of standards across the school, and the weaknesses that remain in the quality of teaching have not been fully addressed.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Although the teaching of reading is effective across the school, the progress pupils make in writing across Key Stage 2 is not rapid enough. As a result, too many pupils are working below the levels expected for their age.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Improvements have been made to the school’s curriculum and pupils now study a broad range of subjects. Activities, such as the recent African dance and storytelling workshop, Bollywood Day and study of Islam help to ensure that pupils gain an understanding of the world outside of their immediate locality. Along with the school’s caring ethos, the improvement to the curriculum has helped to ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 School leaders have been effective in improving the achievement of vulnerable pupils. Closer monitoring and additional support, from both teachers and teaching assistants, have resulted in gains for these pupils, and gaps in attainment between them and their peers are closing.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 School leaders have ensured that early years provision is effective. The early years has been transformed over recent months through improvements to the environment and the quality of teaching. Children now benefit from a broad range of well-planned activities and are confident and motivated to learn.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Good use is made of the additional sports funding. Many opportunities have been provided for pupils to participate in physical education and sports, both within school and across the federation. After-school sports clubs, including street dance, netball and table tennis, have led to increased rates of participation and staff have benefited from specialist training.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The local authority has provided good support and challenge to the school. Teachers and teaching assistants have benefited from training events, and school leaders have been held to account through the improvement board. The school has also made good use of the expertise available through the Windmill Federation of schools; for example, support for pupils with special educational needs has improved through the sharing of staff expertise.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  The newly formed governing body is ambitious for the school and is quickly developing an understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors make regular visits to the school and they have ensured that all statutory duties are met, including arrangements for safeguarding.  Governors understand the link between pay and performance. However, the information that they receive about the quality of teaching and learning has not helped them to understand the nature of the weaknesses that remain. As a result, governors have not yet been able to hold the headteacher and other leaders to account effectively or ensure that overall provision is good.  Governors ensure the efficient management of financial resources and know how the pupil premium and additional sports funding are spent and the impact they have had on pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. They behave respectfully towards one another at play times. Pupils say that behaviour at the school has improved considerably over the past two years.

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Behaviour

 Parents have confidence in the school and say that staff ensure that pupils always behave well. During this inspection, pupils were polite and friendly. They were keen to talk to the inspector about their school and their learning.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are attentive in lessons and work hard to complete the tasks they are set. Incidences of low-level disruption during lessons are extremely rare.

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Behaviour

 The school has worked effectively to improve attendance. Good procedures have been put in place to encourage pupils to attend regularly, and appropriate measures are taken when a pupil’s absence gives cause for concern. This work is beginning to have a positive impact and attendance rates have improved this year.

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Behaviour

 Although pupils’ attitudes to learning are generally positive, the work in their books does not always show that they take pride in their work. The quality of presentation is not as good as it should be. This is one reason why behaviour is not yet outstanding.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Arrangements for safeguarding are thorough and effective. Appropriate checks are made on adults working in the school, and staff training in child protection is updated regularly.

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Safety

 Parents who responded to the school’s recent survey, and those spoken to during this inspection, believe that their children are well looked after and are safe and secure when in school.

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Safety

 Pupils know about how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. They say that bullying no longer happens at the school and they have confidence that any poor behaviour will be dealt with effectively by staff. Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet.

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Safety

 Good support is provided for vulnerable pupils. The school works well with external agencies to ensure that support is effective and targeted appropriately.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Improvements have been made to the quality of teaching but it is not yet good enough to help all pupils to make good progress and achieve well.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching of mathematics requires improvement. Teachers do not provide enough challenge in the work that they set. Too often, pupils are required to repeat straightforward questions rather than moving on to problems that develop their thinking and reasoning skills. As a result, the progress that they make is too slow and few pupils attain the higher levels.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Writing is now taught well in the early years and Key Stage 1. However, in Key Stage 2, it requires further improvement. Although there is evidence that teaching is often effective, the quality of written feedback provided to pupils does not encourage them to review and improve their work. Errors often go unchecked and, as a result, pupils continue to make the same mistakes and do not move on in their learning quickly enough.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Reading is taught effectively across the school. Significant improvements have been made to the teaching of phonics (the sound that letters make), resulting in good standards in the early years and Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, good teaching of reading continues, and pupils read widely and often. The most able pupils are now making better progress and attaining higher levels. An increasing number of pupils are working above the levels expected for their age.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning well. They are well informed about the lessons in which they provide support, and understand how to support pupils and help them to learn more effectively. As a result, the pupils they support, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, develop positive attitudes to learning and make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in Key Stage 2 still have gaps in their learning, in writing and mathematics, and some are not yet reaching the levels expected for their age. The work in books shows that many pupils continue to make basic errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling, due to previous ineffective teaching. This means that they do not make the progress of which they are capable in these areas.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils do not make good progress in mathematics. They spend too much time repeating the same type of questions rather than being challenged to think harder and use their mathematical skills and knowledge to investigate or solve problems. This prevents pupils of all abilities from attaining higher standards.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils now make a good start in developing their early writing skills. They use their knowledge of phonics well, and some good examples of writing were seen in Key Stage 1. However, progress is not as rapid in Key Stage 2. Teachers’ marking is not sufficiently rigorous and pupils are not provided with clear advice about how to improve their work.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The most able pupils do not receive sufficient challenge in mathematics lessons. As a result, too few reach the higher levels of attainment. In Key Stage 2, the most-able pupils do not achieve well enough in writing, which affects standards across a number of different subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils achieve well in reading. The teaching of phonics (the sound that letters make) has improved considerably. The school’s own data shows that a large majority of pupils in Year 1 are on track to achieve the required standard in the phonics check this year. Older pupils enjoy reading. Many read widely and often, and most pupils in Key Stage 2 are confident and competent readers. By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education in this key area.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The number of pupils supported by the pupil premium is very small, which means it is not possible to report on their attainment in Year 6 last year without risk of identifying individual pupils. However, due to the effective support they receive, disadvantaged pupils throughout the school are making good progress and gaps in attainment between them and other pupils are narrowing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs has improved since the previous inspection and these pupils now receive effective, well-targeted support. This is helping them to make good progress in relation to their various starting points.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils who join the school partway through their primary education are helped to settle in quickly and learn at a similar rate to others already in the school.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership of early years is good. Leaders have ensured that provision in the early years is effective. Improvements to the environment, the way staff assess children and the quality of teaching mean that children now learn well.

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The early years provision is good

 Most children start school with skills and abilities that are broadly typical for their age. In 2014, the percentage achieving a good level of development was well below expectations for their age. However, the children currently in Reception Year are making good progress and a large majority are on track to achieve a good level of development this year.

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The early years provision is good

 Children quickly develop confidence due to good teaching and the excellent care, guidance and support that they receive. Children’s learning is supported by a range of activities, provided inside and outside, that encourage children to explore all seven of the early years areas of learning. For example, during this inspection, children were learning about solids and liquids and were fascinated to see plastic insects emerge from a block of ice as it melted in the outdoor area.

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The early years provision is good

 Effective routines have been established which help to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the early years. Children are encouraged to organise their own belongings and to tidy up after themselves after completing a task or activity. This helps children to develop independence and pride in their school.

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The early years provision is good

 Many of the learning opportunities that are planned for the children each day are based on accurate assessments of what the children can already do. This is particularly true of the teaching of phonics. All children are provided with suitable levels of challenge and make good progress in their early reading and writing development. However, the teaching of early numeracy is not as effective because children are not provided with enough opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems.

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The early years provision is good

 Children are kind and respectful towards each other. They work together well, enjoy each other’s company and often show an interest in the activities that other children are completing. They show perseverance when working on tasks that interest them and are developing good behaviour for learning.

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The early years provision is good

 Children feel safe in the early years. Parents appreciate the work that the school does to keep children safe and secure.

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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 120883 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 454192

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 52 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martin Gordon Headteacher Jill Davis Date of previous school inspection 25 April 2013 Telephone number 01945 880340 Email address office@terrington-st-john.norfolk.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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