Walberton & Binsted CofE Primary School

Walberton and Binsted Church of England Primary School The Street, Walberton, Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 0PH

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 Requires improvement 3

p.1

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

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because it is not yet good.  Teaching over time has not been good enough to ensure pupils make good progress.  The early years provision requires improvement as it does not help children make good progress.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations for what pupils can learn and do not always set work at the right level, particularly for the most able.  Teachers question pupils in a way that develops their knowledge and understanding. They do not always mark pupils’ work in a way that gives clear guidance on what to improve or encourages a full response.  There is not enough emphasis on practical problem solving in mathematics or key skills progression in reading.  Pupils’ achievement in writing is hampered by weaknesses in the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar and limited opportunities to refine and improve their work through writing at length.

p.1

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

 Leadership and management, including governance and middle leadership, have not been effective and this has led to a decline in the school’s effectiveness.  Middle leaders, including the early years leader, are not yet fully effective.  The school improvement plan and subject action plans do not focus enough on the key areas for improvement or ensure outcomes of actions can be clearly measured.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Pupils’ progress is beginning to accelerate. There are pockets of good progress, especially in reading. Thorough checks on pupils’ progress and support given to pupils not doing well enough have played a significant part in this success.  The new headteacher has a clear vision for the school. With the support of senior staff and governors, she has already brought about improvements in teaching, pupils’ achievement and personal development.  Pupils behave well,have positive attitudes to their learning and feel very safe in school.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 21 lessons or part lessons, of which several were jointly observed with senior staff.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Vice Chair of the Governing Body and five other governors, the headteacher and other senior staff. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 74 responses to the online Parent View survey. They also spoke to several parents when they brought their children to school. The inspectors considered responses to the 23 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including: the school’s own information on pupils’ current progress; planning and checks on the quality of teaching; assessment; the new curriculum; the school’s self-evaluation; records relating to behaviour and attendance; the sport premium action plan; and documents relating to safeguarding.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors listened to pupils read in Year 2 and Year 6.

p.2

Inspection team

Janet Sinclair, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Walberton and Binsted is an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below that seen in other schools nationally. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are looked after or are known to be eligible for free school meals.  Children attend the Reception class full time.  The school 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.  There have been several changes of headteacher since the previous inspection. The most recent headteacher took up her appointment in September 2014.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or better by ensuring that:  probing questioning is used to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding  pupils, particularly the most able, are fully challenged in lessons through tasks that are set at the right level of difficulty for them  all teachers give clear guidance to pupils on how to improve their work and check that pupils carry out these improvements.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement by:  increasing opportunities for pupils to write at length so they learn to refine, reflect and improve their work  raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve  ensuring there are clear expectations for spelling, punctuation and grammar within each year group  ensuring that there is a clear focus on recording the many skills pupils need for their reading  ensuring pupils have opportunities for practical problem solving and investigations in mathematics.  Improve the early years provision by:  providing exciting, challenging activities outdoors  ensuring thorough planning and assessment so that work more closely meets children’s needs  ensuring there is clear leadership capacity for the early years in order to secure rapid improvement.  Build the capacity of leadership and management to drive improvement by:  developing the role of all middle leaders so that they can effectively support and challenge their

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

colleagues  ensuring greater focus on the key issues for improvement with clear outcomes that can be accurately measured.

p.3

The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management have not been good enough over time and this has led to a significant decline in the school’s effectiveness. The new headteacher and governors have a clear understanding of the school’s current position. Since her arrival the headteacher, with the support of senior leaders, has ensured a thorough approach to monitoring pupils’ progress. She has improved teaching and learning, accelerated pupils’ progress and built a good staff team who are keen to ensure pupils do well. This shows that there is capacity for further improvement.  Middle leaders are developing their roles well, but are not yet providing sufficient support or challenge to their colleagues. Their action plans are not clear or specific enough to guide significant improvement or measure how successful they have been.  There is a detailed school improvement plan. However, it is not always precise enough with regard to

p.4

The leadership and management require improvement

tackling the most important issues or ensuring clear outcomes whose success can be accurately measured.  Frequent monitoring of teaching and learning through a well-documented and varied programme is helping staff to improve their teaching.  The process for setting staff targets linked to their pay is fully in place. Staff say targets have helped them to be clear about the expectations for their teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Very thorough systems for checking pupils’ progress are now in place with effective support for pupils not doing well enough. This is ensuring equality of opportunity. The school works hard to ensure that there are good relationships and that prompt action is taken to tackle any discrimination.  The school has very few pupils who attract additional funding. Governors have been very positive in ensuring the funding is directed at the specific needs of those pupils to ensure they are fully met.

p.4

The leadership and management require improvement

 The school uses the government’s sports funding effectively to provide specialist coaches to teach pupils and provide professional development for staff. New sporting activities such as volleyball and tag rugby have been introduced. Pupils are also involved in a range of sporting competitions. They will provide long- term benefits for pupils’ sporting prowess and staff expertise.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well. Pupils clearly know right from wrong and are kind, polite and well mannered. Their spiritual and cultural awareness is developed well in assemblies and through the school’s religious education programme.  The school promotes British values well through, for example, a recent whole-school ‘British Values’ day which taught pupils the values of tolerance and acceptance and celebrated the faiths of different people. Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain through, for example, their work as school councillors which

p.4

The leadership and management require improvement

teaches them to respect the rule of law.  There are strengths in the curriculum, particularly in pupils’ personal development and the range of additional activities on offer; for example, the project on Japan, the many visits and after-school clubs that enhance pupils’ learning. However, provision in writing and mathematics requires improvement as it is not yet ensuring pupils make good progress.  The local authority has given the school very limited support in spite of its declining effectiveness. The local authority officer linked to the school has little knowledge of the school or its current effectiveness. The school has employed external support to help with its drive for rapid improvement.  Parents are generally happy with the school and what it provides. They are kept well informed through regular newsletters, workshops and the school’s website.  The school has robust policies and practices in place to ensure the safeguarding of pupils and staff. These

p.4

The leadership and management require improvement

are regularly checked by governors to ensure they are implemented effectively. The school provides a very safe environment for its pupils and staff, ensuring a good level of protection.  The governance of the school:  Governors fulfil their statutory duties well. They have a clear view of the school’s effectiveness and have challenged leaders when there have been issues. They have a good understanding of pupils’ attainment and progress and know that it is not good enough. They have challenged leaders on the quality of teaching and have sought external validation where there have been inconsistencies between teaching and progress. They know that staff’s performance is linked to their pay and that there are sanctions in place for those who do not perform well enough.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Behaviour is almost always good in lessons. Just occasionally when tasks do not engage them, some pupils lose concentration and their behaviour for learning is not so strong. Pupils behave well around the school and at playtimes.  Pupils respond well to teachers’ expectations of their conduct. Staff provide good role models through the respect they show for pupils’ ideas. Incidences of poor behaviour are uncommon and are clearly recorded with appropriate action taken.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They work very well together and collaborate willingly with each other. Despite this, they do not achieve well due to the weaknesses in teaching that remain.  They willingly take on responsibilities such as being school councillors and are pleased that they have raised money for charity and the purchase of school equipment.  The school ensures pupils are clear about what constitutes bullying, including cyber-bullying, through, for

p.5

Behaviour

example, discussions in assembly. Pupils say that there is no bullying in the school and they get on well together. There are no recorded incidents of bullying or other prejudicial incidents.  Attendance is above average. Pupils enjoy school and are keen to attend.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The school provides a safe environment for its pupils, ensuring all safeguarding policies and procedures are in place.  Staff ensure that pupils learn about how to stay safe through regular fire drills, practising lock-down procedures and road-safety training. They are aware of e-safety and the rules that apply when using computers in school. They know about the importance of the rota for ensuring safe use of the outdoor equipment.  The school takes good care of its disadvantaged pupils, ensuring they get the help they need, including specialist support as required.  Parents are confident that the school keeps their children safe and ensures they behave well.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement. It has not been good enough over time to ensure that pupils achieve well.  Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve so do not always ensure that work is at the right level. This means that progress is not always as fast as it should be.  Teachers do not provide challenging enough work for the most able pupils or guidance on how to improve further. This means that pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Although teachers question pupils to involve them in their learning, this is often superficial. It does not deepen their thinking or extend their knowledge and understanding enough.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and ensure they have targets for their learning. However, they do not give enough attention to setting clear targets for improvement or encourage pupils to respond in order to move their learning on quickly.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants support pupils well, particularly disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. They mainly listen well to pupils and provide effective guidance.  Teachers have good relationships with pupils and organise lessons well. This ensures pupils enjoy their lessons and most concentrate well.  Teachers provide regular reading sessions for pupils to develop their skills and understanding. However although there are some records kept of the development of the full range of reading skills, these are not yet consistent across the school. This means that not all staff have a clear picture of pupils’ overall learning.  Teachers ensure that pupils develop their calculation skills because mathematics lessons focus on this. They do not, however, provide enough opportunities for practical problem solving and this hampers pupils’ ability to develop mathematical understanding.  The teaching of writing still does not focus enough on the key spelling, punctuation and grammar

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

expectations for each year group. Teachers do not make enough use of extended writing to get pupils to refine and improve their work. This slows overall progress.  Teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) has not been fully effective. Consequently, the school is introducing a published scheme to support the teaching of reading, writing and phonics collectively.  Staff make sound use of homework in reading, writing, mathematics and topics to support their work in school.

p.5

requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement as it has not been good enough over time. Reading is the strongest subject and there is evidence of good progress.  In spite of a great deal of work in planning, clear expectations for learning within lessons and regular checks on progress, writing remains the weakest subject. In 2014, writing was a significant weakness in terms of pupils’ progress at Key Stage 2. However, regular checks on pupils’ progress and well-targeted support for those not doing well enough are ensuring that although the subject is the weakest, there is no longer any underachievement.  Attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 has been broadly average over several years and progress requiring improvement.  Across the rest of the school, progress requires improvement in reading, writing and mathematics, although there are pockets of good progress, especially in reading.  Pupils’ achievement in the Year 1 phonics check was slightly above the national picture.

p.6

requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve similarly to other pupils in the school. The school now identifies these pupils more accurately and therefore provides more effectively for their needs.  The school has very few disadvantaged pupils. They are well supported and make similar progress to other pupils in the school and those nationally. There were only two pupils in Year 6 in 2014.  The achievement of the most able pupils requires improvement. They are not sufficiently challenged or extended through the work provided to fully develop their knowledge and understanding.  Achievement in mathematics is hampered because pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their skills and understanding through practical problem solving and investigation.  Pupils achieve well in music due to effective specialist teaching. For example, all pupils in Year 4 are learning to play the cornet.

p.6

requires improvement

 Children start in Reception with skills and abilities above those typical for their age. Their progress across the areas of learning requires improvement. Due to their above average starting points, they mainly reach a good level of development by the end of the year so are well prepared for their start in Year 1.  Teaching requires improvement. It is not challenging enough to enable children to make good progress. This is because planning is not effective enough to ensure work is set at the right level for them.  Although staff create an exciting learning environment indoors, the outside area is sparse and provides little to challenge children, excite their curiosity or develop their understanding of the world.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) helps children with their reading and writing. Children use these skills well when working out unknown words or writing simple sentences.

p.6

requires improvement

 Good relationships ensure children feel confident and safe. They mainly enjoy their learning and concentrate well. This only lapses when they are not actively involved in their learning.  Children behave well, share resources and cooperate well with each other.  Planning and assessment, although fully in place, do not have the necessary thoroughness to enable children to make good progress or provide guidance for improvement.  The early years leader is aware of the need for a thorough action plan for improving provision.

p.6

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.7

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.7

School details

Unique reference number 125997 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 444248

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 207 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jill Haskins Headteacher Laura Brockhurst Date of previous school inspection 26 March 2009 Telephone number 01243 551398 Fax number 01243 554594 Email address office@walbertonbinsted.org.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.8

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.9

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.9

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.9

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.9

School details

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

p.9