Wyke Primary School

Deane Avenue, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4SH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils across the school now make better progress than in the past. The progress pupils made between Year 2 and Year 6 is much improved and is on an upward trajectory.  Pupils’ attainment in national tests at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics is higher than the national averages.  Children in the Reception class make good progress. They are well prepared for the move into Year 1.  The behaviour of pupils and their attitudes to learning are good. They say they feel safe and are well looked after in school.  The headteacher has addressed the points raised in the previous inspection report. He has been determined in his efforts to improve the quality of teaching. The members of the new senior leadership team have ably supported him. As a result of their work, teaching in the school is more effective and standards are rising.  Leadership across the school has improved and is now much more effective at all levels.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The governing body is more rigorous in its review of the school and now is better at holding the school to account for the progress all groups of pupils make.  Pupils are well prepared for the next steps in their education and for life in modern Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers in some classes do not always provide pupils with clear enough feedback that would help them improve their work.  Pupils’ spelling is not as accurate as it should be.  Pupils, especially the most able, often repeat similar questions particularly in mathematics rather than moving on to tasks that are more complex.  Governors do not rigorously review how well the school uses the primary sports premium funding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in 17 lessons and observed an assembly.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils and senior leaders. The lead inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body, the vice-chair and the governor responsible for safeguarding. He also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspection team listened to pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read, and scrutinised samples of pupils’ workbooks.  The inspectors examined a wide range of documents including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress. They also looked at planning and documentation about checks on teaching, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors took into account the 43 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The views of staff were considered through the 17 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. All pupils in school attend on a full-time basis.  The school has one class in each year from Reception to Year 6.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is lower than the national average.  A very small number of disadvantaged pupils are supported by the pupil premium. This proportion is much lower than that found in most schools. This funding is to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after. In Year 6 in 2014, there were too few disadvantaged pupils for their attainment to be compared to that of others without the risk of identifying individuals.  Nearly all pupils are from a White British background.  The school met the government’s current floor standards in 2014, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 The current senior leadership team took on their roles from September 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that teachers:  consistently provide pupils across the school with the high quality of feedback that is seen in some classes, so that pupils know precisely how to improve their work and are then given the opportunity to do so  promptly move pupils on to more challenging activities, especially the most able when they have mastered a particular skill.  Raise the standards of grammar, spelling and punctuation achieved by all groups of pupils by ensuring that their basic skills are developed and applied more quickly.  Ensure governors check the use of the primary sports premium funding by the school more closely.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s efforts to improve the quality of teaching and to raise standards in the school have been successful. The new members of the senior leadership team, who have taken a leading role to develop the skills of staff across the school, have ably supported him. There is now greater accountability of the teachers who themselves have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve.  The school has received good support from the local authority to help improve teaching and develop the skills of the middle and senior leaders. The school has also sourced additional expertise to help check the effectiveness of its own self-evaluation and school improvement.  The progress of all pupils is part of the teachers’ targets. The senior and middle leaders check teachers’ work against these targets. Potential salary increases for teachers or opportunities for further promotion link closely to the achievement of the pupils. The governing body has regular updates of this information.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle and senior leaders check the progress made by different groups of pupils closely. Through the rigorous scrutiny of their work, staff identify and provide additional support or challenge to the pupils. As a result of the good use of additional resources, including pupil premium funding, the achievement of groups of pupils is improving. For example, the progress made by disadvantaged pupils is more rapid. The governing body then reviews the impact of this additional funding. The school works effectively to give all pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, the opportunity to succeed and achieve as well as they can.  The school makes good use of the primary school sports premium funding to promote participation rates and enjoyment of an active lifestyle. With this additional resource, more pupils have been able to take part in inter-school competitions in a range of sports. The school has enjoyed greater success winning a

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The leadership and management are good

prestigious football tournament after many years of trying. The school has developed good links with Yeovil Town Football Club whose players visit the school and provide high quality coaching to the pupils. Staff have been able to access training to develop their skills to provide better physical education lessons in the areas of gymnastics and dance. Some staff have been trained to teach swimming and pupils in Reception and Years 3 and 5 have lessons to improve their confidence in the water.  School leaders review the programme of learning activities in different subjects across the school carefully. The range of tasks shows breadth and depth. Pupils have opportunities to develop their skills across different subjects. Activities engage the pupils and they enjoy the way teachers present the work to them. For example, in Year 3 as part of their rocks and soils topic, pupils learned how volcanoes erupt. They

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The leadership and management are good

built their own model of a volcano and created an eruption by mixing water, soap powder, bicarbonate of soda and finally adding vinegar! The pupils then wrote a detailed description of what happens inside a real volcano before it finally erupts.  The school keeps parents informed about the work pupils are covering through newsletters and the school website. Overviews of the learning programmes of each year group give parents a clear picture of the topics covered. Parents are able to meet with staff informally to discuss any issues or concerns they may have.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good. The school has received an award for the good progress it has made towards embedding the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and learning programme. The school fosters good relationships across the school and pupils work well together and with the adults around them. Pupils with

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The leadership and management are good

additional needs are integrated into classes very effectively. They are aware of the differences in beliefs and faiths of others through religious education lessons and assemblies.  Pupils have opportunities to lead assemblies on particular themes. They also take an active role in school as playground leaders and as members of the school council. Pupils from Years 3 and 4 were confident to express their views on the forthcoming general election. The pupils have a good understanding of key values of life in a modern democratic society. Consequently, incidents of unkindness are rare and the school is rigorous in promptly challenging discrimination in any form should it occur. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education and their place in modern Britain.  The school has robust child protection and safeguarding systems in place in school. The newly designated safeguarding leader in school works with the governing body to review the procedures and relevant

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The leadership and management are good

policies. These meet statutory requirements and ensure the pupils are safe and well looked after while they are in school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has responded to the development points identified in the previous inspection and now holds the school to account for the progress pupils make more closely. It reviews the progress different groups of pupils make and compares information the school holds on pupils’ achievement with the national averages.  The governors visit the school more regularly than they did in the past and receive reports from members of staff with key responsibilities. This gives them a good understanding of how the school is working to improve the quality of teaching and how it is tackling underachievement. Governors understand how the progress pupils make is linked to the salary improvement and promotion opportunities staff have.  The governors check how the school uses its finances carefully. They are yet however, to scrutinise the

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The leadership and management are good

impact of how the school uses the primary sport premium funding closely.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  In lessons, pupils work hard and as a result make good progress. They enjoy their lessons and are keen to do well. Pupils are able to work without close supervision in lessons. The work in their books is neat and tidy and indicates they take pride in their work.  Around school, pupils are friendly and polite. They are keen to talk about their school and the aspects of school life they enjoy, for example the wide range of sports clubs.  Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes bullying. They say that such acts of unkindness are rare. If pupils do fall out they often resolve the problems themselves but have the confidence that staff are on hand to help out if necessary.  Pupils enjoy taking part in school life. Older pupils can take on roles with responsibility within the school. On a more informal basis, older pupils will look after or chat to younger ones if they are sitting alone in

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Behaviour

the quieter areas of the playground.  Pupils understand the rewards system in the school. They also know the sanctions teachers will take if they misbehave. On occasions, some pupils say others can be too chatty in class and this can disturb them.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils feel secure in school and know that the adults around them will look after them and keep them safe. Pupils have a good understanding of e-safety. The school has drawn on the expertise of the police to provide workshops for the pupils to raise their awareness. Sessions provided for parents made them aware of the dangers that online gaming and social media sites can present.  Pupils’ attendance in school is above the national average. The school works hard to keep absence at a minimum.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved. The school recognises that this improvement has been greatest since September 2014. This is due to the good support and training provided by the senior leaders and the increasingly effective roles played by middle leaders which have improved teachers’ skills.  Pupils have clear guidance on what they are working towards and must achieve in a lesson. Teachers regularly review the progress pupils make and can re-track individuals or help them to address particular misconceptions if necessary.  In all year groups, pupils develop the skills to review the work of others and their own through evaluations against the targets teachers set for the lessons.  Teaching assistants provide good support to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs in class. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, a teaching assistant led a small group of pupils and encouraged them to reflect on the answers they would give on an examination paper. This helped develop the pupils’

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The quality of teaching is good

‘exam technique’ by making them take their time and consider what a question was actually asking them to calculate.  Teachers review the progress that pupils make more closely now so that they can provide the necessary level of support and challenge for the different ability groups within their classes. This is generally effective but on occasions, the most able have similar tasks to other pupils or simply have to answer more questions. This does not always extend their skills sufficiently. That said, in the most effective lessons very carefully pitched activities support the needs of different ability groups. Consequently, in these lessons pupils make much better progress.  In Year 6, pupils are motivated by interesting writing tasks. Teachers use drama to develop the pupils’ written work. A recent ‘Ancient Greek Day’ was used to help pupils write news reports which were subsequently presented using information and communication technology.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and are providing better feedback to the pupils to help them improve their work. However, the quality of the guidance is inconsistent and is not always helpful to the pupils. The pupils in turn do not always address the comments made and they repeat some errors. When marking is at its best, pupils have clear guidance of what to correct or develop further and then the opportunity to make the corrections.

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is good

 The achievement of the pupils in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 has improved since the previous inspection. Their attainment in national assessments in 2014 was above national averages. Pupils are also now making more rapid progress between these points.  The proportions of pupils making or exceeding expected progress across the school is high. This was above national averages by the end of Year 6 in 2014.  The progress, as seen in pupils’ workbooks, is good in writing and mathematics. However, on occasions in mathematics, teachers do not give the most-able pupils more challenging work quickly enough and their progress can slow as a result. Overall though, the most-able pupils across the school make better progress than other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2014, the proportion of pupils attaining the highest standards in mathematics was below that seen nationally. In writing, though, the proportion was

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is good

in line with national averages.  The information the school holds shows that the gaps in the skills of disadvantaged pupils in writing and their understanding in mathematics compared with that of other pupils in school are closing across the school. However, the numbers of pupils in each year group receiving additional support through the pupil premium is low so comparisons of attainment and progress with national data are not very reliable. The school is totally committed to removing any barriers that would prevent pupils from learning and uses the resources it has effectively.  The support the school provides to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good. They make broadly similar progress to other pupils. The school provides effective support to pupils in class and through small group or one-to-one sessions. The school has carried out a review of the effectiveness of the support that pupils with additional needs receive and alterations have been made. The new middle

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is good

and senior leaders have brought in a wider range of strategies from their previous schools. This has enhanced the range of strategies available to staff and has helped some pupils make better progress.  Pupils read regularly at school but not all do so at home. Pupils develop their understanding of the sounds linked to groups of letters and can apply this knowledge when they come across words that are unfamiliar to them. Older pupils continue to develop their skills in reading and become more fluent.  The spelling, grammar and punctuation in pupils’ books across the school are not consistently good.

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is good

 Children join the school with skills that are broadly typical. Through effective teaching, they make good progress during their year in the Reception class. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development in 2014 was above that seen nationally and they were well prepared for the move into Year 1.  Leadership of the early years team is good and adults working with the children are given good guidance on how to check children’s progress. The local authority has checked the assessments made by the school and judged these to be accurate.  ‘Learning journals’ are used as records of the children’s work and the progress they make. These are regularly shown to parents who themselves regularly contribute to them with pictures of things the children have done outside school. The school’s links with parents are very good. Staff invite parents each week to stay and support their child’s learning.

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is good

 Children behave well and their attitudes to learning are good. They have opportunities to make their own choices and decisions about the activities they would like to explore.  The activities in the class encourage the children to think and talk to each other. The tasks link to the overarching theme of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. For example, pupils worked to build a wall with construction materials to keep the giant out.  The teacher plans tasks to develop the skills of children with different abilities. Teaching assistants work well with lower-ability children using targeted activities to move their learning forwards. Higher-ability children show confidence in the vocabulary they use when writing sentences.  The children have a good understanding of what is the right thing to do. They are given good opportunities to develop their creative skills through art and are provided with interesting experiences

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is good

such as a recent ‘welly walk’ and the visit of Santa who arrived in school in a helicopter.  The procedures and policies relevant to the safeguarding of children in an early years setting are in place. The children are well cared for and kept safe.  The early years provision is not yet outstanding as the proportions of girls and the most able who exceed expectations at the end of Reception are not high enough.

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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 113743 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 462484

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Maxine Thrasher Headteacher Stephen Crumpler Date of previous school inspection 30 April–1 May 2013 Telephone number 01747 825665 Fax number 01747 835627 Email address office@gillinghamwyke.dorset.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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