Nine Acres Primary School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 In relation to their starting points, pupils’ average levels of attainment show that achievement requires improvement. Although rising, attainment is not improving rapidly enough.  Leadership and management require improvement. Recent strong leadership, from the acting headteacher and deputy headteacher, has not had time to fully address a legacy of under- achievement. Good teaching has not yet been secured across the school.  New governors do not have all the skills they need to challenge and support school leaders in their bid to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Teaching requires improvement because some groups of pupils are not making the best progress they could in writing and mathematics.  Some teachers are not yet secure in the new methods introduced this year. New strategies have not had time to become embedded to sufficiently overcome underachievement.  The subject knowledge of some teachers is not

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

sufficiently secure, especially in mathematics. This means that learning is not adjusted quickly enough in lessons so that challenge, especially for the most able, is not introduced quickly enough.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work to help them improve is not consistent across the school. Pupils’ lack of a positive response is not followed up.  Staff are not giving enough attention to the development of pupils’ handwriting skills, especially in Key Stage 1. This results in poor presentation of their work.

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The school has the following strengths

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Very strong safeguarding procedures are fully implemented by an exceptionally caring staff. As a result, pupils say they feel very safe in school. Parents fully support this view.  Although not making the more rapid progress of which they are capable, pupils are well behaved and eager to learn. They enjoy coming to school and want to do their best.  Excellent relationships exist between pupils and their teachers. This underpins pupils’ strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. As a result, this group of pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Early years provision for children in Reception is good. Children are taught well and make good progress because of stimulating activities.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked at learning in 26 lessons and observed 19 teachers. Teaching assistants were observed working with individual pupils and small groups. Inspectors attended an assembly, talked to pupils about their work and life at school, and heard individual pupils from Years 2, 4 and 6 read.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including systems for checking progress, records relating to behaviour and attendance, safeguarding procedures and analysis by the school of how well it is doing and how it plans to improve. Records of checks on the quality of teaching were examined.  Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects and classes, especially writing and mathematics.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, school staff and groups of pupils. Individual pupils were spoken to in lessons and around the school. A telephone call took place with a school adviser

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Information about this inspection

from the local authority.  Questionnaires from two members of staff were analysed and considered.  Inspectors took account of the views expressed in the 30 online responses from Parent View and informal meetings with parents at the school during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Anna Sketchley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Nine Acres Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Children in the Reception classes attend on a full-time basis.  Pupils are currently taught in mixed-age classes in Years 3 and 4, but this is changing to single-age classes in September 2015.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is much higher than that found in most schools. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after by the local authority.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  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.

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Information about this school

 A children’s centre and breakfast and after-school clubs are situated on the school premises. These are all independently run and were not a part of this inspection.  There has been a change in leadership since the previous inspection. An interim headteacher and deputy headteacher have been in post since September 2014. A new headteacher has been appointed for September 2015.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide consistently good or better teaching across the school to secure good progress for all pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 by:  using the exemplary practice that exists in the school to help teachers develop the skill to adjust tasks in lessons so that pupils, especially the more able, are challenged in their learning and make more rapid progress  ensuring that teachers’ marking throughout the school consistently shows pupils how to improve their work  checking regularly that pupils respond to teachers’ marking by correcting and improving their work  ensuring that pupils develop neat handwriting to support their confidence and fluency in writing.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  ensuring that leaders at all levels now rigorously embed changes to the planning and teaching of mathematics and writing without delay  helping teachers to improve their subject knowledge in response to the demands of the new national

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

curriculum, especially the mastery of mathematics  ensuring that governors gain the skills they need to challenge and support the school in its bid to improve.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because leaders have not yet secured good teaching and learning for pupils across the school in writing and mathematics.  The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher are a strong partnership. Alongside middle leaders, they have worked hard over the last year to address a legacy of underachievement that has built up since the previous inspection. However, the strategies they have implemented have not yet secured the consistently good teaching needed to raise standards more quickly.  The local authority has provided supportive training opportunities for the teachers. Teachers and middle leaders have acted appropriately on this advice. However, new approaches to the teaching of writing and mathematics are not yet fully embedded and so are not having a quick enough impact on pupils’ progress.  Teachers’ confidence is growing and there is an improvement in their subject knowledge, especially in

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The leadership and management require improvement

literacy. However, leaders know that teachers are still on a journey of improvement and that all they are doing to raise standards is a ‘work in progress’. Some teachers still do not have all the skills they need to ensure that pupils are sufficiently challenged and make the more rapid progress of which they are capable in mathematics.  Governors are not challenging school leaders enough. With help from the local authority, an action plan is in place to ensure they secure the skills they need to challenge the school more effectively in its bid to improve.  Rigorous procedures for checking on the quality of teaching are now in place, leaving teachers in no doubt as to the progress pupils are expected to make and making a stronger link between progress and how teachers are rewarded. Middle leaders work regularly with teachers to check on pupils’ progress to bring about improvement and to offer help and advice. However, the exemplary practice that exists in the

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The leadership and management require improvement

school is not used sufficiently to help teachers improve their skills quickly.  The school has taken positive steps to improve the way that additional funding is used to quicken the progress of disadvantaged pupils. This has been most successful in Years 5 and 6, where teaching is strongest and the gap with other pupils is closing rapidly.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported through carefully managed provision for their needs. These pupils make good progress from their various starting points.  All pupils are provided with equal opportunity in all that the school offers and none are discriminated against.  The curriculum is well planned, with exciting themes that ensure pupils enjoy memorable experiences. These provide a positive climate in the classroom where eager pupils thrive, behave well and take great pleasure in learning.  An emphasis on pupils using their literacy skills across other subjects provides good opportunities for them

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The leadership and management require improvement

to practise their writing. This is making a good contribution to the improvement of their basic skills. There are fewer planned opportunities for them to practise their mathematical skills in this way.  Pupils develop a good understanding of other cultures that influence life in modern Britain. Through curriculum themes in religious education, they learn about the different religions practised in Britain today. Parents and pupils from different ethnic cultures share their experiences through festivals such as the Chinese New Year and Diwali. These activities promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Learning about British values and democracy is very well promoted through the school’s adoption of the principles of a ‘Rights Respecting School’. For example, there are opportunities for them to elect pupils to the school’s Rights Respecting Council, and to understand the rule of law and individual liberty. Year 5

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The leadership and management require improvement

pupils visit the Houses of Parliament and attend election workshops.  Leaders have ensured that extra sports funding is well used to promote a healthy life style for all pupils and to equip teachers with the skills they need to teach a wider variety of sport. There has been a significant increase in pupils taking part in competitive sport and developing their personal skills as sports leaders. Pupils say ‘PE is really fun….especially being a sports leader. We have lots of opportunities for different sports.’  The school meets the statutory requirements for the safeguarding of pupils. The leadership and management of safeguarding are a strength of the school. This results in pupils feeling very happy and safe and developing excellent relationships with each other and adults.  Comments gathered during the inspection and the results of the parent questionnaire demonstrate that parents are highly satisfied with the school and recognise the recent drive towards improvement.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  Recent turbulence in the governing body has meant that a number of new governors and a new Chair of the Governing Body have recently taken up their posts. Even so, they are improving the way they offer support and challenge for school leaders. Governors have commissioned a review of their work and put together an action plan to support their development in order that they may challenge the school’s performance more rigorously, but this is yet to be fully implemented. Governors have received training to help them understand school performance information. They are beginning to use this to help them keep a careful check on pupils’ achievement. Some experienced governors receive information about teachers’ performance and understand how this is linked to the progress pupils make. Governors fulfil their statutory safeguarding responsibilities diligently.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. School records show that the minimal amount of challenging behaviour of a very small minority of pupils is very well managed. Bullying in all its forms is rare.  In this ‘Rights Respecting’ school, relationships are excellent. Pupils demonstrate courtesy and respect for one another and adults. They have a well-developed understanding of classroom rules and behave well in lessons.  The recent initiative on developing a ‘positive mindset’ helps pupils to engage in a reflective strategy when faced with challenges in lessons. This supports their attitude to learning particularly well and is another reason why behaviour is good.  Pupils are proud of their school and take any responsibilities they are given seriously. The ‘Mini Minds’ group help with numerous projects within the school environment, such as gardening. Pupils value their status as elected members of the Rights Respecting Council, Sports Leaders and Digital Leaders. They say

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Behaviour

‘adults are very understanding of children’s views’ and know that their opinions will be taken into account when decisions are made.  Pupils say the school prepares them well for secondary education because ‘it helps us to be independent.’  Behaviour is not outstanding because very occasionally, in a small number of lessons when pupils are not sufficiently challenged by their learning, they become quietly disengaged. However, there is no low-level disruption in lessons.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils feel very happy and safe in school, saying ‘the school always helps us with worries or concerns.’ Parents fully support this view.  Bullying and racism are extremely rare and Anti-bullying Ambassadors are trained to stop bullying should it arise.  Pupils have a very well-developed sense of safe and unsafe situations because of the wide variety of training given by the school, for example road safety, stranger danger, water safety and internet safety.  Year 5 pupils develop a very good understanding of the rule of law through training by the local community police officer. As a result, they become Junior Police Community Support Officers and help at school and community events.  Safeguarding systems are rigorously adhered to and all visitors are appropriately checked and supervised.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement. It is not yet consistently good throughout the school to enable all pupils to make the best possible progress and reach the standards of which they are capable.  Some teachers do not have the subject knowledge or skill to adjust tasks to match pupils’ differing needs in some lessons. Sometimes the degree of challenge is too high. For example, pupils were observed struggling with investigations concerning perimeter and area and misconceptions were overlooked. In another lesson, the most able pupils were held back from making the rapid progress of which they were capable by beginning with tasks they could already do.  Teachers’ marking does not always show pupils exactly how they can improve their work. Pupils are not always given time to act on the advice. Where pupils are given corrections or pointers for improvement, teachers do not check rigorously that these have been completed so pupils do not make the progress of

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

which they are capable.  In many lessons, writing is well taught. Pupils were observed making rapid progress when discussing characterisation in ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Neat and careful handwriting showed that they took a great pride in their work but this is not consistent across the school. Expectations of handwriting and presentation of work are too low in some classes.  Teachers share the learning objective with pupils so that they are clear about what they have to learn. They make learning interesting and stimulate pupils’ interest so they almost always concentrate on the activities.  Reading is well taught. In a lesson rehearsing tricky words in Year 1, pupils demonstrated a good prior knowledge of the phonics (the sounds that letters make) they had been taught. They read words such as ‘whisper’ and ‘starlight’ with ease. When pupils read, they use their knowledge competently to tackle unfamiliar words.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching of basic skills in writing and mathematics is slowly becoming more effective. Teachers adopt the same consistent strategy throughout the school to teach mental mathematical skills so pupils are becoming more adept in using and applying these number skills to problems. Pupils have good opportunities to practise their writing skills across other subjects.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well with disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, supporting them with tasks that are well matched to their needs. A small group of pupils were observed confidently developing the concept of division because the language of mathematics was applied consistently. As a result, these pupils made good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because pupils have not made consistently good progress throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. Standards in the Year 6 national tests in 2014 were below average in mathematics and writing and average in reading.  Children in the early years make good progress. School information gathered recently shows that pupils in Years 1 and 2 are beginning to build more firmly on this good start and standards in Key Stage 1 are rising slowly. However, there remains a legacy of underachievement across the junior years.  The achievement of the most able pupils is inconsistent across the school. Where teaching is good or better, the most able are challenged appropriately and make better than expected progress, especially in reading and mathematics. However, in lessons where tasks are unchallenging they do not make the rapid progress of which they are capable.  School information gathered during the inspection shows that this year there is a small improvement in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

standards in Year 6. The percentage of pupils making the progress expected in reading, writing and mathematics is close to that expected nationally. However, the percentage of pupils making better than expected progress, although similar to national expectations in reading, is much lower than that expected nationally in writing and mathematics.  The concerted effort leaders have made to improve teaching and learning this year is beginning to make a difference. However, strategies have not been in place long enough to secure the consistently good and better teaching needed to improve standards and progress, especially in writing and mathematics.  School information and pupils’ work show that disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their various starting points. The 2014 national tests showed that this group of pupils in Year 6 were five terms behind other pupils in the school in mathematics, and four terms behind them in reading and writing. In

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

comparison with other pupils nationally, they were six terms behind in mathematics, four terms behind in reading and five terms behind in writing.  The school has used funding well to support disadvantaged pupils this year and the gap has closed considerably. Most pupils in this group in Year 6 are reaching standards similar to those of other pupils. Where this is not the case, it is because pupils have complex needs.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well. Skilled teaching assistants deliver well-targeted and modified programmes within the classroom or in small groups to help remove barriers to learning. The family support worker is effective in promoting good links with parents and other agencies. A daily nurture group successfully meets the needs of a few pupils with particular social and emotional difficulties. As a result of this good provision, pupils make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ good personal development and achievement in reading prepare them well for secondary education. They are less well prepared in mathematics and writing.

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The early years provision is good

 Children begin Reception with skills and knowledge lower than those typical for their age in some areas of learning, especially communication and language and physical development. They make good progress because of good provision. By the end of the Reception Year, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is above the national average in almost all areas of learning.  The leadership and management of the early years are good. Provision is characterised by well- established routines. The home and pre-school visits made by teachers prior to children coming to school, together with thorough induction procedures, ensure that children are well known to adults before joining the early years.  Daily risk assessments carried out in both the indoor and outdoor areas ensure that children are kept safe and secure at all times. This, coupled with a warm welcome in a caring setting, helps all children to feel

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The early years provision is good

happy and secure and, as a result, they make a confident start to school. They behave well.  Adults check children’s progress very carefully. Detailed information of children’s progress is collected daily, including photographs, videos and notes. This is shared with all staff at weekly meetings. Children’s interests observed in one week are followed through into the planning for learning the following week. This maximises their opportunities to learn from things that interest them the most. Parents are kept fully informed about their child’s progress and are invited to contribute to their child’s record about learning at home. The very comprehensive collection and use of evidence about how well children are doing is a strength of the provision.  Teaching is good. During the inspection, children’s attention was completely captured in a particularly engaging start to letter writing. A very large box had been delivered with an accompanying letter from

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The early years provision is good

the giant from the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Children’s imagination, language and ideas for writing were especially enhanced through the teacher’s questions as a large golden egg, a beanstalk, a chicken and other items slowly emerged from the box. Children enthusiastically departed to retell the story or write to the giant with the help of an adult, or make a trap to catch Jack.  During the inspection, children were observed persevering well while learning letters and sounds. They made quick progress because adults modelled sounds correctly and challenged children to write words such as ‘chip’ and ‘chimp’. Children know how to help themselves if they cannot remember a letter shape because they have access to letters on the classroom wall.  Adults have high expectations for number work. Children engaged well with the challenge to measure the size of the giant’s footstep and eagerly made good proposals which they shared with the class.

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The early years provision is good

 Children have good opportunities to experience effective learning both indoors and outside. During activities that children choose themselves, they display their independence, obvious enjoyment and good behaviour as they share, play and cooperate together in a stimulating environment with many appropriate activities.  The early years provision is not outstanding because occasionally there is insufficient adult guidance for children’s learning outdoors.  Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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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 118164 Local authority Isle of Wight Inspection number 456209

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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 407 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rachel Brown Headteacher Dawn Kerswill Date of previous school inspection 17–18 January 2012 Telephone number 01983 522984 Fax number 01983 533356 Email address office@nineacrespri.iow.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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