St Andrew's CofE Primary School

School report St Andrew's C of E Primary School Weald Drive, Furnace Green, Crawley, RH10 6NU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Require 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

 Leaders and managers, including governors, have not made sure that achievement and teaching have improved since the last inspection to reach the level of good.  The progress of pupils is not yet consistently good across all subjects. It is much stronger in writing than in the other subjects. Pupils achieve less well than they should.  Teaching assistants are not always used effectively to support learning.  Attendance is below average and has fallen since last year.  Pupils’ attainment in spelling and grammar is not high enough.  The quality of teaching is not yet consistently good or better and pupils do not always make sufficient progress in line with their abilities.  Teachers do not always make it clear to pupils how to improve their work. Tasks do not always challenge the most able pupils.  The gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is too wide in some year groups.  Parents’ views of the school indicate that a number

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

are not currently happy with the progress their children make and the information they receive about their child’s progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics is improving.  Leaders, including governors, are effective in ensuring all pupils are kept safe.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development well and, as a result, pupils’ behaviour is good and they are kind and respectful to each other and to adults.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 lessons, or parts of lessons, taught by nine teachers. Joint observations were undertaken with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also heard children reading and attended two assemblies.  Discussions were held with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, senior leaders, subject leaders, other staff and pupils.  Inspectors examined school documentation including: school performance checks, safeguarding information, the school’s self - evaluation form and the governing body document for the direction of the school. They also looked at pupils’ books and displays exhibited around the school.  Inspectors observed the methods employed by the school to establish the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils.  Inspectors analysed 45 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire, and spoke to parents at the start of the school day. They also examined 27 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Julie Ritchie, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Lacey-Hastings Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is in line with the national average.  An above-average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding provided for children in local authority care and those eligible for free school meals) is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards for attainment in English and mathematics. Progress in writing meets the floor standards, but not progress in mathematics.  There is one Reception class, which children attend full time.  The inspection of denominational and collective worship was carried out in May 2010.  The school provides a breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so it is consistently good or better by making sure that:  the leaders of the school sharpen their monitoring of teaching and continue to provide opportunities for teachers’ professional development to improve the quality of teaching so it is all good and better  all pupils, especially the most able, receive work which is appropriately challenging so they make good or better progress  teachers use teaching assistants more effectively to support pupils’ learning  teachers give good feedback to pupils on how they can improve their work

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement for all pupils, particularly in mathematics and spelling and grammar, through:  building on the exciting new approach to mathematics that is now engaging pupils  ensuring that pupils make good or better progress across all subjects and progress gaps between groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, close quickly  ensuring all staff are trained to deliver spelling and grammar effectively to pupils across the school.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Progress across Key Stage 2 requires improvement. The system for checking the progress of individual pupils is not always used effectively by the leadership team. The focus has been on attainment at the end of Year 6 and, as a result, not all pupils have made the expected progress in other year groups.  The headteacher recognises the need for improvement across the school and a plan to support improvement is in place. The impact is beginning to show in improved outcomes for pupils expected for 2015. Since the last inspection, achievement has not improved rapidly enough.  Governors are now checking the progress of the pupils across the school and asking challenging questions of school leaders. They also ensure teachers’ performance targets are based on pupils’ progress.  Teachers are now more responsible than previously for the progress of the pupils. They have tri-weekly meetings to monitor and observe progress.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 There are some weaknesses in teaching and the school is now using its stronger teachers to support others and share good practice.  Leaders ensure that the additional funding for physical education is well used to improve the quality of teaching by employing a sports coach to train staff, purchasing new equipment and running lunchtime clubs. Pupils have been appointed as sports leaders to organise activities and a pupil questionnaire reports that children are happier in the playground.  Pupils enjoy a variety of trips to museums and places of interest related to the topics they study, and this reinforces their learning. An assortment of clubs is available to pupils to encourage participation in creative and physical extra-curricular activities. Some pupils in Year 6 have been appointed as mathematics ambassadors and organised a fun mathematics treasure hunt related to problem solving. The treasure

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The leadership and management require improvement

hunt was for the younger pupils and took place one lunchtime. Most children enjoyed participating, trying to work out the answers to the problems  Pupils understand the British values of tolerance and respect and are prepared for life in modern Britain as this is well promoted through assemblies and the curriculum, which celebrates other faiths and cultures.  The promotion of spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is excellent. Assemblies focus on ethical issues and the values needed for society and the celebration of pupils’ achievement. Parents are invited to the Friday morning celebration assembly.  The use of funding provided for disadvantaged pupils requires improvement. It is used to implement strategies to support learning and additional adults are employed to support these groups. The funding is also used to support pupils into the school day by offering a breakfast club. While these strategies have

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The leadership and management require improvement

demonstrated success in some areas, their impact is variable.  The leadership of the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good. Checks on pupils’ progress and learning are thorough and this ensures those with a particular need are identified accurately and support is put in place.  The leadership of the early years is good. Children enjoy learning in a colourful, rich learning environment, with a range of activities. This ensures that children make good progress in the early years.  Parents who responded to the online questionnaire were not happy with their children’s progress and the approach of the leadership and management. Inspectors agree that progress should be better. However, many parents would recommend the school to others as they feel their children are safe and well looked after.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding the pupils meet statutory requirements and are effective in

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The leadership and management require improvement

keeping pupils safe. The school also ensures equal opportunities for all and that there is no discrimination.  The school receives a high level of support from the local authority, which is helping drive improvements in the school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is ambitious for the school and works closely with the leadership team. A new Chair of Governors has been appointed since the last inspection and has increased the rigour and challenge for senior leaders. Governors are very knowledgeable about the school’s strengths and areas for development and proactively support the school in any way they can. They have restructured themselves to strengthen their committees and are in a good position to support the school on the road to improvement. They have enhanced their skills and have an exciting vision for the school. They know the quality of teaching is improving and a plan is in place to improve it further. They are gaining an overview of pupils’ progress

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The leadership and management require improvement

and are comparing the school to the national picture and asking challenging questions about pupils’ outcomes. Governors understand the purpose of the pupil premium funding and know how the funding is spent and have a growing awareness of the impact it has on pupils’ progress. They monitor the additional funding for sport and ensure it is being managed effectively. They are knowledgeable about the school’s budget and how it is being spent to enhance the education and learning environments for the pupils. They take responsibility for the headteacher’s performance and are well informed about the arrangements to appraise other staff, what the school is doing to tackle underperformance, and about salary progression linked to pupils’ progress. They ensure that the safeguarding requirements and statutory duties are fully met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are respectful and well mannered and have a strong appreciation of what is right and wrong.  The pupils are eager to take responsibility for an area of the curriculum, with mathematics ambassadors. Year 6 ambassadors, eco warriors and play leaders all participate in the school life and take their responsibilities seriously.  Pupils confirm that behaviour is generally good in classrooms and around the school. They know how the school and its systems work and are able to speak knowledgeably about rewards and sanctions. Pupils feel that incidents of bullying are rare but know who to go to among staff if they are worried about anything.  Parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, agree that behaviour is good but raise concerns about bullying. The school has clear procedures in place if a child reports an incident of bullying, which pupils report is rare.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ attitudes to school and to work are generally good, with only a few incidents of pupils not focusing on their work during lessons.  Pupils show respect for each other and for the staff in school. Their behaviour in the playground, organising activities and playing collaboratively and harmoniously, was observed at each break time and was lovely to see.  Attendance has fallen since last year and is highlighted as an issue, as well as persistent lateness. The school has put in place a system to improve this, including a creative breakfast club to encourage children into school. Parents are invited into school to discuss absence and lateness.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils feel safe in school. They know to tell the teachers if they have a problem and are confident that it will be dealt with. The pupils have been taught about all types of bullying, including cyberbullying. An assembly was held to explain the risks of using the internet and pupils were able to explain how to keep themselves safe. The pupils recognise that bullying is unkind and say that incidents are rare but that it does happen and is then dealt with following the school’s procedures.  Risk assessments are comprehensively implemented covering all aspects of school life, as was seen on site when a mobile farm visited the school and all children were reminded in assembly how to behave during the visit.  Older pupils run clubs for younger pupils, thereby building relationships across the school.  Parents who responded to the Parent View felt their children were safe at school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good enough to enable all groups of pupils across the school to make rapid progress across all subject areas.  The mathematics curriculum has changed so children are now engaging with the subject. They are involved in more interesting mathematical activities than previously and solving problems through investigation and discussion. Pupils in Year 6 were observed working out strategies to solve practical problems in mathematics, using appropriate terminology to discuss and share outcomes.  Pupils enjoy writing and their new curriculum offers exciting opportunities to develop this further through interesting topics and themes.  Spelling, grammar and punctuation are taught well in some year groups but not in all. As a result, the pupils are not developing their knowledge or skills fast enough.  Good models of marking were seen in some year groups, with clear direction to pupils on how to improve

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

their work, but this was not observed in all year groups.  The coverage of the teaching of phonics, linking letters to sounds, is carefully planned but not always effectively delivered. This is compounded by difficulties with space in the school, leading to several groups of children at different levels practising their phonics in one place. This was distracting for a number of pupils as it was relatively noisy.  Children enjoy reading and use their knowledge of phonics to sound out words and look at pictures to help them with their sentences. Children were seen enjoying books around the school.  The classroom environments are bright and cheerful, with displays of children’s work and other exhibitions to support learning around the room.  Relationships between the staff and children are caring and respectful.  Additional adults work closely with the teaching staff to support learning, but this is not always effective

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

when groups are taken out of the classroom.

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requires improvement

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress. The national tests for 2014 show that pupils made the expected progress in writing but not enough pupils made the expected progress in the other areas of mathematics and reading and spelling.  Disadvantaged pupils are few in number, making it difficult to make national comparisons. However, in 2014, tests show they were approximately two terms behind other pupils in their year group in mathematics, and four terms behind other pupils in reading and writing.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational need made similar progress to other pupils. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that the individual needs of the pupils are identified and support is put in place to support their learning.  Progress for different ethnic groups in 2014, including those who speak English as an additional language, was approximately three terms above their peers in mathematics, one term above in reading

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requires improvement

and one term behind in writing.  The most able pupils did not achieve as well as expected in 2014 but now progress in Year 6 appears to be accelerating as pupils are challenged with work that interests and stretches them and encourages self-reflection. In other year groups, work did not always challenge the pupils.  Attainment at the end of Year 6 in 2014 showed the school to be in line with national expectations for all areas except in writing, where the school achieved above the national average.  The school’s own data shows a slowly improving picture for 2015, with pupils’ attainment and progress across Key Stage 2 improving but not in all year groups for all groups of pupils.Most children’s skills and knowledge on entry to school are in line with levels typical for their age. They are well supported by staff moving into Year 1, with attainment just above average.  Key Stage 1 attainment in 2014 showed children slightly above national figures for reading, writing and

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requires improvement

mathematics.  In the Year 1 phonics check, the proportion of pupils reaching the average figures was lower than in other schools. There has been a focus on developing reading and the school information shows pupils’ knowledge of letters and sounds is improving.

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is good

 Most children join the Reception class with skills and knowledge typical for their age. The transition from pre-school or home to Reception is well established. There are close links with the pre-school and pupils are well known to the school before they start. Useful home visits take place and parents and children visit the school prior to starting the school year.  The special educational needs coordinator ensures a plan is in place for any child who has been highlighted by parents or pre-school checks, so everyone is welcomed and supported in school.  The Reception classroom is bright and colourful. The resources are well organised and, as a result, children are eager to choose what to do and learn through the vibrant practical activities on offer.  Staff are kind and caring towards the children and relationships with parents are strong in Reception.  The teacher provides rich experiences which motivate the children. Carpet time can be noisy, with

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is good

exuberant children eager to initiate their own activities.  The theme in Reception was currently the farm and children were excited to try to milk the cow using water-filled plastic gloves as udders. Other children were sweeping up hay while some children made cakes, discussing where the ingredients came from. The week ended with a visit from a mobile farm!  Phonics, the sounds linked to letters, is taught in limited space with lots of adults and children talking simultaneously. This is confusing for some children.  Parents are involved in their children’s learning and send in achievements from home to be celebrated at school.  The early years teacher is supported by more experienced members of staff who have helped her develop a positive learning environment for the Reception children. The teacher and staff know the children well and they are safe and thoroughly looked after. Risk assessments are up to date and leaders

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is good

undertake regular checks on the quality of the learning provision. So leadership is good.

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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 126047 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 462353

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 207 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Wigley Headteacher Elizabeth Dickenson Date of previous school inspection 13–14 June 2013 Telephone number 01293 529006 Fax number 01293 538325 Email address head@st-andrews-crawley.w-sussex.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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