White Rock Primary School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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 are taught well, helping them all make good progress in lessons over the last year.  Achievement is good. By the end of Year 6, some pupils have made outstanding progress in reading and writing.  The early years provision is good. Activities are carefully matched to children’s needs. The children develop a love of learning.  Pupils feel safe and look out for each other. Good behaviour and pupils’ positive attitudes to learning permeate all lessons and break times.  The headteacher’s outstanding leadership inspires staff and motivates pupils to do their best. Her unswerving focus on improving teaching and learning has resulted in a complete transformation in the expectations staff have of what pupils can achieve.  Governors are focused and influential. They check regularly on what is happening in school. They challenge leaders to raise the quality of teaching and achievement further.  A highly effective programme of professional

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

development, provided in partnership with the Torbay schools teaching alliance, has significantly improved teaching and staff leadership skills.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Teaching and achievement in mathematics are not yet consistently good for all pupils.  Work in personal, social, health and citizenship is too easy for older pupils.  Some of the teaching in science and technology is uninspiring and lacks continuity from one year to the next. As a consequence pupils are not learning as well as they should.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons and an observation of small-group interventions. In 15 lessons, the headteacher or the deputy headteacher joined inspectors.  The inspectors took account of 58 responses to the online Parent View survey, as well as discussions with parents and carers during and at the end of the school day. They considered the views of 50 staff who responded to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors talked with two groups of pupils as well as with individual pupils during their lessons and at break time. Inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books. They talked about reading with pupils from all year groups, and listened to them read.  Inspectors held discussions with the school leaders, teachers, the designated safeguarding leader, subject leaders, the local authority school intervention officer, the head of the Torbay schools teaching alliance, and the Chair of the Governing Body and two governors. Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation,

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Information about this inspection

including pupils’ attainment and progress, case studies of selected pupils, child protection and safeguarding, the school’s curriculum, the management of teachers’ performance and the school’s plans for improvement.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Palk, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Full report

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

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority, is below the national average. There are no pupils looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Seven newly qualified teachers joined the school this academic year.  There is a substantial rebuilding programme underway.  There is no alternative provision used by the school.  Early years education is provided in two Reception classes. Children attend full time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching of mathematics by:  strengthening teachers’ subject knowledge to underpin the development of pupils’ mathematical understanding and reasoning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ learning by:  improving the quality of teaching in science and technology  ensuring work in personal, social, health and citizenship is sufficiently challenging.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is a dynamic presence around the school. She knows the pupils and their families, and responds quickly and with conviction to address practice that is less than effective. She has excellent communication skills. She praises and rewards those who improve their practice and is rightly proud of the significantly improved teaching and learning in all classes.  Leaders rigorously check the quality of teachers’ work both in the classroom and in their wider roles. The headteacher provides straightforward and specific feedback to staff on the effectiveness of their lessons, ensuring they have accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching.  Parents are delighted with improvements in the school. They particularly value the increased engagement they have with teachers over the progress their children are making. Parents appreciate the openness with which any concerns are addressed. Over the year they have created a forum whereby they work closely

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The leadership and management are good

with leaders to plan the school’s future development.  The deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher have a positive impact on the school’s work. They have established an assessment system that provides detailed tracking of pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. Clear communication between staff of aspirational targets for pupils is evident in the effectiveness of daily lesson planning.  Senior leaders’ support and development of newly qualified teachers is exceptional. Their professional development focuses on effective approaches to teaching and learning which they apply in their daily practice. Monitoring of the effectiveness of teaching by peers and leaders is rigorous. Newly qualified teachers told inspectors that as a result they had become continually reflective and never let the quality of their practice slip. Leaders’ focus on standards and continual improvement has been instrumental in

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The leadership and management are good

improving newly qualified teachers’ practice.  The curriculum encourages pupils’ wider personal as well as academic development. British values are promoted well alongside developing pupils’ tolerance and understanding of different cultures of the world. Pupils have plenty of opportunities to take part in sporting opportunities. Pupils have learnt about the democratic process first hand through standing for and being elected to the school council.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision is adequate. As yet leaders do not have a coherent programme to ensure good monitoring of this provision and the impact it is having on pupils’ personal development.  The school promotes equality of opportunity well and tackles discrimination of all kinds very effectively. The provision for disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is prioritised effectively in lessons. Disadvantaged pupils are taught the specific skills they need to keep up

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The leadership and management are good

with their peers. Those who are disadvantaged and more able are helped to secure access to the higher levels through unambiguous targets. The additional pupil premium funding has been used to provide disadvantaged pupils with access to a range of clubs that help build their confidence and enthusiasm for school.  The school has used the additional sports funding to provide specialist staff to teach lessons and provide additional clubs and experiences at the start and end of the school day. The experiences have enhanced pupils’ attitudes to learning and their leadership skills. The take-up for these clubs has been strong among the disadvantaged pupils.  Self-evaluation is accurate as leaders have a firm grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Leaders’ evaluation is made more effective by the collaboration with the Torbay schools teaching alliance, and the local authority and governors’ oversight.

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The leadership and management are good

 The strong collaboration with the Torbay schools teaching alliance, brokered by the local authority, has provided much of the training required of teachers and leaders to implement change effectively. Training for the deputy headteacher and subject leaders has significantly strengthened their impact to help drive change. The teaching alliance has provided bespoke training for those staff needing to move their practice to good. The inter-school curriculum partnerships have helped to secure accurate moderation and a challenging syllabus for those Year 6 pupils seeking to reach the highest level.  The school has rigorous systems in place to ensure safeguarding and child protection arrangements meet statutory requirements. There is excellent oversight of these arrangements by governors.  The governance of the school:  Governors are diligent and reflective. They have benefited from working alongside the headteacher of

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The leadership and management are good

the teaching alliance who has attended all governors’ meetings. Governors reviewed their roles early in the academic year and have recently carried out a follow-up review. They have a good knowledge of how well the school is performing in comparison with others. Governors have first-hand knowledge of the quality of learning in school. They work smartly, focusing on the key priorities of the school and appraising the impact of any action taken to address weaknesses in achievement and teaching. Governors have a good understanding of the link between pupils’ progress and teachers’ salaries.  Governors use their expertise to challenge the school over the benefits of financial spending. They maintain a check on attainment in the school against national expectations at each key stage. An assigned governor works closely with the deputy headteacher to champion the provision for disadvantaged pupils, reporting honestly on the benefits of various programmes and contributing to

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The leadership and management are good

adjustments in how funding in the future is to be spent.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous, friendly and a pleasure to talk to. They have nothing but good to say about their school and the opportunities provided in sport and visits.  Pupils have a real desire to learn. They settle down to work quickly. They organise themselves well at the beginning and the end of sessions.  Relationships are a real strength. Pupils show great respect for each other as well as the adults who help them, which supports their good progress in lessons.  Disruption of any kind is rare in lessons and does not interfere with learning. Should an incident occur, it is managed quickly and appropriately by staff.  Pupils have a good understanding of what bullying means in its different forms. The pupils share the school’s values of tolerance, diversity and respect. These are well understood and regarded by pupils, who say these values help them to sort out problems if they happen.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is broadly average. Staff encourage good attendance.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils move around the school site sensibly and safely, and are well aware of the risks associated with the building works.  The experiences to help pupils develop their awareness of safeguarding are not coherent across the school. Most topics, including online bullying and homophobic bullying, and sex and relationships education, are taught effectively to pupils. However, the programme and guidance for staff are superficial and not well matched to the age of the pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Evidence from lesson observations and a scrutiny of pupils’ work show that teaching is good and pupils learn well during lessons.  Lessons are well planned to encourage pupils to make rapid progress in their reading and writing. The planning is detailed with a variety of activities that interest and engage pupils of different abilities. Boys particularly have engaged with the themes such as invaders or exploration, which provide experiences in a comprehensive range of writing styles.  Teachers’ relationships with pupils are excellent. The lively conversations and encouraging questions inspire pupils to produce high-quality work. Teachers regularly check pupils’ written work, adding helpful comments. Written work is revised continually resulting in high-quality work at all points in the topic work.  Pupils of all ages and abilities have an impressive grasp of what they need to do next to improve and

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The quality of teaching is good

secure good writing. Pupils are motivated by their improvement to do even better.  Teachers make effective adjustments to lessons to ensure that the most able pupils are not held back and are able to rise to the challenge of high expectations.  Reading and writing are taught well. Pupils enjoy reading. Punctuation, grammar, and spelling receive appropriate emphasis in all work.  Teachers are reflective, evaluating each of their lessons to see how they can improve the learning. They provide extra strategies for motivating pupils to try and work things out for themselves.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are included in all lessons. They receive expert help with their learning from trained staff. The regular assessments and conversations with each pupil help teachers identify where they need to broaden and deepen the pupils’ learning.  Teachers work closely with their teaching assistants to make sure they are clear what they need to do in

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The quality of teaching is good

lessons. Teaching assistants play an important role in pupils’ learning, supporting individuals and groups effectively.  Teaching is not yet outstanding. Teaching in mathematics and science does not deepen pupils’ understanding and application of mathematical concepts. Teachers plan for a range of mathematical and scientific experiences but rarely link the skills they are teaching. This is not helping pupils develop their mathematical and scientific understanding.

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is good

 Children join in the Reception class with skills that are typical for their age. Children are making good progress as a result of good provision, particularly in their attitudes to learning and communication skills.  In 2014, the Key Stage 2 results of national tests picked up considerably compared with previous years, and were average overall. In Key Stage 1, attainment declined and was below average. The proportion attaining the standard in the Year 1 letters and sounds check last year was below national expectations.  School data and lesson observations show a distinctly different picture. Attainment in Year 2 in all three areas, particularly reading and writing, is much higher for boys and girls and the more able. Most pupils reach the required mark in this year’s phonics check than was the case nationally last year.  Attainment in Year 6 is also much improved on the previous year, particularly in reading and writing. Many

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is good

more pupils are reaching the higher levels than in previous years and the unpublished test results for 2015 are very positive when compared to national attainment last year.  The most able pupils are achieving well. Teaching places appropriate demands on these pupils. They cover a lot of ground and their written work is of a good standard.  The achievement of disadvantaged pupils over this academic year is similar to that of other pupils in all year groups. There is no gap in attainment at the end of Year 6 between disadvantaged and other pupils from similar starting points nationally. The funding has been used effectively to accelerate the progress for this group. Any gaps these pupils have in their learning are identified promptly during lessons. The gaps are tackled through extra one-to-one tuition.  Achievement for pupils with special educational needs is good. The concentration on reading skills is very

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is good

effective. The pupils enjoy the various approaches and respond enthusiastically to additional sessions, designed to help them keep up with their peer group. Work in class is planned at the right level.  Although work in pupils’ books demonstrates good progress across year groups, it is not entirely consistent. There is some slippage in Year 3 and Year 5 mathematics work where more-able pupils are not doing work which is sufficiently difficult. There is some inconsistency in most year groups in building on previous attainment in statistics and geometry to ensure that learning always moves along at a good pace.

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is good

 In previous years and at the start of this year, children arriving in Reception with skills and abilities typical for their age did not make the gains expected. The impact of a local authority consultant working three days a week with reception staff has swiftly addressed the gaps in provision. Adults are fully aware of the variances in knowledge, understanding and skills each child needs to fill in order to make good development. The proportion reaching a good level of development has increased and most children are well prepared for the start of Year 1.  Although some weaknesses remain in reading and for boys overall, leaders have already begun a programme of intervention to tackle these issues.  Teaching is good. Adults effectively support and extend children’s understanding and knowledge by showing how to use skills and asking probing questions. They observe children’s responses carefully and

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is good

adjust the day’s activities to meet their needs. They are adept at planning opportunities that build on children’s interest and help them learn. For example, children were observed making ‘alien traps’ in the outdoor woodland, excitedly following each other’s instructions, cooperating with their peers and practising their writing skills.  Children enjoy their opportunities to play both indoors and out. The significant investment in outdoor learning has been highly effective in engaging children in communication and exploration. The provision is vibrant, exciting and well matched to children’s needs. Children behave well and are kept safe.  Leadership is decisive. Effective programmes of professional development are implemented to extend staff skills. Best practice and reflection have enabled the provision to improve at a rapid rate.

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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 113216 Local authority Torbay Inspection number 452657

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 442 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alistair Wylam Headteacher Sarah Tomkinson Date of previous school inspection 21 May 2015 Telephone number 01803 843175 Fax number 01803 846017 Email address admin@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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