West Rise Primary School and Nursery

School report West Rise Community Infant School Chaffinch Drive, Langney, Eastbourne, BN23 7SL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 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

 Good achievement has been sustained since the last inspection. Pupils across the school make consistently good progress, particularly in writing and mathematics.  The teaching of phonics (the linking of sounds and letters) is effective.  Good provision for early years children has been sustained and improved. Reception children make good progress because activities engage them well.  Pupils show outstandingly positive attitudes to learning, feel extremely safe and behave exceptionally well.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well. As a result, the gaps between their attainment and that of their peers, both in school and nationally, are closing.  Senior leadership is effective. Leaders have successfully improved the quality of education. The monitoring and improvement of teaching have had a positive impact.  Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching and make a good contribution to driving improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum is outstandingly rich. Extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors make a significant contribution to pupils’ enjoyment.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Children’s progress in the Nursery is not as rapid as in the Reception classes.  Pupils’ attainment in reading is not as high as in writing and mathematics.  Subject leaders are relatively new in post, so that their impact is not yet fully evident. The leadership of the early years provision is not as strong as in other parts of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in 15 lessons, seven of which were seen jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked closely at pupils’ written work for the current school year. They listened to some pupils read.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, three governors, a representative from the local authority and the school’s senior and subject leaders.  Inspectors took account of the 36 responses to the staff questionnaire and the 59 responses to the online questionnaire for parents, Parent View. Three letters from parents were received.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of its documents, including plans for improvement and records of checks on the quality of teaching. They also considered records of meetings of the governing body and those relating to behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and the systems used to check pupils’ progress.

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Inspection team

George Logan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The infant school is similar in size to the average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is broadly average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are in the care of the local authority.  The school shares a site and some facilities with its partner junior school.  The school is currently expanding to meet local demand for school places. Currently, there are three classes in Reception and Year 2 and two classes in Year 1. In time, there will be three classes in each year group.  To accommodate the increase in numbers, and to provide larger teaching spaces for all early years classes, the school is undergoing a major building expansion. Currently, only a small area of outdoor

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Information about this school

space is accessible. This has had a temporary, but significant, impact upon early years children’s access to outdoor learning.  In the early years, Nursery children attend part time either a morning or an afternoon session each day, with a few attending full time. Reception children all attend full time. Only around one quarter of Reception children come from the school’s own Nursery.  The school offers breakfast and after-school care clubs. These are managed by the governing body and formed part of the current inspection.  The children’s centre adjacent to the school has closed down since the last inspection. However, some of the services formerly provided are now managed by the school, under contract. This includes care and education for children over two years. It also includes a Nursery class which is now part of the school’s early years provision and was reviewed during the current inspection. Provision for the youngest children

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Information about this school

is subject to a separate childcare inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that children’s learning and progress in the Nursery is at least as rapid as children currently make in the Reception classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils’ ability to interpret and understand text is as strong as their knowledge of phonics, so standards in reading by the end of Year 2 rise even more.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Review subject leadership, including that of the early years provision, to ensure that there is strength, experience and positive impact in leadership at all levels as the school continues to grow.

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The leadership and management are good

 The many strengths identified at the last inspection have been largely sustained. Standards have continued to rise. The wide range of subjects and experiences provided for pupils has continued to develop. School leaders have ensured that the school has not stood still, taking all developments, including the incorporation of the former children’s centre and the current growth in numbers, in their stride. When any weaknesses emerge, they are promptly addressed.  Senior leaders have positive attitudes and strong values. Current leaders successfully promote a culture where teaching ensures that pupils achieve increasingly well and where their behaviour and safety are outstanding.  There are significant strengths in the leadership of the provision to meet the needs of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. While subject leaders have an accurate overview of the strengths of their subjects and have made some contribution to the further raising of achievement, some

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The leadership and management are good

have been in post for only a short time and have not fully developed their leadership skills. Consequently, the strengths in leadership at this level are less well established. With the continuing growth of the school, alongside recent and imminent changes in subject leadership, the school is reviewing its leadership structure, including the leadership of the early years.  School leaders have high expectations of all staff and this has contributed well to ongoing improvement. The leadership and monitoring of teaching are effective so that staff expectations remain high. Staff are well supported to develop their teaching skills. Procedures for setting targets to improve teachers’ practice are used well.  The curriculum is, in most respects, excellent. Senior leaders have implemented the expected changes to the curriculum, so that the current curriculum is aligned fully to the new National Curriculum. The school

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The leadership and management are good

constantly reviews and modifies its curriculum, assessing where further refinements are achievable. It aims to inspire children through memorable experiences.  Pupils have many ‘hands-on’ practical experiences, alongside those which are more book-based. Craft and design and technology activities are promoted well, so that the school environment is rich in created objects. The extra-curricular provision is extensive, including a wide range of opportunities, such as golf, and Mandarin. Pupils enjoy a variety of positive experiences in the creative and performing arts, including the support of an artist-in-residence and the opportunity to play the harp. They explore other cultures including, recently, China, where the school is establishing links, and study a wide range of artists’ work, including that of Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley and Hokusai. There are many themed weeks, visitors to school and visits out of school. Children are encouraged to extend their horizons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has identified a new system which offers a workable approach to evaluating pupils’ progress. This is on track for implementation by September 2015, although it is not yet possible to judge the full impact of this initiative.  School leaders rigorously review the impact of pupil premium expenditure. A specific staff member has the responsibility for overseeing the impact of this funding. Expenditure on additional teaching has been targeted well, with a good impact in the last school year, so that disadvantaged pupils are making more rapid progress.  The school’s evaluation of its effectiveness is generally accurate. Although the published document is a little over positive in places, school leaders know the school very well and are clear, in discussion, about where further improvements are needed.  The primary sports funding is used well to access specialist sports coaching and activities such as

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The leadership and management are good

Reception dance, and to provide greater access to after-school sporting clubs. Pupils now participate more frequently in after-school sports clubs than in the past.  The local authority has provided limited support in line with the school’s current status as a ‘good’, self- sustaining school. It has, in consequence, little direct involvement. The school uses an improvement advisor independently to offer challenge and support.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a significant strength. The school promotes British values effectively through, for example, celebrating Royal events. The democratic process is well established, with pupils voting for school council members, for school meal menu preferences and on school improvement matters. Pupils are made aware of the rights and expectations of different religious and faith groups. As a result, pupils begin to become aware of their rights and

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The leadership and management are good

responsibilities as citizens and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The school works hard to ensure equality of opportunity for all. Discrimination in any form is unacceptable.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements and, on the evidence seen, are fully effective.  Links with parents are a significant strength. The school is widely known and parents recognise the richness of the experience it provides for their children. These positive views were clearly reflected in the level of support shown in Parent View and in the school’s own surveys of parental views.  Leadership is not yet outstanding because there is still work to do to boost the consistency of achievement further. However, the school is well placed to continue to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance has undergone changes in the last two years, with new leadership and an increased focus on ensuring that governors have the expertise and skills which the school needs to ensure that they are an effective team. Governors know the school well. They have made the raising of achievement a priority, while sustaining a broad, rich curriculum. They undertake training to improve their skills further. Governors have good access to information about the school’s performance and are closely involved with the school’s work. They hold school leaders to account with increasing rigour and ensure that this is evident in the minutes of their meetings.  Governors understand data and the performance of all groups of pupils, particularly those supported through pupil premium funding. They know how the school is doing in relation to schools nationally and can evaluate the effectiveness of teaching. Governors are fully involved in the management of teachers’

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The leadership and management are good

performance. Pay increases are securely linked to the outcomes of this process. Governors support school leaders in tackling any underperformance.  The governing body ensures, alongside senior leaders, that statutory duties are met, including those for keeping pupils safe.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Their attitudes to learning are excellent, contributing very strongly to the increasingly rapid progress they make and the high quality work they produce. Pupils show great enthusiasm for learning, particularly when lessons are really motivating.  Inappropriate behaviour is rare, with very few recent exclusions. Parents who expressed a view almost all felt that behaviour is at least good.  Pupils eagerly undertake responsibilities. They enjoy their roles as ‘planet protectors’, focusing on eco- activities and playground pals, where older pupils befriend those who are younger or new to the school.  Attendance is broadly average. Although there are still some instances of holidays taken in term-time, the underlying trends in attendance are positive and the systems to monitor attendance are now much more thorough. Consequently, persistent absence has reduced. Pupils arrive at school punctually.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. The site and premises, despite large- scale construction works in the immediate vicinity, are secure. The suitability of staff is checked fully prior to their appointment.  Pupils feel extremely safe in school and are entirely confident that adults will always protect them. They are very knowledgeable about road safety and fire safety. They know that they need to be cautious when close to strangers.  The school ensures that pupils are able to keep themselves safe. The oldest pupils understand the possible dangers to be encountered on the internet. They are aware that they should activate the ‘dolphin’ alert symbol if they encounter anything concerning when they are using the internet.  School assemblies and the personal, social and health education programme alert pupils to the existence of bullying. Pupils know that bullying may occur for a range of reasons and without warning. However,

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Safety

they do not feel any insecurity in their current circumstances. The school is vigilant and intervenes promptly should any concerns arise.  The breakfast and after-school care clubs provide very well for pupils who arrive at school early or need to stay on after lessons end.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Mostly good teaching in the early years, including the teaching of phonics, ensures that children get a good start to their education. As a result, pupils entering Year 1 are well placed to make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The pace of pupils’ learning in writing and mathematics is particularly rapid.  Good teaching over time enables pupils to make consistently good progress. The teaching of writing and mathematics is a particular strength, leading to consistently above average standards. While pupils gain a secure knowledge of phonics, their reading comprehension skills are less well developed. Pupils’ written work indicates that teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The planning of work which is difficult enough for all pupils ensures that the most able in particular are challenged well. Teachers ensure that pupils produce their written work to a consistently high standard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking is thorough. Marking offers good guidance to pupils so that they can learn from their mistakes and make good progress. The marking of writing is particularly thorough, offering specific guidance to enable pupils to improve their work further. Teachers challenge poor handwriting and presentation.  The support for disadvantaged pupils is good. The school has put comprehensive systems in place to ensure that the additional funding is well spent and that pupils make the necessary progress to enable them to catch up. Leaders use learning support staff on the basis of a thorough analysis of the additional support each eligible pupil would ideally require. Overall, these pupils make good progress, so that the gaps in achievement with other pupils have been closing. Learning support staff ensure that these pupils do not fall behind.  When pupils are given effective guidance and challenging work learning is rapid. For example, in a Year 1

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The quality of teaching is good

design and technology lesson, pupils were making plans to create a time capsule to be incorporated in the new building. Pupils had taken on board the idea enthusiastically and were developing their suggestions as to what might be included. This was well-supported, purposeful learning which produced a buzz of ideas and enthusiasm from the pupils. Pupils responded well to the teacher’s expectations.  Homework contributes well to pupils’ learning. Pupils complete the weekly tasks and recognise that this is an important part of their school work and to be taken seriously.  Teaching is not yet outstanding because some inconsistencies in pupils’ learning, particularly in reading, remain.

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is good

 Children enter Nursery with skills below those typical for their age. The standard of care is good, and children make good gains in their social and personal development. However, improvements in their skills and knowledge in language, literacy and mathematics are less rapid. Not all Nursery children continue to the Reception classes.  In Reception, with many children new to the school, gains in learning are more rapid, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, when they join Year 1, children’s attainment is now above average. This has shown considerable improvement in the last two years, with a steadily increasing proportion of children making accelerated progress.  Pupils achieve consistently well in writing in Years 1 and 2 and reach above average standards by the end of Year 2. Progress in mathematics is mostly good, leading to above average standards in most years. Standards in reading are broadly average. Although pupils now have a good understanding of phonics,

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is good

and an ability to apply their knowledge, they have not always focused enough on the understanding of text and this constrains standards to some extent.  Overall, current Year 2 pupils, on the provisional data, and from their written work, are likely to have achieved no less well than the previous year group. Given their below average entry points to Year 1, this represents securely good achievement.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported very well and make good progress. Leaders ensure that the support they receive is tailored to their needs.  With a high quality curriculum which engages pupils really well, the level of challenge for the most able pupils is generally good, so that an increasing proportion is attaining at the higher Level 3, year-on-year.  The attainment of pupils supported by pupil premium funding in Year 2 in 2014 was around half a term behind the others in the school in reading, writing and mathematics. Overall, these pupils attained in line

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is good

with other pupils nationally in all subjects. Consequently, the gap in attainment has closed steadily over the last three years. Disadvantaged pupils are making similar progress to other pupils in the current year.  The proportion of Year 1 pupils attaining the expected standard in the phonics screening check was in line with the national average in 2014. On the submitted data seen, a similar proportion is likely to meet the standard for the check in 2015.

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is good

 Children’s learning within the early years provision remains good. However, it is not outstanding because activities do not provide as much challenge in the Nursery class as in the Reception classes. Consequently, children’s progress, particularly for the most able, is not as rapid.  Only around one quarter of the 90 children admitted to Reception come from the Nursery class. This is because there is only one group of Nursery children, not all of whom live within the school’s catchment area. Children enter the Reception classes from around 25 different pre-schools.  Most children enter Nursery with skills below those typical for their age. Staff focus on developing children’s basic skills in language and mathematics and their personal and social skills. Children begin to gain a secure knowledge of sounds and letters through the effective teaching of phonics. However, while children generally make the progress expected, too few make more rapid progress, so that, for the

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is good

majority of children, their skills and knowledge remain below those typically found at the end of Nursery.  Progress accelerates in the Reception classes. Despite the constraints on some aspects of children’s learning as a result of current building works, the positive momentum of children’s learning has been sustained. Children’s skills and knowledge on entry to Reception, while below what is typical in reading, writing and number, are, in other areas, much closer to what is typical.  The rate of progress has accelerated in the last two years. The proportion of current Year 2 pupils reaching a good level of development when they left Reception in 2013 was well below the national average. This improved to be above average in 2014. Provisional data for the current year indicate that outcomes are likely to be above average, and to a greater extent than in 2014.  Children, including those who have special educational needs, achieve well, because of consistently good

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is good

teaching. They are now well prepared for entry to Year 1.  Adults teach children specific skills in small groups. This typically includes reading, writing and mathematics. Children then have the opportunity to choose from a range of other activities that build well upon what they have just been learning.  Children have in the past had access to a richly resourced outdoor learning environment, developed over many years, which includes ‘forest school’ activities and a range of animals. These activities have contributed well to extending children’s growing knowledge of the world. Ambitious plans are in place for replicating and enhancing the outdoor provision when the refurbishment and rebuilding are completed.  Children behave exceptionally well. They are articulate, confident and independent and show very positive attitudes to learning, concentrating well for extended periods. Children are very safe and well looked after.

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is good

 The school works well with parents. There are home visits prior to entry for all Nursery and new Reception parents. The school maintains a close engagement with parents, so that they continue to support their children’s education after they enter the school.  Staff maintain detailed observations of children at work and evaluate their progress. This information contributes well to the planning of future work.  Currently, early years leadership is not as strong as in other parts of the school. It consists of separate leaders of Nursery, Reception and an overall strategic lead who does not teach within the provision. While, over time, improvements have been achieved, there is some lack of clarity in these arrangements. The school is planning to rationalise the overall leadership structure in order to reflect the increase in pupil numbers in early years.

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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 114466 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 448758

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 2–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 238 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sandra Noble Headteacher Lynne Weir Date of previous school inspection 22 September 2009 Telephone number 01323 764062 Fax number 01323 740978 Email address office@westriseinf.e-sussex.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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