Harmans Water Primary School

Harmans Water Primary School Wellington Drive, Harmans Water, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 9NE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Until the current academic year, leaders and governors did not make sure that teachers were accountable for pupils’ progress. Too many pupils were not achieving well, particularly in Key Stage 2 and in writing.  Standards of teaching are inconsistent and pupils’ progress has been adversely affected by changes of teacher during the school year.  Leaders do not check the progress of pupils carefully enough. The school assessment systems do not allow those responsible to track the progress of groups, including disadvantaged pupils and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, so that help and support can be appropriately targeted.  Teachers do not always consider what pupils can already do when planning lessons. Consequently, work is not always matched to pupils’ capabilities. This is particularly true for higher- ability pupils who are not achieving as well as they might.  Pupils, parents and some staff have expressed

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This is a school that requires improvement

concerns about poor behaviour at breaks and lunchtimes. Pupils report that there are some instances of bullying which have not been dealt with effectively.  Children in the early years make good progress, but the poor learning environment, especially in the outdoor area, adversely affects their learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 The executive headteacher and the acting headteacher know what needs to be done to improve the school. Their swift actions have already improved standards of behaviour and teaching and learning.  Leaders and managers now have clearly defined responsibilities. Those new to management roles are well supported by experienced staff, who work with year and subject leaders in Key Stage 2. This support has enabled managers to focus on improving teaching through effective planning; consequently, pupils’ attainment is improving.  The reorganised governing body now have clear priorities and support the school effectively. Through careful recruitment, governors have ensured that pupils are taught by permanent teachers with whom they can develop secure relationships; consequently, standards of teaching and pupils’ progress are improving.  Pupils behave well in class and are willing to learn.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: – developing an assessment system which enables teachers to check the progress of groups regularly and accurately – ensuring that leaders and managers support and encourage teachers so that the quality of teaching and their expectations rise consistently.  Improve the progress of key groups by: – checking their progress regularly and carefully to enable teachers to plan appropriate work to help them to take the next steps in their progress – ensuring that more-able pupils are given tasks that stimulate their imagination and develop their skills – ensuring that the effectiveness of programmes of support for disabled pupils and those with special needs is checked to ensure that pupils are making good progress – making sure that funding and resources allocated for disadvantaged pupils are effective in raising achievement.  Improve standards of behaviour by: – ensuring that the school’s behaviour policy is applied consistently

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– making sure that pupils with particular behavioural problems are supported so that they can make good progress and manage their own behaviour well.  Improve the learning environment for children in the early years by: – designing and equipping the outside area so that it is attractive and provides appropriate opportunities for children to extend their learning – improving the inside area so that children are able to learn in a variety of groupings in an environment which stimulates their imagination.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Recent changes in leadership, including the appointment of an executive headteacher and two other experienced senior managers, have strengthened the leadership of the school. Although changes have been implemented swiftly and have generally been accepted favourably, some staff expressed concern about the rapidity of change. In Key Stage 2, the recruitment of permanent staff who have established good relationships with pupils has raised expectations and improved the quality of teaching; this is now apparent in improvement in pupils’ work. The local authority has provided significant support to the school. Local authority advice has been a key factor in restructuring leadership and in the appointment of the executive headteacher. The local authority will continue to support the school, focusing on specific areas of weakness including assessment and behaviour management.  The executive headteacher and the acting headteacher form an effective partnership. In recent weeks,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

they have made significant changes to the working of the school. A reorganised school day has allowed lunchtimes and breaktimes to be supervised more effectively with a positive impact on standards of behaviour. Senior and middle leadership roles have been changed so that leaders have clear lines of responsibility and are able to focus on improving standards of teaching and learning.  A culture of high expectations has been established. Teachers know that they are accountable for pupils’ progress and are supported and helped to ensure that high standards are achieved. New teachers are particularly well supported and have made a significant contribution to raising standards.  Through support from the additional senior staff, the local authority and expertise within the school, managers and teachers are receiving good-quality support and training, which is having a positive impact on standards of teaching.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Teachers’ planning and support for each other is improving because the teachers in each year group have time to plan together and they are supported by year leaders and senior staff.  Although subject leaders and others responsible check pupils’ progress individually, using information in planning, the school assessment system does not allow staff to monitor the progress of groups such as disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and more-able pupils carefully enough. This means that the effectiveness of any support or special programmes cannot be reliably checked.  Leaders and managers are aware that disadvantaged pupils are not achieving as well as others in the school. Programmes to benefit these pupils, with funding attached to them, are not as effective as they could be. Governors and leaders have recognised that developing effective support programmes for these

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

pupils is a priority.  The school promotes tolerance and respect for others and spiritual and moral awareness are well developed. This is reflected in the attitudes and behaviour of the vast majority of pupils. In the curriculum, there are opportunities to learn about other cultures and faiths. Pupils’ awareness of democratic principles and British values is not yet strong, however.  The additional sports funding is used well. A sports manager and coaches support teachers by team teaching, developing teachers’ skill and expertise. The school is successful in a range of sports competitions and there are increased opportunities for pupils to participate in sport.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and recent changes have extended its range, for example by giving even the youngest pupils the opportunity to learn French. A wide range of extra-curricular activities are offered; music is a particular strength.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Parents are generally supportive of the school and of recent changes. Some parents are still concerned about standards of behaviour, however, and commented on the frequency and rapidity of changes in leadership and turnover in teaching staff.  The governance of the school – The reconstituted governing body is effective and is well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and of the aspects which need to improve. – Governors support the school well and have a clear understanding of the school’s performance, although they recognise that their monitoring would be significantly helped if the school’s assessment and information systems were of higher quality. – Governors take their responsibilities seriously and governors have a good range of skills. They challenge and support leaders effectively and worked with the local authority to appoint new leaders to support the acting headteacher when the need became apparent.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

– Financial monitoring is thorough and plans for future expenditure are targeted on key areas such as improving the environment in the early years area.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Clear systems ensure that all staff are well aware of safety procedures and implement them effectively. The school works effectively with parents and outside agencies to ensure that pupils and families are well supported. Safeguarding practice is reviewed regularly and the recruitment of staff follows required safeguarding procedures.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teaching is not yet consistently good throughout the school. Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics varies between classes and therefore not enough pupils make good progress from their starting points.  A significant proportion of teaching in Key Stage 1 is good and this is reflected in the results of teacher assessments, which compare favourably with national figures.  At Key Stage 2, there has been poor teaching in the past and this depressed examination results in 2015. Pupils in some classes are still catching up from low starting points, but the quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is now improving and this is seen in rising standards of pupils’ work.  Teachers do not always recognise pupils’ previous learning and do not use this information in their planning. This is particularly the case for higher-ability pupils, who would benefit from greater challenge and wider opportunities to extend their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Some teachers’ questioning encourages pupils to speculate and to ask as well as to answer questions. In one maths lesson, pupils were encouraged to work out their own ways of calculating the area of a triangle before learning the conventional formula.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils receive support individually and in small groups. Teachers and teaching assistants are not yet making the best use of information from checks on these pupils’ learning to be sure that this support is effective. This lack of information makes it more difficult for teachers to plan the next steps in their learning.  The school is developing an assessment system which tracks pupils’ progress against the areas of experience in the new National Curriculum. This is not yet fully in place and parents are not yet aware of their children’s progress under the new arrangements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teachers mark pupils work conscientiously and pupils appreciate the feedback that they are given. Marking is not always precise enough about the steps that pupils need to take in order to move to higher levels of achievement, however.  The correction of spelling, punctuation and grammar is not consistent and pupils are not always aware of mistakes so that sometimes they are repeated.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is good and this is reflected in the school’s results in the national phonics check, which are above national standards.  Teaching in mathematics is improving and some pupils develop problem-solving skills well. In one lesson on fractions, more-able pupils used their knowledge and skills to produce a recipe for baking a cake and then worked out the cost of producing it.  Reading skills are well taught but pupils are not always given opportunities to develop their writing skills by

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

using them to write extensively in different areas of the curriculum.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  In classrooms, pupils behave well and listen carefully to teachers and to each other. They work well together in pairs and groups and enjoy learning.  Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and behaviour. Most respond well to this and work well. A small number of pupils find it difficult to concentrate and do not behave as well as their classmates, and teachers and teaching assistants have to spend time redirecting them so that they can focus on their work.  Older pupils are encouraged to take responsibility and a number of Year 6 pupils have been trained as peer mentors, helping younger pupils when they have problems.  Most parents say that their children are safe and well cared for in school. A few parents, however, were concerned about bullying and cited instances of poor behaviour, which had not been dealt with effectively

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Personal development and welfare

in the past.  Pupils understand about different forms of bullying and issues of personal safety are well covered in the curriculum. Pupils know how to keep safe and most say that they feel safe in school.  Pupils are confident that adults will respond quickly when they have problems and the school has effective systems to support pupils who have problems at home or difficulties with relationships in school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  The behaviour of some pupils at break and lunchtime has caused concern. For this reason, the school day has been modified so that lunchtimes are no longer staggered, enabling more staff to supervise and to ensure that expectations of good behaviour are met.  In lessons, pupils behave well. Routines are well established and pupils respect them. They move between activities sensibly and use equipment sensibly and safely. Pupils are punctual to lessons, which always start on time, ensuring that learning opportunities are maximised.  The school has recently introduced a new behaviour management policy that is well understood and respected by pupils, although they say it is not yet applied consistently by all staff.  The school works closely with outside agencies and parents to support pupils with challenging behaviour. A ‘nurture room’ now caters for pupils who find it difficult to cope in class and who might otherwise have

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Behaviour

been in danger of exclusion. This was seen operating effectively during the inspection.  Pupils’ attendance matches national averages. Leaders check attendance patterns regularly and provide support for pupils whose attendance gives rise to concern.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Outcomes require improvement because, despite recent improvement, not enough pupils are achieving well from their starting points.  Results in the Key Stage 2 tests in 2015 fell below the national floor standards. There were a number of reasons for this, including significant changes in teaching staff for Year 6 during the year. Leaders were disappointed in the results, which fell well below their predictions, which had been accurate in the past.  The new leadership team have focused on raising expectations and improving the quality of teaching. Stronger teaching is beginning to show improvement in pupils’ work at Key Stage 2, but this has not yet enabled all pupils to make good progress from their starting points. Inspectors found that standards of reading are high in all years and pupils’ books in Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics, as well as in other subject areas such as science and topic, showed clear signs of improvement during this year.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Progress in mathematics is not rapid enough to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they should. Not enough pupils reached the expected standard at the end of Year 6 in 2015. Teachers have received support and training in the teaching of mathematics and this is beginning to raise standards throughout the school. The whole school now have a ‘Quick maths’ session each day, focusing on practising basic skills which is beginning to raise standards. Mathematics teaching in Year 6 has recently been reorganised so that able pupils are in an accelerated group, although it is too early to see if this has a positive impact on standards.  In Reception, achievement has clearly improved and, from a low starting point, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception now exceeds national averages.  Phonics results in Year 1 have improved because of good teaching and are now above the national

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

average. Teaching in phonics is good, with well-planned sessions ensuring that pupils progress at a brisk pace and pupils are consequently making good progress in reading in Key Stage 1, exceeding national averages in teacher assessments. Younger pupils write confidently and more-able children in Reception and Year 1 are able to write complete sentences with well-formed handwriting.  By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils exceed national standards in reading and match them in mathematics.  Progress in writing lags behind that in reading and mathematics throughout the school with most pupils not reaching the standards expected for their age. Leaders are aware of this and teachers have received training in improving writing. Pupils’ work shows signs that standards are improving with greater opportunities for extended writing.  There is still a significant gap between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and others in the school.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

Although the gap is not widening, initiatives funded through the pupil premium have not yet succeeded in closing the gap and leaders are reviewing strategies to assess which are effective so that the gap can be narrowed.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs appear to be making similar progress to other pupils. Teachers check the progress of individual pupils carefully, but the lack of detailed assessment information makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of different types of support.

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The early years provision requires improvement

 Children join the school with skills and abilities that are below those typical for their age. In the Reception Year, they make good progress with a higher than average proportion reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception, ensuring that they are ready to continue to make good progress in Year 1.  Teachers and other adults use their knowledge well to plan activities which match children’s needs.  Teaching assistants work well with children individually and in small groups but are not always actively engaged when teachers are talking to larger groups.  Teachers and other adults assess individual children’s progress regularly and use information to plan activities, but this information is not collated in an organised way so that the progress of groups can be monitored easily. Assessment is accurate, however, and was moderated by the local authority in 2015. Leaders are aware of the need to improve the way in which assessments are recorded and plan to do so

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The early years provision requires improvement

with the help of the local authority.  Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities are making similar progress to others. Funding is used to provide additional staff who work with these children individually and in small groups, ensuring that they access the same range of experience as other children. Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of provision in the early years. Small reading areas have been provided to encourage children to read independently. During the inspection, a group of children read words from cue cards to each other without adult help, counting the cards each had read successfully.  The learning environment is unattractive and the outside area lacks features to stimulate children’s learning. Leaders and governors are aware of this and there are plans to redesign and re-equip the area in the coming year. In the meantime, staff make the most of learning opportunities by providing stimulating

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The early years provision requires improvement

tasks and activities so that children’s needs are met.  Children behave well, and get on well with each other and with adults. They respond well to instructions and routines and have established good attitudes to learning.  Strong relationships with parents and other local pre-schools help to make children’s adjustment to formal schooling a smooth one. Parents are encouraged to come into school, to talk to staff and to be involved in compiling their children’s learning journey files.  Staff care for children well and safety is a priority. Risk assessments are in place for all activities. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and learn about safety. During the inspection, a group of children were role-playing a Bonfire Night celebration, learning about safety in the process.

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School details

Unique reference number 130949 Local authority Bracknell Forest Inspection number 1005784 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 699 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Bradley Headteacher Brent Ellis Telephone number 01344 422196 Website www.hwps.org.uk Email address secretary@office.harmanswater.bracknell-forest.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 June 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  There have been significant changes in the management of the school in the last year. An executive headteacher manages the school, supporting an acting headteacher. Two other experienced senior staff have been seconded to the school to strengthen leadership.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium funding is below average. This is additional funding provided by the government to support those pupils eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language are lower than usual.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action are below average.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Nursery and Reception classes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 24 lessons or parts of lessons, five of which were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with governors, local authority representatives, school leaders, staff and pupils.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents before school on each day of the inspection and took into account 61 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View).  A range of information was looked at, including governors’ minutes, records of teaching observations, school achievement and attendance information, and information on behaviour and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

John Worgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Peter Dunmall Ofsted Inspector Sara Benn Ofsted Inspector Mo Galway Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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