Weston Park Primary School

Weston Park Primary School Newtown Road, Woolston, Southampton, Hampshire SO19 9HX

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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

 Differences in the quality of teaching mean that pupils’ progress fluctuates between subjects, classes and year groups.  The quality of teaching is not strong enough to ensure that pupils make good progress and achieve well in mathematics.  Some teachers do not follow the school’s policy for teaching calculations, leading to inconsistencies in mathematics teaching.  Inaccuracies in teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress give leaders and governors an unreliable view of the quality of teaching and learning.  Teachers do not use assessments of pupils’ learning well enough to plan learning. The work set for the most able is not always challenging enough to extend their understanding.  Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour are not always sufficiently high.  The school’s policy for managing pupils’ behaviour is not consistently applied by all adults. Some pupils do not concentrate on their work well

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This is a school that requires improvement

enough during lessons.  Some middle leaders’ roles are at an early stage of development, particularly in supporting and improving the quality of teaching.  Governors do not have a sufficiently precise view of the quality of teaching, nor of what needs to be done to secure further improvements in pupils’ learning.  Activities in the early years outdoor area do not make a sufficiently strong contribution to children’s learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 Senior leaders have settled the school after a turbulent period in its history. They have made good progress in extending and strengthening the leadership team.  Leaders and teachers have established a positive, upbeat and confident climate for learning. The school is well placed to secure further improvements.  English teaching has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils make good progress in reading and writing in all year groups.  Better use of pupil premium funding has accelerated disadvantaged pupils’ progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of pupils’ learning and progress in mathematics by ensuring that all teachers: have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning, particularly the most able measure pupils’ progress accurately and use assessments to plan learning consistently follow the school’s calculation policy.  Improve pupils’ behaviour in lessons by ensuring that all staff: understand and adhere to the school’s policy for managing pupils’ behaviour have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour.  Make better use of activities in the early years outdoor area to support children’s learning.  Improve leadership and management by: strengthening middle leaders’ roles in improving teaching and securing good progress for all groups of pupils making sure that governors have a more precise view of the quality of teaching and learning in different subjects and know exactly which aspects of the school’s work require further improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Numerous changes in staff, including at senior leadership level, have hampered improvements since the previous inspection. Leaders and governors have not secured consistently good teaching and learning.  Recently established procedures to measure pupils’ progress are not secure in all classes. In some cases, inaccurate assessments of pupils’ progress give an unreliable view of the quality of teaching and of pupils’ learning.  Developments in middle leaders’ roles have been too recent to secure the necessary improvements in the quality of teaching and in pupils’ progress in mathematics.  Some teachers do not follow the school’s policies for teaching calculation skills or for managing pupils’ behaviour consistently enough. This leads to variations in pupils’ conduct in lessons and in their progress in mathematics.  The headteacher’s appointment has been key to arresting a decline in pupils’ achievement. She has

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

worked closely and effectively with governors to eradicate an element of weak teaching. The headteacher is well supported by a recently appointed team of skilful senior leaders. This has increased the rate of development in the school during the past year.  The school is now more settled than at the time of the previous inspection. Leaders have established a purposeful learning atmosphere and have lifted staff morale. Pupils’ achievement in English has increased substantially in all year groups. These important improvements demonstrate the school’s capacity to secure the further developments needed.  The headteacher provides clear direction for the school. Staff and governors share the headteacher’s determination to build on successes in improving teaching and learning in English.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils’ personal and academic development. For example, additional teaching is used to target gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This has

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

accelerated disadvantaged pupils’ progress and improved their confidence.  Leaders use the primary school physical education and sport premium very well to enhance pupils’ physical and emotional well-being. Pupils talk excitedly about sports clubs and physical education lessons. Parents who spoke with inspectors commented on their children’s increased interest and involvement in sport over the past year.  Pupils learn about a wide range of subjects which contribute well to their understanding of the world around them and to the development of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Assemblies provide thoughtful and enjoyable occasions for pupils to reflect and to celebrate their achievements.  Leaders give a high priority to the promotion and celebration of British values. They give pupils frequent opportunities to consider and debate challenging issues and current affairs, such as the forthcoming

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union, and to appreciate differing viewpoints.  The governance of the school Governors do not have a sufficiently precise grasp of those aspects of the school’s work needing further improvement. For example, they are not clear enough about why pupils make slower progress in mathematics, nor about what needs to be done to raise achievement in this subject. Governors provide better support and challenge for leaders than at the time of the previous inspection. They have paid close attention to external reviews of their work and have acted on specialist advice. For example, they ask senior leaders more searching questions about the school’s work during governors’ meetings than before and visit the school more regularly to see teaching and learning for themselves. Governors are justifiably proud of improvements in English teaching and learning. One governor

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

commented that the school has ‘turned a corner’, a view shared by governors, members of staff and the local authority. Governors share the headteacher’s commitment to securing further improvements.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The headteacher and other leaders follow up any concerns about pupils’ safety promptly and thoroughly. They work closely and effectively with agencies, such as community policing and social services, so that they are fully informed about pupils’ individual circumstances and needs. As a result, they provide good-quality support for pupils experiencing difficulties, ensuring that pupils are safe. Leaders and governors complete rigorous recruitment checks for newly appointed staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching varies across the school so that all groups of pupils, including the most able pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability, make uneven progress.  There are variations in teachers’ expectations of pupils’ progress and some use assessments of pupils’ learning more effectively than others. Teaching does not always challenge pupils to think hard or extend and deepen their understanding sufficiently, particularly the most able. Some teachers are better at supporting pupils who have special educational needs or disability than others.  Mathematics teaching does not build pupils’ knowledge and understanding well enough. Some teachers do not follow the school’s calculation policy, leading to inconsistencies in mathematics teaching and variations in pupils’ learning.  Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress are not always accurate, and so give an unreliable view of how

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

well pupils are learning in different subjects and year groups.  There is some good teaching in the school, particularly in the oldest year groups. Where this is the case, teachers have established a calm, purposeful working atmosphere in the classrooms and have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning. They plan learning which interests and challenges pupils’ thinking and they know how to get the best out of their pupils.  English teaching has improved substantially over the past year, so that pupils make faster progress in reading and writing in all year groups. All teachers follow the school’s policy for teaching phonics so that pupils learn a consistent approach to reading and writing unfamiliar words. Teachers give pupils clear guidance about what they need to do to improve their written work and check that pupils have taken account of this advice.  The teaching of science successfully develops pupils’ understanding of experimental skills. Teachers

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

develop pupils’ knowledge and awareness of the world around them through a mixture of interesting activities, investigations and surveys.  Teachers are increasingly knowledgeable about how to support those pupils new to speaking English in acquiring language skills. They use a range of strategies to ensure that they learn as well as their classmates. For example, they make sure that pupils are familiar with key vocabulary and phrases before starting a new topic of work so that they lose no learning time.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Some pupils do not listen carefully to their teachers or classmates during lessons.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning have improved. Pupils are increasingly successful in their learning and report a growing sense of achievement. For example, they talk proudly about the progress they have made in writing this year and are very excited about winning awards for high attendance. They are clearly keen to build on this success.  Pupils have a sensible view of everyday risks, including when using the internet. They know some of the steps their teachers take to keep them safe, such as using security filters on the school computers. They understand what they can do to help by, for example, not giving personal information when online.  Pupils’ attendance has steadily improved and continues to rise. Persistent absenteeism is lower than at

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Personal development and welfare

the time of the previous inspection.  Leaders do not tolerate bullying. They make this very plain with pupils, staff and parents. They record any incidents of poor behaviour rigorously and work positively with parents and agencies to support pupils’ well-being.  Pupils say that bullying happens rarely, and have confidence in their teachers to sort out any concerns. Parents say that teachers and leaders contact them promptly about any worries.  Most parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, feel that children are happy and safe in school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons varies because some teachers and teaching assistants have higher expectations of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour than others. Not all teachers follow the recently introduced behaviour policy.  Some pupils struggle to concentrate on learning during lessons. This limits their progress and, at times, disturbs the flow of lessons.  While the large majority of parents who completed Parent View feel children are well behaved, some express concerns.  Most pupils have responded positively to higher expectations of their behaviour in lessons. They know how they should behave and understand the implications of misbehaving. They behave well and get on with their work in lessons.  Most pupils listen carefully and respectfully during assemblies. They move around the school and between classrooms quietly and sensibly. They respond promptly to adults’ instructions and there is an orderly

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Behaviour

atmosphere. Pupils play happily, safely and sensibly during playtimes.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Historical weaknesses in teaching have caused significant underachievement and have left gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Standards at the end of key stage 2 declined substantially in 2015 to levels much lower than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The quality of teaching is not sufficiently strong to ensure that all groups of pupils achieve well, and gaps in pupils’ learning continue to hinder their progress.  Pupils do not make sufficient gains in mathematics. Variations in the quality of teaching mean that pupils’ progress is patchy at times. Pupils do not make sufficiently rapid or secure progress in learning fundamental calculation skills because of inconsistencies in the way these aspects are taught.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make variable progress according to the quality of teaching in different classes. Pupils make good progress where teachers and teaching assistants are

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

confident about what they need to do to meet pupils’ individual needs and regularly check that the extra help they provide is working. However, pupils make slower progress where teaching is less effective.  Teaching is not of a sufficiently high quality across the school to ensure that the most able make good progress and achieve their best. While improvements in teaching ensure that the most able pupils make good progress in reading and writing, too few make the same rapid progress in mathematics.  Developments in teaching since the previous inspection lifted pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 1 in 2015. Standards rose substantially to match national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, disadvantaged pupils’ attainment improved substantially and the proportion of pupils achieving the highest levels increased markedly in all subjects. These improvements ensured that pupils were well

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

prepared for the next stage of their education in key stage 2.  Pupils make much better progress in English than they have done for some time. As a result, the proportion working at expected levels in reading and writing has risen sharply in every year group during the past year. Pupils have made rapid progress during the year in learning how to edit and improve their written work. They write competently and convincingly for different purposes and audiences.  Pupils use different strategies to read successfully, including phonics (the sound letters make), and speak with interest and maturity about the books they read. Consistent, well-planned phonics teaching ensures that they quickly acquire fundamental reading and writing skills. The proportion of pupils achieving expected levels in the Year 1 phonics check dipped to levels below the national average in 2015. More pupils are currently on track to achieve expected levels in 2015.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Disadvantaged pupils make faster progress than previously and often make better progress than other pupils in the school, particularly in English. Improved phonics teaching ensures that disadvantaged pupils acquire reading and writing skills at least as well as their classmates, with more on track to reach expected levels in the Year 1 phonics check than in previous years. In some cases, high-quality teaching and skilful support have secured dramatic gains in individual pupils’ academic and personal development. However, some pupils’ progress fluctuates where teaching is not consistently effective.  Pupils new to speaking English do at least as well as their classmates. They quickly acquire English skills and contribute fully during lessons.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Teaching in early years is too variable to secure children’s good progress. A number of staffing changes since the previous inspection have made it difficult for leaders to secure consistently good teaching and learning during early years. This is reflected in the fact that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development declined in 2015 to below the national average.  Teachers’ expectations of children’s learning are not consistently high enough. They do not provide activities which strengthen and develop children’s understanding sufficiently, including for the most able.  Adults do not use activities in the outdoor area as fully as they could to reinforce learning and to ensure that all children are stimulated and challenged to do their best.  Teachers’ assessments of children’s progress are not always accurate, leading to an overgenerous view of teaching and learning.  Some adults are not as confident about teaching number as they are about teaching language and

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Early years provision requires improvement

literacy skills. As a result, children make slower progress in mathematics than they do in English.  Children enjoy school and behave well in the early years. They are happy and safe and get on well together. Clear routines and strong relationships help children to settle into school quickly.  Adults are caring and reassuring. They provide plenty of reassurance and praise so that children feel comfortable and secure.  Improvements in teaching have increased children’s progress during the current year. There is some good teaching in early years. For example, teachers plan effective and engaging activities in the classrooms which build well on children’s knowledge and understanding, particularly in reading and writing.  Children make good progress in developing language and literacy skills. Children currently in Reception are well prepared with the fundamental reading and writing skills needed to learn successfully in Year 1.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Leaders use pupil premium funding appropriately to support disadvantaged children’s development. For example, they have updated and replaced equipment in the outdoor area to give children more opportunities to develop language and number skills through play. However, adults do not yet use these good-quality resources fully to support learning.

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School details

Unique reference number 116112 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 10012241

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 580 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Ward Headteacher Rossanna Hutchison Telephone number 02380 448962 Website www.weston-park.org.uk Email address info@weston-park.org.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 February 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is higher than that found in most schools. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after.  Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average but has increased since the previous inspection.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above the national average.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school provides full-time, early years provision in four Reception classes.  The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning in 28 lessons or part-lessons, including seven observed jointly with a senior leader.  The inspection team held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders, two local authority representatives, teachers, members of staff, parents and pupils. A meeting also took place with the chair of the governing body and one other governor.  The inspection team took account of 23 responses to Parent View. In addition, they considered the views expressed by parents who spoke with them informally during the school day. They also took account of the views expressed in 48 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and attendance, and safeguarding policies.  The inspection team looked at a sample of pupils’ work provided by the school, as well as looking at

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ work in lessons. They also listened to pupils in year 2 and Year 6 reading.

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Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Marcia Goodwin Ofsted Inspector Lea Hannam 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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