West Green Primary School

West Green Primary School West Green Drive, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 7EL

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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

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

 Despite recent improvements, the quality of teaching is not yet consistently good and pupils do not achieve as well as they should in reading, writing or mathematics.  Teachers do not always provide pupils with work that is hard enough and this slows the progress of pupils, particularly the most able pupils.  Boys do not do as well as girls in writing, while girls are behind boys in mathematics.  There is insufficient guidance provided for pupils about how their work may be improved. There are too few occasions when pupils respond to guidance where it is provided by teachers.  Pupils do not always behave as well as they should. In some lessons they are not responsive while in less challenging lessons, they fidget and chat among themselves.  Children in the early years are not always provided with activities that are purposeful and help them to learn and develop.  Subjects other than English and mathematics are

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This is a school that requires improvement

not taught in any great depth and so pupils do not build their skills in other subjects.  Some subject leaders do not make sharp enough use of all information to set targets for improvement and to support their colleagues.

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The school has the following strengths

 Senior leaders and governors have established a clear plan for improvement. They have already introduced actions that are improving teaching and raising standards.  Teachers welcome the various ways in which leaders are helping them to improve their skills.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are provided with effective support that helps them to make good progress.  The school provides good-quality care and support for disadvantaged pupils and those pupils whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is effective and contributes to pupils’ good development of early reading skills.  New leaders and governors are ambitious. They have brought stability to the school after a period of change.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, learning and assessment, including in early years, to raise achievement for all pupils by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

raising teachers’ expectations for what pupils should achieve ensuring that assessment is accurate and used effectively to plan work that is at the right level for pupils, including the most able pupils making sure that pupils develop basic skills in writing and mathematics to increase their fluency, accuracy and competence when learning these subjects providing more opportunities for pupils, particularly girls, to apply their mathematical skills to solve problems and to develop their reasoning in order to deepen their understanding developing pupils’, particularly boys’, writing skills by increasing times for them to write when learning other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

developing the skills of all leaders so they play a wider role in monitoring the performance of colleagues so they can challenge weaker performance making sharper use of all available information to pinpoint specific areas in need of improvement developing the curriculum to allow pupils to build and extend their skills across all subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Although school leaders and governors are taking action to improve teaching, it is still too early to see the impact of those actions. Consequently, pupils, particularly those in key stage 2, do not achieve as well as they should. Outcomes for pupils remain variable between classes and subjects.  Some leaders are new to their roles and do not yet play a key role in checking the work of other teachers. They do not make sharp enough use of all available information to allow them to pinpoint specific weaknesses and aspects of the school’s work that most need to be improved.  There is too little depth to the teaching of subjects other than English and mathematics. Work in pupils’ topic books shows that they do not develop their skills in subjects such as science, history and geography systematically. Often the activities they are asked to do fail to build on previous learning and so they make slow progress in these subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Since joining the school in September last year, the headteacher has brought about key changes to the school. He is ambitious and is changing the culture of the school to instil a sense of purpose among staff and pupils. He has introduced a programme of training and development to help teachers to improve their skills. Teachers welcome this and speak highly of the support they are given. Consequently, teaching is improving.  There is a close working partnership between the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Together, they have reviewed all aspects of the school’s work and have set high expectations for both staff and pupils. Teachers feel valued and they make a good contribution to the development of the school. Staff morale is high.  School leaders have reorganised the way in which pupil premium funding is used. This was in response to a growing gap in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils. Funding is now targeted

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

more precisely towards the needs of individual pupils so that their particular needs may be met. School performance information shows that the gap is now closing as the school meets the academic, social and emotional needs of disadvantaged pupils more effectively.  There is a good range of extra activities both within and outside the classroom that contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils visit local places of interest, including the local international airport, as well as visiting places further afield.  School and class assemblies provide pupils with opportunities to reflect on values including democracy, respect and tolerance and so prepare them well for life in modern Britain. Pupils from all backgrounds get on well together, reflecting the school’s work to promote equality of opportunity. Discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated.  Physical education is given high priority within the school. Use of the additional funding for sports

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

coaching for both pupils and teachers has given pupils access to a wider range of activities. Pupils thoroughly enjoy more opportunities to take part in competitions with pupils from other schools.  The school has responded positively to the support provided by the local authority. Teachers attend training within the locality partnership and bring in advisers to work with staff on an individual basis. This has supported school leaders to raise standards by improving the quality of teaching.  Staff, parents and governors are fully supportive of the headteacher and have confidence in his ability to continue to improve the school. Inspectors agree that current leaders and governors are well placed to bring about the required improvements.  The governance of the school The governing body has undergone significant change since the previous inspection. They have quickly established effective working practices to provide an appropriate balance of support and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

challenge to school leaders. They visit school regularly both in a formal capacity as well as helping in classrooms by listening to pupils read. They know the school well and point to previous inadequacies in teaching for the poor performance of Year 6 pupils in the national tests in 2015. Governors are fully supportive of school leaders’ actions to improve teaching. Minutes from governors’ meetings show that they provide a high level of professional challenge to leaders regarding pupils’ achievement. Governors are well organised and ensure they meet all statutory responsibilities. They keep a careful check on finances and ensure that additional funding, including that for disadvantaged pupils, is spent well.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The safety of pupils is given a high priority. Staff have had recent up-to-date training in all aspects of child protection and know exactly what to do should a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

concern be raised. The school works closely with external agencies to support pupils and families whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable. Risk assessments and fire drills take place regularly and governors conduct termly visits to ensure the school site is safe and secure.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 There is not yet enough consistently good teaching to secure good progress for all pupils. Consequently pupils make uneven progress as they move through the school. Teaching is stronger in key stage 1 but improvements in key stage 2 are beginning to emerge.  Teachers do not all make sharp enough use of assessment information to plan work for pupils. This means that sometimes work is too easy, particularly for the most able pupils. Some teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are not high enough and they do not present pupils with a high enough level of challenge in lessons.  In some lessons, teachers do not provide pupils with enough resources or equipment to help them to learn. In other lessons, there are too few occasions when teachers demonstrate clearly to pupils what it is they want pupils to do and this leaves pupils confused and unable to complete their work.  School leaders have introduced a new marking policy but this is not yet consistently implemented by all

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

teachers. Although staff provide feedback to pupils, there are too few occasions when pupils respond to this feedback to learn from their mistakes. Some teachers accept poor-quality work and do not challenge pupils to do better, and this slows their progress.  There are good relationships between teachers and pupils and in some classes pupils are expected to work hard. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils made good progress in learning to measure and draw angles accurately. This was because the teacher had good subject knowledge and she used the interactive whiteboard effectively to demonstrate how to use a protractor correctly.  Some teachers are skilled in finding ways to stimulate pupils’ imaginations and curiosity. For example, in Year 2, the classroom has been set up as an air raid shelter to help pupils to learn about life in the Second World War. A local resident, who was evacuated as a child, visited the class to share her

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

experiences with the pupils. Pupils were fascinated with what she had to say and gained an insight into what life for some children was like in those times.  Teaching assistants are well trained and provide good support to both pupils and teachers. They work with a range of pupils according to their needs at the time. Often they work with pupils who have special educational needs and disability by breaking learning down into smaller steps and helping these pupils to make good progress.  In some lessons, teachers regularly check on pupils’ progress and provide additional help and guidance so that pupils progress well. They challenge pupils with questions calling for higher-order skills such as reasoning and applying their learning in new situations. For example, pupils in Year 6 were challenged to form their own conclusions about an event shown to them on a silent video clip. This was a challenging

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

activity and pupils demonstrated thoughtful responses as they suggested what might have taken place.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff care very much for pupils and they provide good-quality care for them. The school has a number of pupils who struggle to cope with some aspects of school life. Staff are sensitive to their needs and give them the right sort of emotional support.  Pupils get on well together and show respect towards the views and opinions of others. In assembly, they learn about the qualities that help people to get on well together and this helps them to develop tolerance and understanding towards those from other backgrounds.  Pupils feel safe in school. They know about different forms of bullying, including that relating to modern technology, but they say it is rare. They understand that they should not give out personal information when using the internet and that they should inform an adult if anything should make them uncomfortable.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils know how to stay safe from dangers outside school. They learn about the need to stay safe from dangers associated with roads and water. They know that tobacco and some non-medicinal drugs can be harmful.  Most pupils have positive attitudes to work and take pride in their achievements. Where teachers’ expectations are high, they present work to a good standard. However, not all teachers demand enough from pupils, and in these classes the quality of work in pupils’ books is untidy and poorly presented.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. In some lessons they do not always demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning. This is particularly the case where work provided for them is too easy or too hard. In these lessons, pupils do not readily respond to teachers or they call out when the teacher is speaking.  Some pupils can become boisterous in the playground and need support from staff to help them to modify their behaviour. A few pupils have difficulty in managing their behaviour when not under direct supervision from adults, particularly during breaktimes.  Pupils in class are polite and friendly. Pupils like the new systems leaders have put into place to manage behaviour and understand the rewards and sanctions.  Pupils get on well together regardless of background. They say that staff treat pupils fairly and that there is no discrimination.  Attendance is above average for all groups of pupils and there have been few exclusions in recent years.

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Behaviour

 Parents who responded to the online survey, Parent View, believe that their children are safe in school and that they behave well. Governors and staff agree with this view.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 The progress of pupils currently in the school is not yet consistently good. There are variations in pupils’ rates of progress both between classes and between subjects. Overall, this means that pupils across the school do not all achieve as well as they should, given their different starting points. Pupils are adequately prepared for the next stage of their education.  Pupils make better progress in reading and writing than they do in mathematics. In some mathematics lessons, the level of work provided for pupils is too easy and presents insufficient challenge, particularly for the most able pupils. Some pupils have poor recall of number facts and this slows their progress in lessons. Some girls are reluctant to take part in whole-class teaching and so they do not always make as much progress as boys in class.  Pupils’ progress in writing varies between classes and so they do not achieve as well as they should.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

Some pupils have a legacy of poor basic skills and they struggle to record their ideas clearly and fluently. There are too few occasions when pupils practise writing when learning other subjects, and this prevents them from consolidating their skills. Boys enjoy class discussion in preparation for writing but they lack confidence in setting their ideas down on paper.  Disadvantaged pupils now make progress at equal rates to their classmates. The school has reviewed the way in which the additional funding is spent so it has tailored support to meet their academic as well as social and personal needs. Current school attainment information shows few gaps between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils and that remaining gaps are rapidly closing.  Provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability enables them to achieve well. They are sometimes provided with individual help in class by trained teaching assistants or given special

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

programmes of work that help them to overcome specific difficulties. Their progress is carefully checked to help them to catch up with their classmates.  Pupils make good progress in learning phonics because lessons are well structured, briskly paced and carefully planned to meet pupils’ needs. Consequently, by the end of Year 2, pupils have developed a range of skills, including phonics, to help them to read accurately and fluently and with good understanding. By the end of Year 6, pupils read widely and often, although some have mixed attitudes towards reading and struggle to identify the types and authors of books they enjoy.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Children in the early years do not achieve as well as they should. Recent initiatives to improve provision in the early years have not had time to bring about necessary changes.  Assessment information is not always used to plan activities for children that extend their learning and development. There are times when activities lack clarity and purpose and so children are unsure about what they are expected to do. During independent activities, some children, mainly boys, spend too long running around the outdoor area and so do not make progress in other areas of learning.  While some teaching assistants provide good support to children by asking questions that develop their learning, there is variability, with some acting more as supervisors rather than helping children to learn.  Some children lose concentration during whole-class teaching sessions. This is because there is sometimes a lack of structure and purpose and children are unclear about what they were expected to

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Early years provision requires improvement

learn. The scope of some lessons is too broad and so some children, particularly those who speak English as an additional language, do not fully understand their work and make slow progress.  Some small-group teaching is effective. This happens when the teacher plans activities with a clear view as to what she wants the children to learn. For example, in one lesson she used resources very effectively to demonstrate the concept of sharing a given number between children. She ensured that children understood ‘equal’ as ‘the same’ and her careful questioning enabled them to make links with halving and doubling.  The early years environment has been improved with good-quality resources both indoors and outside. Consequently children feel safe and they behave well. Children from all backgrounds play together happily and get on very well together. They listen to each other and are learning to share and to take turns.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths of provision and where further improvements are needed. She is taking swift action to address remaining gaps by measuring the impact on children’s learning and development. This is already leading to improvements in outcomes and so children are well prepared for Year 1.

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School details

Unique reference number 125826 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10009198

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 209 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jill Wilson Headteacher Andrew Hodgson Telephone number 01293 526 679 Website www.westgreen.w-sussex.sch.uk Email address admin@westgreen.w-sussex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 16 January 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools and has provision for children in the early years in one Reception class.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is broadly average. This is additional funding provided by the government to support those pupils who, in this school, are entitled to free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is about average.  The school failed to meet the government’s floor standards in 2015. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been significant changes to the teaching team since the previous inspection. The headteacher joined the school in September 2015.  There is a Nursery on-site that is managed by the governing body and is inspected separately.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils working in 14 lessons or parts of lessons, several of which were observed jointly with senior leaders. They attended two assemblies and they observed pupils in class and in the playground. Inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books and they listened to pupils reading in Year 2 and Year 6.  Meetings were held with school leaders, teachers and groups of pupils. Inspectors also met with four governors including the chair of governors. The lead inspector held a telephone discussion with an adviser from the local authority.  Among the documents scrutinised were school development plans, minutes from governors’ meetings and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety. Inspectors also looked at information regarding pupils’ learning and progress as well as their attendance.  The views of parents were taken into account by analysing the 28 responses to the online survey, Parent

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Information about this inspection

View, and written comments made by eight parents. The views of staff were considered by analysing the 15 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Hilary Goddard 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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