Pembroke Park Primary School

Pembroke Park Primary School Devizes Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 9LY

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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This is a good school

 Leadership provided by the headteacher and senior leaders is impressive. Improvements to pupils’ progress, the quality of teaching and pupils’ behaviour are striking.  The headteacher’s quiet but steely determination for all to succeed has enabled the school to improve rapidly since the last inspection.  A culture of collective trust, teamwork and togetherness is evident in all aspects of the school’s work. Staff at all levels act on feedback and work alongside each other to improve their practice.  Systems to check that planned actions are having the desired impact are comprehensive. A very broad range of evidence is used to plan the next steps in the school’s journey of improvement.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils are proud of their school. Attitudes to learning are positive.  Children in the early years get off to a flying start. Excellent links with the Nursery ensure that

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This is a good school

children’s transition to Reception is seamless.  Teaching is of a good quality overall. Teachers routinely plan lessons that provide a good level of challenge for pupils of all abilities. Teachers’ expectations of pupils are high.  Teaching also promotes pupils’ good learning habits so they are able to reflect on their learning and improve their skills. Pupils work well together and are keen to share their achievements.  Pupils’ progress from their starting points has rapidly improved and is now good. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are now typically average and improving quickly.  The curriculum provides a good range of experiences that stimulate pupils’ interest and thirst for knowledge. High-quality plans are in place to develop the curriculum in mathematics even further.  Governors’ strong decisions are securing the future success of the school.  Parents are fulsome in their praise for the

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This is a good school

improvements that have been made at the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Monitoring does not always identify pupils’ gains in knowledge, skills and understanding so leaders can precisely evaluate the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning.  Middle leaders are not yet playing a full role in driving improvements.  Older pupils’ basic spelling, punctuation and grammar skills lag behind other subjects.

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement further by systematically developing pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar skills.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by: – developing the curriculum for mathematics to further enhance pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills – ensuring the impact of middle leaders is maximised by fully involving them in monitoring activities and in using their findings to drive improvements – monitoring the impact of teaching on gains to pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding more precisely.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Significant improvements to the quality of teaching, pupils’ progress and their behaviour have taken place since the previous inspection in February 2015. Leaders, staff, parents, pupils and governors are rightly proud of their collective efforts to transform the quality of education at the school.  The school is led by a determined headteacher. His depth of knowledge and ambition are used to set the aspirational tone for all. Senior leaders support the headteacher in this mission well. Together, they ensure that their strengths are maximised and pupils’ learning continues to improve.  Improving teaching so that it is never less than good is the core purpose of senior leaders’ work. High- quality training, coaching and mentoring for all staff, regardless of their career stage, enhances their skills and ensures all know pupils’ academic and personal needs well. Staff welcome the optional training

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

available which many attend in their own time, voluntarily. A culture of togetherness, teamwork and collective improvement exists.  Systems to improve, monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching are wide-ranging. A very broad range of information, including lesson observations, book scrutiny, progress meetings with teachers, data tracking, external moderation and quarterly review by the trust, contributes well to the evidence base. Clear guidance is used on which to evaluate the quality of teaching. Occasionally, monitoring the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning does not identify what pupils know, understand and can do across different subjects. The findings from monitoring activities, in terms of gains to pupils’ knowledge, skills or understanding, are not always used to improve learning for specific groups of pupils.  Middle leaders are clear in their view that they are well supported and held rigorously to account for their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

work. All are keen to play an active part in the school’s journey of improvement. Some are yet to have a full impact in their areas of responsibility because they are not fully involved in monitoring activities and using their findings to drive improvements.  The curriculum enables all groups of pupils to pursue their own interests and academic developments. Work in pupils’ books shows a good range of interesting tasks. Topics, such as ‘Africa’ and ‘Old Sarum,’ capture pupils’ imagination and promote their curiosity. The effectiveness of the curriculum is reflected in the rapid improvement to pupils’ progress. Leaders have developed good-quality plans to improve the curriculum in mathematics in order to further enhance pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education contributes well to the welcoming ethos at the school. A strong emphasis on learning behaviours develops pupils’ skills of reflection well.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Pupils are increasingly reflective about matters of personal responsibility as well as their academic work and progress. Pupils’ understanding of British values is enhanced when wider experiences are blended with rich local topics, such as the local cultural heritage of Sarum Castle. Pupils’ leadership skills develop well through participation in a wide range of opportunities, including the school council, eco-committee or play-leader roles.  The school is clear and precise in how it uses the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. All pupils who benefit from this funding are supported well through programmes of intervention or additional challenge. Their progress is similar to or better than other pupils at the school. Historical gaps in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are almost entirely eradicated.  Funding to increase pupils’ participation in physical activity and improve their performance in physical

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

education and sport is used well. A large proportion of pupils across the school take part in competitive sports. The broad range of activities and clubs, including marathon running, is raising pupils’ interests and breadth of experience well.  Parental satisfaction with the school is high. The large majority of parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, indicated that they would recommend the school to another parent. Parents spoken to, when arriving with their children to school or representing the parent forum, were also highly positive about the school.  The governance of the school – Governors bring a high level of skill and professional expertise to inform and enhance the school’s development. Their partnership work with the trust and school leaders is rapidly improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. Governors understand the information they are presented with well

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and use it to construct good improvement plans. Success criteria are checked regularly and used to monitor the improvements being made as well as to hold senior leaders to account. Strong and decisive actions to appoint the headteacher and develop provision for nursery-aged children are strengthening governors’ overall contribution to the leadership of the school. – Governors are knowledgeable about how well the school is performing and the quality of teaching. Detailed data analyses are frequently used to check the quality of teaching. The use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is closely monitored. A range of information is used alongside external evaluations by the trust to check on improvements. However, findings do not always get to the heart of the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Record-keeping is well maintained and meets all current

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

requirements. Support for vulnerable pupils is highly detailed and personalised. Very close liaison with outside agencies ensures that all pupils are catered for with care and attention to detail. Staff are well trained and experienced in dealing with complex issues. E-safety takes a high priority through assemblies and the curriculum. Risk assessments are comprehensive, including for those pupils who have specific learning or physical needs. Staff act as effective role models for pupils. In turn, pupils use this model in the way they talk, act and treat each other.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Good teaching is underpinned by teachers’ high expectations and good knowledge of the subjects they teach and of pupils’ learning needs. Most teachers use this good knowledge to plan lessons that effectively meet the needs of most pupils. High expectations of pupils’ behaviour and learning are enabling all groups to make good progress from their starting points.  Interesting and engaging activities motivate pupils in their learning. Pupils are active in working things out for themselves because they are keen and eager to learn. Planned activities to promote pupils’ skills in reflection and review are developing pupils’ qualities in checking on their learning effectively.  Teachers make effective use of the ‘chilli challenge’ approach in mathematics. Pupils select their own level of challenge, for example when learning about calculations. Different activities increase the level of challenge. As pupils succeed at one level, they can quickly choose a harder challenge to progress quickly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

in their learning without wasting any time. Pupils enjoy this approach and are enthusiastic about mathematics.  Not all teachers have a good understanding of the new requirements for the national curriculum in mathematics. Some activities develop pupils’ conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction alongside their proficient fluency in formal calculation methods well. Questioning such as ‘How do you know? Why do you think that? What do we know about how numbers work to solve this?’ challenges pupils to make good progress in developing their reasoning skills. However, this is not always evident in all classes and year groups.  Teachers respond well to feedback and guidance offered by leaders. They are keen and eager to improve their practice further. Parents spoken to recognise these positive features and the improvements that have been secured.  The school has a marking policy which teachers follow carefully. Pupils are clear about what they need to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

do to make improvements to their work and sustain their good progress. During lessons, adults check pupils’ learning by observing, talking and listening to pupils. Pupils are clear about how to act upon any points provided.  The teaching of writing has several strengths. Interesting topics help pupils to write in different forms accurately using text structures that are organised well for their specific purpose. Work in books shows pupils have a good understanding and knowledge of different genres of writing and text types. Pupils’ progress from their starting points in this aspect of their writing is strong.  Progress in pupils’ accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar is less rapid, especially for those who are in key stage 2. Teachers’ planning and assessment do not pay close enough attention to this aspect of pupils’ work so it also improves rapidly. In addition, pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not required to use their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

phonics (letters and the sounds they make) knowledge well enough to spell all words accurately when writing.  Other adults play a vital part in the success of the school. They provide high-quality support and challenge in lessons, helping with basic English and mathematical skills as well as subjects across the curriculum. Around the school, they support pupils during lunchtime, assist with supervision at break and run additional clubs.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils have a well-developed understanding of how to be a successful learner. In lessons, they discuss their learning in a considered and thoughtful manner. Pupils’ good understanding of different views is reflected in the supportive way they work and learn together.  Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They engage with enthusiasm in the school’s approach to learning which is based on them ‘finding out’ for themselves. The strong emphasis the school places on self- and peer-review is helping pupils to understand their learning and what they need to improve well.  The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View reported that they feel their child is safe in school. Pupils also report that they feel safe at all times. Pupils spoken to showed a deep understanding of what it means to say you feel safe.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils report that they feel very safe because aspects of safety feature strongly in the school’s curriculum, such as how to light fires at the Forest School. Pupils have a mature and well-developed understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations in and out of school. They have been taught how to keep safe when using new technologies and are confident about what to do and who to talk to if they feel unsure about something.  Care for those pupils who need additional support is thorough and well documented. Strong working relationships with a range of outside agencies, such as social care, help to ensure the safety of these pupils.  Pupils can explain how to keep themselves healthy, including through healthy eating and physical exercise. Sport plays a growing part in the life of the school. An increasing number of pupils participate in healthy activities and competitive sports matches. Many older pupils help with sports clubs and

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Personal development and welfare

successfully encourage even greater participation from their younger peers.  Pupils play their part as caring and active citizens within the school and beyond, in the community. For example, pupils respond keenly to the community awards they receive for acts of goodwill. This contributes strongly towards their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils behave well during the school day, including at break and lunchtime. As they move around the school, most pupils are orderly, calm and polite, readily opening doors for visitors.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is typically good. It is rare that any lessons are interrupted by incidents of low-level disruptive behaviour. This reflects a marked improvement and the school’s effective strategies to promote high standards of conduct. Occasionally, when activities do not link to previous learning, a few pupils lack interest and drift away from their learning, off task.  Pupils, including those in the early years, display positive attitudes to learning across a range of subjects. Those who spoke with the inspectors in lessons, around the school and in meetings were positive about their experiences at school. Pupils are welcoming of the way the school looks after them and prepares

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Behaviour

them for life after Pembroke, and beyond school.  The inclusive school culture and ethos permeates all aspects of the school’s work, including daily teaching. Pupils develop a mature approach to managing their own learning behaviour. Their well- developed reflection skills, teamwork and ability to cooperate with each other play a strong part in their academic achievement and personal development.  Incidents of bullying have reduced dramatically. Pupils are very confident that any issue, no matter how minor, will be dealt with. A close working relationship with parents and effective liaison with outside agencies acts as a strong support in tackling any poor behaviour.  Parents and staff are unanimous in their opinion that pupils’ behaviour has dramatically improved.  School leaders’ work to improve pupils’ attendance and reduce rates of persistent absence is proving successful, although they recognise there will always be work to be done in this area.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Published school data does not reflect the dramatic improvements to the performance of pupils currently at the school. Historically weak teaching over several years resulted in a legacy of underachievement, low attainment and poor progress by pupils. These issues have now almost entirely been eradicated. Current pupils’ progress is rapid and attainment is rising across the school.  School assessment information and analysis of pupils’ work indicate the proportion of pupils making expected and better than expected progress from their starting points is above the national average. Previous underachievement has been rigorously tackled and pupils have more than caught up on lost ground.  The excellent foundation pupils received during the early years is built upon substantially during key stage 1. Here, the foundations for higher achievement later in the school are being embedded. Programmes to overcome social and emotional barriers to learning during Years 1 and 2 are also successful. As a result,

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 1 is average and improving.  The good rates of progress for all groups of pupils currently at the school reflect the school’s successful efforts to ensure that the quality of teaching is strong across the school. With only minor variations year to year, due to the different cohort sizes, disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve equally as well as all other pupils. The progress of disadvantaged pupils and those pupils supported by additional funding is in line with other pupils in the school and nationally.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability, including those in the specialist provision, are catered for very well. They receive personalised support and challenge during daily lessons. Close liaison with external specialists and agencies enables bespoke academic plans to be made. These are delivered

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Outcomes for pupils are good

with high quality. Consequently, these pupils make rapid gains in confidence and thrive academically, progressing at similar rates to their peers.  The small number of most-able pupils respond enthusiastically to the stimulating challenges presented to them. Older pupils are provided with additional challenge when working with other pupils in local schools or from the trust. Teachers use feedback well to extend pupils’ learning, for example to ‘write a contrasting paragraph’.  Pupils’ early reading skills develop rapidly due to the systematic approach adopted. Boys and disadvantaged pupils make especially quick progress in this aspect of their learning. Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics check has improved dramatically and is now above the national average. However, the rigorous teaching of phonics is not always built upon successfully further up the school. Older pupils’ spelling, punctuation and formal grammar skills lag behind other aspects of learning. Errors are not

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Outcomes for pupils are good

always picked up or acted upon.  The attainment of pupils currently in Year 6 remains below the national average for reading, writing and mathematics. A high proportion of pupils in this relatively small group have significant additional needs or challenging personal circumstances. Nevertheless, they are making good progress from their starting points at the school.  Parents are now electing to send their children to Pembroke Park following local recommendations. A large number of pupils arrive during key stage 2 following unhappy school experiences elsewhere. Regardless of their starting points, need or ability, pupils rapidly make up any lost ground from the moment they start.  Pupils make equally strong progress in all subjects. Most teachers use their good subject knowledge of writing to plan tasks that enable pupils to practise their skills in other areas. Year 1 pupils wrote confidently using adjectives to describe how the ‘big elephant stood on the sharp thorn’ when studying

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Outcomes for pupils are good

Africa. Older pupils carefully considered expanded noun phrases when creating a report for the topic ‘Who’s in the graveyard’, a significant piece of local history.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The leadership of the early years is outstanding. Leaders ensure that children get off to a flying start through highly effective liaison with the Nursery. Close working and sharing of information using consistent policies and procedures means that the transition process for children who move into the Reception class and on into Year 1 is seamless.  Staff are careful and thorough in safeguarding children. They work carefully with parents to make sure that children’s personal and emotional needs are developed just as effectively as their academic learning. Children are very knowledgeable about aspects of safety. Their attitudes and resilience to tackling new activities and learning are impressive.  Staff develop very supportive relationships with and between children. As a result, children relish the chances they get to learn with and from each other. This underpins their highly successful progress

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Early years provision is outstanding

during the early years, especially in developing their communication, language and literacy skills from starting points well below those typically found. For example, children avidly labelled the internal parts of a body using their knowledge of phonics. The proportion of children who reach the expected standard by the end of Reception, including those who are disadvantaged or supported by additional funding, is above the national average.  Children also make large gains in developing their self-confidence and readiness to learn. Children greatly enjoy their learning and behave extremely well. This is because they are equally included in a stimulating range of indoor and outdoor learning experiences.  The Forest School adds considerably to children’s positive experience. Children develop their imagination and an awareness of space when climbing trees and branches. They learn about safety when collecting

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Early years provision is outstanding

firewood or lighting fires.  Children learn equally well when choosing their own practical work. This is because adults watch and listen carefully to each child during activities. The moment any child shows any sign of becoming disengaged, staff act swiftly to support. If necessary, staff adapt an activity, prompt a further challenge or move on to a different activity to restore or maintain their interest. Children’s progress throughout the early years is therefore rapid and they are very well prepared for Year 1.  Teachers and teaching assistants use the information they know about children to carefully adapt plans and promote the next steps in each child’s learning journey and develop their interests. Staff noticed that children’s fine motor control skills required improvement so planned activities to promote this aspect of physical development. The sharp focus on ‘malleables’, ‘disco dough’ and ‘funky fingers’ is proving

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School details

Unique reference number 139386 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 10011695

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 232 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Trevor Branch Headteacher Matthew Sambrook Telephone number 01722 324050 Website http://pembrokeparkschool.co.uk/ Email address head@pembrokeparkprimary.net Date of previous inspection 26–27 February 2015

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Information about this school

 Pembroke Park Primary School is a sponsored academy and part of The Education Fellowship multi- academy trust. The Education Fellowship is responsible for 12 schools in Wiltshire and Northamptonshire.  The school is similar in size to the average primary school. A much higher than average number of pupils join or leave the school other than at the normal times.  The early years comprises two Reception classes of four- and five-year-olds who attend full time, and a part-time Nursery class for children aged three and four.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic backgrounds is average and rising.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (this is additional government money to support pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is similar to the

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Information about this school

national average. A small number of pupils receive a services premium; this is additional funding to support children in services families.  The Kestrel Learning Centre is located at the school. This is a specialist provision for pupils who have special educational needs, placed by Wiltshire local authority. These pupils are integrated into school classes and events wherever appropriate. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability in the school as a whole is well above average.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school meets the government’s current floor target in 2015, which sets out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ learning was observed across all classes jointly with the headteacher or other senior leaders. A series of short visits to classes was undertaken to observe the teaching of phonics, mathematics and writing across the school. Inspectors looked in depth at a range of work in pupils’ books. In addition, inspectors listened to several children reading and attended an assembly.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other senior leaders and six members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors met with representatives from The Education Fellowship trust. Inspectors met with two groups of pupils and spoke informally with many in lessons and around the school.  The views of 22 parents and carers expressed through the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the findings of the school’s own questionnaire to parents were analysed. Discussions were held with a

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Information about this inspection

number of parents when they brought their children into school and a meeting was held with a representative group of the parent forum.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including information on pupils’ attainment and progress, the school’s improvement plans and minutes of the governing body. The school’s records of the monitoring of teaching and information on the management of teachers’ performance were analysed. Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils, including records relating to the behaviour and exclusions of pupils, were examined.

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Inspection team

Richard Light, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Deborah Marklove 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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