The Skegness Seathorne Primary School

The Skegness Seathorne Primary School Count Allen Road, Skegness, Lincolnshire PE25 1HB

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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 Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Much improved leadership and management have resulted in considerably better teaching and learning throughout the school. The great majority of parents and carers are fully supportive of the school.  Teaching over time and the use of assessment are good. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together and successfully meet the learning needs of pupils.  Work in pupils’ books and the school’s accurate records show that the progress of current pupils is good, especially in reading and mathematics.  Because leadership and management and the quality of teaching are now good, the school is well placed to continue to improve in the future.  Good relationships and a consistently implemented behaviour policy result in pupils behaving well and enjoying school.  Pupils, especially the older pupils, show a good understanding of British values. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and

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This is a good school

life beyond school.  Pupils concentrate in class, work hard and enjoy learning. They are polite and well mannered. Playtimes and assemblies are happy times and pupils behave well.  Children make a good start to their school life in the early years and, by the end of the Reception Year, are well prepared for Year 1.  Governance is much improved since the previous inspection. Governors now play their part in ensuring that the school is focused on raising pupils’ achievement and improving their personal development.  Pupils are kept safe and are well supported and cared for. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ attainment is not as strong in writing, especially in their extended writing, as in reading and mathematics.  Although improving, pupils’ attendance is below average.  In some classes, pupils do not take sufficient pride in the presentation of their work or develop their writing skills in other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership of teaching, so that pupils’ attainment in writing, particularly extended writing, accelerates by: providing more opportunities to celebrate and share pupils’ writing helping pupils understand the range of purposes in writing ensuring that, in all classes, pupils take pride in the presentation of their writing and develop their writing skills in other subjects, such as history and geography  Improve pupils’ personal development by increasing overall rates of attendance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders have worked effectively to address the issues raised at the previous inspection. The school has improved substantially over the last two years. Leaders, including governors, now know the school inside out and the school is well placed to continue to improve in the future.  The headteacher has worked tirelessly to ensure that governors, other leaders and all staff expect more and aim higher. She has established a united team which works to a common purpose of improving pupils’ achievement and their personal development. Pupils have responded well to these higher expectations and are much more confident that they can succeed.  Senior leaders, with good-quality support and challenge from the local authority, rigorously monitor the quality of teaching by both teachers and teaching assistants and tackle any weaknesses that occur. Staff appreciate the good-quality guidance and coaching they receive. Effective systems are in place to help

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

staff learn from each other and staff are continuing to improve their practice.  Leaders’ reports to teachers on their teaching and on the work in their pupils’ books are helpful to staff. These reports provide good guidance, but insufficient emphasis is placed in these reports on evaluating the progress of different groups of pupils in the class.  Staff training is followed up by checks by leaders to help ensure that all staff understand what is required and consistently adopt school policies. For example, staff have worked together on improving the guidance they give to pupils, through written marking and through feedback to pupils in lessons. Leaders’ follow-up checks have ensured that this aspect of teaching is now consistently good throughout the school and has helped accelerate the progress pupils make.  Key stage and subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator make a strong contribution

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to school improvement. They have a clear and accurate understanding of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility and have played an important part in improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment throughout the school. They take a strong role in checking that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ learning are accurate and reliable. This means that the school’s evaluations of pupils’ learning can be reliably used as a basis for allocating any additional support to pupils that is required.  The school uses pupil premium funding effectively to narrow the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils nationally. This additional funding is used mainly to provide additional teaching assistant support to these pupils. Additional support takes place, both in class and in special group or one-to-one sessions. This good level of personalised support helps accelerate the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

progress of the pupils who receive it.  Primary sports premium funding is also well used. There has been an increase in pupils’ participation in physical activities and sport, including inter-school competitions. Pupils enjoy the regular teaching provided by external sports coaches. Teachers work alongside coaches to improve their own teaching skills in sports and physical education.  The curriculum is effectively modified to meet the needs of all groups of pupils and the school is fully committed to providing equal opportunities for all. Not only those at risk of falling behind or those who have special educational needs or disability receive additional support for their learning, but also the most able receive their fair share of additional sessions. Also, those at the early stages of learning English are enabled to gain confidence quickly in spoken and written English because of the good-quality

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

support they receive.  The curriculum is also increasingly becoming more interesting and engaging for pupils. Pupils are being provided with additional experiences through residential and day visits, through visitors to school and through ‘wow days’, when a special theme is pursued throughout the school. The curriculum is also broad and pupils enjoy their regular Spanish lessons. The recently formed German after-school club is very well attended. Sports premium funding has been used to extend the sports and physical education curriculum not only within the school day, but also through after-school clubs.  The school’s curriculum provides good support for pupils’ personal development and welfare. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effectively nurtured through lessons and assemblies, alongside the school’s overall values and ethos. British values are promoted well through special event

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

days, in lessons when pupils learn about, for example, democracy, and through classroom displays and special assemblies. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The curriculum for reading and mathematics is more effective than that for writing. Insufficient opportunities occur for pupils to write for purposes relevant to them. For example, pupils’ personal extended writing is not prominent throughout the school. This means that chances are missed to exemplify and celebrate pupils’ achievement in writing and thereby inspire other pupils to enjoy writing, take more pride in their work and do their very best. Opportunities to develop the writing skills learned in English lessons in other subjects are insufficiently well organised and systematic and therefore lack consistency throughout the school.  The governance of the school The governing body has been re-constituted since the last inspection. Governance is now

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

considerably more effective and members of this small governing body have worked hard to ensure that they play their full role in leading the school. Governors not only support leaders well, but have developed good ways of holding leaders to account. They are adept at asking searching questions. They have an accurate and honest understanding of the performance of the school in comparison with that of other schools and are ambitious to ensure that the school serves its community and pupils as well as possible. Governors have a clear and accurate view of the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. They are successful in overseeing the school’s effective arrangements for managing teachers’ performance so that good teaching is recognised and weaknesses are addressed. Governors check that pupils’ personal development is also good; that pupils are kept safe, that safeguarding meets requirements and that procedures, policies and practices are kept up to date.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school works closely with parents and outside agencies to establish a safe and caring culture for pupils. Safeguarding, child protection and safe recruitment training are up to date and safeguarding arrangements fully meet requirements. Adults know how to respond any concerns and consequently pupils feel safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching and the use of assessment have improved throughout the school, including in the early years. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this to ensure that pupils are well taught and make good progress.  Throughout the school, teaching assistants are well trained and effectively deployed throughout the day. They provide particularly good additional support for disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have special educational needs or disability, those at the early stages of learning English and those identified as being at risk of falling behind. All these groups of pupils make good progress throughout the school.  The teaching of reading and mathematics has improved well and accounts for the better progress pupils are making throughout the school.  Staff, in all classrooms and other areas such as group rooms and the ‘Rainbow Room’ (a resource used to support pupils with their language development), develop a strong ethos for learning. Behaviour is

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

effectively managed and relationships are good. Positive attitudes to learning and enjoyment of school are encouraged. Pupils are now expected to work much harder and they respond well to these higher expectations.  Lessons are interesting and motivate pupils well so that they want to learn. Teachers question pupils carefully, give pupils time to discuss their answers and use their responses to deepen their understanding.  In all classes, staff regularly provide pupils with accurate feedback on their learning, both orally in lessons and when marking their work. This helps pupils overcome misconceptions and make good progress.  More is being done to stretch the most able, both in class lessons and in the regular additional sessions they receive. As a result, more pupils are making better than expected progress.  Although the teaching of writing has improved and pupils now make good progress, the teaching of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

extended writing is not as strong as that of spelling, grammar and punctuation. In some classes, teachers sometimes do not sufficiently inspire pupils to undertake extended writing. Also, teachers’ expectations of the presentation of work are not always high enough and some pupils take insufficient pride in their work, especially in their writing. Too few examples of high-quality pupils’ writing are available to pupils to show them the expected standards.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Support for pupils’ physical and emotional well-being is good. Pupils are well looked after and are happy and secure in school.  Pupils now aim higher and are clearer about what they need to do to be successful learners. They work hard, listen carefully and concentrate in lessons. They are good at working with each other and sharing views and opinions.  Both pupils and their parents are positive about how the school supports their personal development. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good because the school places appropriate emphasis on promoting this well.  Pupils learn to understand and adopt British values. For example, they understand why elections are held to select members of the school council. When talking to inspectors, pupils spoke sensitively about the importance of respecting those from other cultural traditions or with other beliefs.

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Personal development and welfare

 Many opportunities are provided for pupils to take on responsibilities for helping the school run smoothly, for example as play leaders or as learning mentors. Pupils carry out their roles in a mature and responsible fashion.  Pupils feel safe and act with respect for the safety of others. They show a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including on the internet, and are aware of ‘stranger danger’.  Pupils show a clear understanding of the various forms that bullying can take. They say that bullying is very rare in their school and are confident that staff will deal with any incidents of bullying that may arise.  In some classes, pupils take appropriate pride in their work and present their work well. However, this is not the case in all classes.  The school has worked hard to improve guidance for learning and the marking of pupils’ work. Consequently, many pupils show a clear understanding of where they should focus their efforts in order

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Personal development and welfare

to take the next steps in their learning.  The school has appropriately recognised the need to undertake further work to improve pupils’ understanding of issues such as homophobia and racism.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well in lessons and around the school and the school is a happy, calm and safe environment. Disruptions in lessons are rare and when these occur, incidents are effectively dealt with.  The school’s procedures for assuring good behaviour are comprehensive and well known to all staff and pupils. Good support is given to staff so that the effects of any disruptive behaviour that occurs are soon dealt with and so that the learning of others in the class is not interrupted.  Pupils say that behaviour is always good at their school and they know that a lot is expected of the way they conduct themselves.  The school has effective procedures to assure that pupils arrive at school on time and attend regularly, and rates of attendance have steadily improved. However, attendance remains below average and the school recognises the need to continue to work with parents to bring about further improvements in

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The school has been successful in raising pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. The work in pupils’ books and in lessons and the school’s accurate assessments show that progress over time has accelerated. Pupils are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school. Standards in writing, especially in extended writing, are not as high as in reading and mathematics.  Gaps in learning from previous underachievement are being filled and pupils are therefore well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Improved teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters represent) and better methods of teaching reading and spelling led to much improved results in the Year 1 national phonics screening last year. This year’s pupils are also doing well with their phonics.  By the end of Year 2 in 2015, attainment had improved on the 2014 results in national assessments in

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Outcomes for pupils are good

reading, writing and mathematics due to improved teaching. The current cohort of Year 2 pupils is doing well and has made good progress in Years 1 and 2.  In 2015, national assessments in reading, writing and mathematics, Year 6 results, improved well on those attained in 2014, but remained below average overall. In 2015, almost all Year 6 pupils made at least expected progress, with more achieving better than expected progress. Rates of progress have continued to improve this year, not only in Year 6, but in all year groups.  The school’s accurate records and work in pupils’ books indicate that progress is similarly good in other subjects, such as physical education, modern languages, science and history and geography. In Spanish lessons, pupils enjoy learning how to speak Spanish and about ways of life in another country. In games and physical education lessons and in science, they learn how to keep themselves fit and healthy. Pupils

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Outcomes for pupils are good

enjoy participating in exercise and sport.  Disadvantaged pupils are making much better progress than previously due to generally better teaching and also due to the effective spending of pupil premium funding. However, the school is aware that a gap still remains between the attainment of these pupils and that of other pupils nationally. The school is working effectively to continue to reduce this gap.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress throughout the school. Their needs are accurately identified and staff meet their needs well. Staff understand the needs of these pupils well, so that pupils are effectively challenged and supported.  The most able now make good progress throughout the school. In class and in additional sessions, these pupils are now more fully challenged and they enjoy rising to the school’s higher expectations.

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Early years provision is good

 Many children start the Nursery class with skills that are well below those typical for their age, particularly in their language and personal development. Effective arrangements, including links with parents, help them settle in quickly and they soon start to make good progress, but leave the Reception Year with below-average attainment.  The quality of teaching is good and prepares children well for Year 1. Early reading skills are well taught and the effective teaching of phonics helps children to make good progress in their early reading and spelling. The curriculum places appropriately strong emphasis on language acquisition and clear pronunciation.  All staff continually assess each child’s development accurately. These assessments are effectively used to match learning well to individual needs. This means that all children, including the most able and those who have special educational needs or disability, make good progress. The effective use of pupil

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Early years provision is good

premium funding and good-quality teaching help disadvantaged children make good progress in all areas of learning.  Children thoroughly enjoy school and develop positive attitudes to learning. They are proud of their work and keen to share it. They are expected to behave well and listen carefully. Children respond well to these expectations. The curriculum includes many opportunities to develop children’s imagination and speaking skills, both in the indoor areas and also outside.  The early years provision is well led and managed, not only by the early years leader, but also by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Senior leaders have a clear understanding of the progress of each individual child and work closely with early years staff to ensure that all children’s needs are met. Staff in the early years work consistently to the same ends and are an effective team.  The quality of personal guidance and care is good and children are kept safe and secure at school. They

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Early years provision is good

are happy and confident in their learning. Parents speak highly of provision in the early years and they are involved in their child’s learning from day one.  Communication with parents is regular, for example through weekly emails, and ‘learning journey’ books, but information on children’s learning is not always fully clear to parents.  Staff arrange a wide variety of interesting and purposeful activities to support children’s learning. Often staff give too much variety to children, which makes it more difficult for staff to work with children to move their learning forward.

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School details

Unique reference number 120476 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10009092

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 381 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Theresa Walker Headteacher Mandy Cherry Telephone number 01754 764689 Website www.seathorne.lincs.sch.uk Email address enquiries@seathorne.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 January 2014

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Information about this school

 In this larger than average-sized school, an average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average.  An above-average proportion of pupils join or leave the school at times other than the normal times of starting or leaving.  There is a well above-average proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium throughout the school. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is well above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The large majority of teachers and leaders have been appointed to their posts since the previous

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Information about this school

inspection.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. Some observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. In addition, a number of shorter visits were made to see particular aspects of the school’s work, such as the teaching of reading. A range of other school activities, including playtimes, lunchtimes and an assembly, were observed.  Inspectors scrutinised past and current work of pupils of different abilities in all year groups and heard some pupils reading.  The lead inspector met four governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. Inspectors analysed documents, including plans for school improvement and reports showing the school’s view of its own performance and safeguarding documents, as well as policies and records relating to personal development, behaviour, welfare, safety and attendance. Inspectors analysed information on the performance of the school in comparison with that of other schools nationally and the

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Information about this inspection

school’s records of pupils’ progress.  Short discussions were held with 61 parents of 91 children at the beginning of the second day of the inspection. The views of the 22 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered. Also, the 112 returns from a school survey conducted in February this year were analysed.  Inspectors received the views of staff through discussions and by considering the 15 responses to the staff questionnaire. They also received the views of pupils through both informal and pre-arranged discussions and through analysing the 55 pupil questionnaire returns.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.

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Inspection team

Roger Sadler, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Nicola Walsh Ofsted Inspector Philip Garnham 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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