Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery School

WATTON WESTFIELD INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

West Road, Watton, Thetford, Norfolk IP25 6AU

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an inadequate school

 The arrangements to safeguard children are not effective because: – checks have not been carried out to determine whether teachers are prohibited from teaching – the governing body has not made sure that the arrangements to safeguard children meet the government’s statutory guidance.  Many staff do not have confidence in the senior leadership of the school: – they feel that it is not safe to speak out – they say that concerns are not acted on and worry that issues that affect pupils may get missed.  Middle leaders do not monitor pupils’ progress sufficiently. They do not know how well pupils are achieving this year.  The early years provision is not well organised or monitored.  There is not enough information to show whether the pupil premium funding and the sports funding are well spent.  Teaching enables most pupils to make expected progress but does not challenge pupils of different abilities or needs to make good progress from

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The school has the following strengths

 The school’s involvement with families and the collaboration with support agencies work well to protect pupils.  The help for pupils who speak English as an additional language, especially as soon as they arrive in school, helps them to take part in lessons quickly.  Pupils have made good progress in writing this year because the acting deputy headteacher, who is also the literacy coordinator, took decisive action and monitors how well pupils are achieving.  Pupils’ behaviour is good, particularly their relationships with one another.

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all of the requirements for keeping children safe are met, by: keeping up to date with current statutory guidance and requirements checking rigorously that all of the requirements are met providing staff and parents with up-to-date information.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders at all levels play a full part in school improvement, by: setting clear, measurable targets for pupils’ progress monitoring, evaluating and reporting robustly on how well pupils achieve throughout the year monitoring and evaluating pupils’ progress across a range of subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching and assessment challenges pupils with different needs, so that: the most able pupils apply their knowledge and skills well pupils who speak English as an additional language have sufficient prompts to accelerate their learning the school’s policy for feedback and marking is applied consistently.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the provision for the early years accelerates children’s progress in all areas of learning through: well-organised and well-planned learning opportunities timely intervention by adults to build on children’s learning frequent and thorough monitoring of children’s progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 An external review of governance is recommended.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium is recommended.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. – Prior to the inspection, not all of the required checks for staff’s suitability to work with children were carried out. Staff and governors did not know or understand the full range of checks required. The checks were complete by the end of the inspection. – The safeguarding policy and other policies that relate to pupils’ well-being are out of date and do not give staff sufficient information to fulfil their responsibilities. These policies are on the school’s website, therefore providing parents and others with incomplete and inaccurate information. – During this inspection, children in the early years were outside for long periods without sufficient protection from the sun. – Too many staff feel that it is not safe to raise concerns and do not feel supported by senior leaders. They do not speak up and do not trust senior leaders to act on their concerns. Although they are aware of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

staff’s concerns, the headteacher and the governing body have not done enough to resolve the issues.  The headteacher’s evaluation of the school’s work and the action plan lack suitable measures for success. The priorities and timescales for improvement are not clear.  Leaders of assessment, the early years and special educational needs do not know enough about how well pupils achieve. Since the previous inspection, leadership responsibilities have been shared more widely, but leaders do not have sufficient support or guidance to carry out their responsibilities effectively. As a result, leaders are not clear about what is expected of them; teaching staff do not have the help they need to improve their teaching or pupils’ performance; and the governing body does not have sufficient information to challenge the school’s performance.  Although pupils’ achievements are recorded electronically, their progress is not tracked, monitored or

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

reported well enough. – Pupils’ progress is reported to the governing body in the autumn term for the previous academic year, but there are no reports throughout the year. This means that there is no strategic overview for pupils’ current progress and whether it is good enough, or the impact of extra support and funding, for example, for pupils who have special educational needs or disability, pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium and the sports funding. – There is no recording or tracking of pupils’ achievements in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics.  Reports from advisers are overgenerous about the quality of the school’s work. As a result, the governing body does not have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The local authority has had little direct contact with the leaders and governors and was unaware of the school’s weaknesses.  The governance of the school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

Although the single central register of checks on staff’s suitability was audited by the governor responsible for overseeing safeguarding arrangements, and there is an annual audit for safeguarding, errors have not been picked up. Governors know that they do not have sufficient information to challenge the quality of pupils’ achievements. They have asked for details about pupils’ progress but do not have the information yet. Governors are aware that the website contains misleading and out-of-date information, but these weaknesses have not been followed up. The staff completed a well-being survey and governors know that many feel that communication with leaders is poor. Emails were set up to aid communication, but staff remain hesitant to come forward with their concerns. Governors have not got to the heart of this lack of trust and the problem remains. Reports on the use of the pupil premium and the sports funding are incomplete. The reports do not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

explain the impact of the funding on pupils’ achievements and it is not clear if the pupil premium is used solely for the pupils who are entitled to it.  The acting deputy headteacher leads literacy well. As a result, weaknesses in pupils’ writing have been identified and tackled effectively. Consequently, pupils are making good progress this year.  The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced but there are few opportunities to enliven the curriculum through visits and visitors.  Support for pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain and their tolerance for ideas and customs different to their own are developed appropriately. The rich diversity brought into school by those from other countries is valued and respected, and used to enrich the curriculum.  The nurture group helps new pupils settle quickly and improves the behaviour of those who are at risk of exclusion.  Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teaching and assessment are not sufficiently developed to make sure that pupils achieve well across the school or across subjects. This is because leaders do not provide sufficient strategic direction to help staff develop their practice.  The most able pupils often finish work quickly, including tasks to extend what they know and can do. However, the additional tasks do not challenge them to think hard about how to apply their learning or develop greater understanding.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language have good support when they arrive in school and quickly gain confidence to participate in lessons. Nonetheless, often there are no additional prompts or resources to help them do their best in lessons. For example, there are few opportunities for them to write in their home language or visual prompts for subject-specific vocabulary.  Support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability often helps them to get on with work at

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

their own level, alongside their friends, without too much support. This inclusive approach is not evident on the playground. Some pupils wear fluorescent jackets so that staff know where they are. This means that they are singled out, less likely to play with friends, less likely to moderate their own behaviour and more likely to be dependent on adults.  The extent that pupils learn from their mistakes or take learning further is not consistently high and varies between classes. Similarly, pupils in some classes gain more from homework than in other classes.  Opportunities to practise literacy skills across the curriculum are better than those for numeracy.  The teaching of sounds and letters helps pupils read fluently and improve writing and spelling.  Classrooms are well organised, bright and well resourced.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. This is because, although the support for pupils’ emotional well-being is strong, safeguarding arrangements are not effective in relation to the required employment checks on staff.  The school’s work to support pupils’ emotional well-being makes a significantly positive difference to how safe and confident pupils feel. Records of referrals to social care, minutes of child protection meetings and discussions with staff show vigilance and concerted action for pupils who are vulnerable. Staff know pupils’ families well and go out of their way to support parents during difficult times. External professionals value the school’s thorough approach and commitment, which successfully involves parents with support services. Parents value staff’s availability to talk through any concerns.  Pupils know how to stay safe and healthy and they enjoy school. However, they often find it difficult to

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Personal development and welfare

express clearly what they feel or know. Nevertheless, they know that bullying is wrong and that it includes unkind words, as well as physical aggression.  Most staff and parents believe that pupils are safe at the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Teaching proceeds uninterrupted because pupils respond very well to the routines established by teachers. They learn how to take part respectfully and safely. They get on with what they are asked to do confidently and without too much guidance because they listen carefully to adults and are keen to show what they know and can do. They talk to one another about work and use what they have been taught to complete work efficiently.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly lower than the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils’ attainment dipped in 2015 from significantly above average to in-line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. This represented expected progress from their individual starting points, regardless of ability or vulnerability.  Pupils’ progress over time in subjects other than literacy and mathematics is not easy to assess without looking carefully in each pupil’s books because the skills are not monitored or tracked systematically.  Pupils’ progress for the current academic year is not clear because leaders do not have a sufficiently strategic overview for the year, so far. Information about the progress of pupils who have special educational needs, those who are disadvantaged or those who receive extra support for other reasons is monitored but not analysed or evaluated sufficiently.  Progress in reading and writing for this academic year suggests that pupils are making at least expected

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

progress. Progress in writing is good in some classes this year, particularly where improvements in the teaching of writing have had long enough to make a difference.

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Early years provision is inadequate

 Some of the welfare requirements are not met.  Children are not well prepared to start Year 1 because too few achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception year. Less than half achieved the early learning goals in 2014 and 2015, and the proportion is predicted to decline this year. Although children arrive with skills below their chronological age, they make too little progress.  Children’s skills vary between the classes and within each class. Three of the four classes are taught by supply staff. The Nursery class is taught by three different supply teachers. The early years leader, the assessment leader and the headteacher have not monitored the quality of teaching or children’s outcomes well enough to make sure that the previously good quality provision has been sustained. For example, there is no evaluation of children’s current progress in the Nursery.  The leader of the early years has identified that the ‘learning stories’ often focus on what children have

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Early years provision is inadequate

done, rather than what they have learned or how they learn. Some learning stories have too little information to show what children can do across the early learning goals.  When teachers and support staff work for short periods with individual children or small groups, they often learn well. This is particularly the case for their speaking and listening and it happens because the staff focus children’s attention on relevant skills. However, too few opportunities are planned and too few opportunities are taken to extend children’s learning as it emerges.

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School details

Unique reference number 120996 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 10010926

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Nursery and Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 283 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Uglow Headteacher Tim Aviss Telephone number 01953 882669 Website www.westfield.norfolk.sch.uk Email address office@westfield.norfolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 21–22 June 2011

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, most of the governors are new and there is a new chair of the governing body.  There are 80 additional pupils on roll since the previous inspection. The school has moved to new, purpose-built accommodation this term.  Approximately one third of pupils speak English as an additional language and some are at the early stages of learning English. These pupils are mostly from Poland.  The proportion of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals is appropriately half of the national average.  The proportion of pupils identified for special educational needs support, with a statement for special educational needs or with an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.  There is an acting deputy headteacher covering the planned absence of the substantive post holder.  The school shares the site with Watton Children’s Centre.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the school’s use of pupil

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Information about this school

premium funding, the use of physical education and sports premium for primary schools, the special educational needs report and parents’ requests for paper copies of information.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection began as a short, one-day inspection and converted to a full, two-day inspection at the end of the first day. School leaders were informed of the inspection on the afternoon prior to the first day.  Inspectors observed lessons and scrutinised pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher, the assessment leader, the leader of the early years, the special educational needs coordinator and five governors.  Telephone discussions were held with the chair of the governing body and a senior adviser from the local authority.  The single central register check on staff’s suitability was scrutinised with a member of the administrative team.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils and spoke with pupils in class.  Thirty-nine parents responded to the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, and 14 provided written comments. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start and end of the school days.

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Information about this inspection

 Twenty-one staff completed Ofsted’s questionnaire and an inspector met with most staff at the end of the first day.  Inspectors scrutinised documents relating to safeguarding pupils, pupils’ performance, action plans and governance.

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Inspection team

Heather Yaxley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Richard Griffiths Ofsted Inspector Heather Hann Ofsted Inspector Judith Oliver 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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