St Matthew's CofE Primary School

School report St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School Linkfield Lane, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1JF

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school  School leaders and governors have not acted swiftly enough to address the issues for improvement from the previous inspection. They have an overgenerous view of their performance.  The quality of teaching remains inconsistent. Teachers do not check pupils’ understanding during lessons enough and use this to improve their learning.  Teachers do not all have high enough expectations for what pupils can achieve. Work planned for pupils is often too easy.  Pupils, including those who are most able, do not achieve as well as they should. They make uneven progress across the school, particularly in mathematics and reading.  The new curriculum for English and mathematics is not embedded across the school and some pupils are working at too low a level.  Leaders do not check the progress that different groups make, including disadvantaged pupils, and use this to meet their needs. The pupil

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

premium funding is not used well enough.  Some subject leaders are not thorough enough when checking the work of staff. Weaknesses in some aspects of teaching go unchecked.  Work in pupils’ books shows that too many have a weak grasp of basic skills, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.  Teachers are not implementing the new marking policy consistently. They do not all ensure that pupils act upon the guidance given.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school provides a warm, safe and welcoming environment for pupils. Pupils’ behaviour is good.  Children get off to a good start in the early years. They are taught well and make good progress.  Partnerships with parents and the local community are good.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils from a range of ethnic backgrounds get on well together.

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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?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or better across the school by making sure that teachers:  have high expectations of what pupils can achieve  make frequent checks on pupils’ progress in lessons and adapt work accordingly  make clear to pupils what they are to learn.  Ensure that pupils make consistently good progress across the school, particularly in mathematics, by:  ensuring that pupils develop basic skills in writing and numeracy  plan work that provides pupils, particularly those who are most able, with the right level of challenge  providing clear feedback to pupils and ensuring that pupils act on guidance given in accordance with the school’s marking and feedback policy.  Improve leadership and management, including governance, at all levels by:  making sharper use of all available information to identify strengths and weaknesses so that whole-school priorities for improvement are focused on what the school most

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

needs to improve  refining management systems so that information relating to the progress that different groups of pupils make can be systematically retrieved and analysed  using the pupil premium funding to address the needs of disadvantaged pupils  ensuring that leaders know precisely what aspects of their subject need to improve and to hold teachers to account for the progress their pupils make  making sure that all staff implement agreed policies consistently and that they evaluate the impact of actions put into place  ensuring that the new curriculum for English and mathematics is fully implemented in all year groups. An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 Leaders and governors have not brought about required improvements quickly enough since the previous inspection. They have not taken adequate steps to bring about the required improvements and consequently previous weaknesses remain. Teachers do not have high enough expectations and pupils fail to make as much progress as they should. As a result, the school requires special measures and may not appoint newly qualified teachers.  Leaders’ evaluations of the school’s performance are overgenerous. This is largely because not all leaders have a clear understanding of data and do not analyse it well enough to give a clear picture of where weaknesses lie. Consequently, some actions for improvement in the school’s development plan lack precision and do little to help the school to move forward.  School leaders have put into place actions to increase pupils’ rates of progress but they do not always evaluate the impact of these actions. They do not adapt or change

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

actions quickly enough to accelerate pupils’ progress. Consequently, pupils’ progress remains too variable across the school.  Leaders visit classrooms to check the work of teachers. While they have addressed previously weaker teaching, there are still too many inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and this slows progress for pupils. Some subject leaders are not fully confident in their role and are not able to provide the right support for less experienced colleagues. They do not provide enough challenge to those teachers who do not implement agreed policies.  Some subject leaders are not as effective as they could be because the current systems for recording and storing information relating to pupils’ progress are inefficient. This creates difficulties when trying to retrieve information to gain a clear picture of the progress and achievement of different groups of pupils, including the most able and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

disadvantaged pupils.  The school has implemented the 2014 curriculum but teachers have not all embraced the higher expectations of the new demands for reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, pupils are not all working at the right levels and do not achieve as well as they should across the school.  The funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used to provide additional help in class, as well as to support pupils’ social and emotional needs. This has helped to increase their confidence, as they enjoy the same opportunities as other pupils. However, the pupil premium champion in school does not carry out a thorough analysis of disadvantaged pupils’ academic achievement and use this to accurately identify and address pupils’ needs. This means that they do not always progress as well as they should. Consequently, the pupil premium is not used well enough.  Pupils learn a range of subjects, including art, music and physical education. They learn

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

about the faiths, beliefs and cultures of those from different backgrounds in lessons such as religious education and history. This widens their view of the world and helps to develop their understanding of life in modern Britain and what it means to be British. The school’s culture and ethos of care and support effectively promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils enjoy a wide range of additional activities that add to their personal development. These include choir, dance, football and netball. Pupils have visited the Royal Opera House and have taken part in local sports competitions. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils were taking part in a residential visit to an outdoor centre where they took part in a variety of challenging activities.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy taking part in activities that keep them fit and healthy. In addition to the school’s own provision for physical education (PE), additional funding is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

used to provide specialist coaching for football and cricket and to support the costs of travel to take part in local competitions and tournaments. The school also uses the funding to support swimming lessons and to provide training for staff to give them the confidence to provide PE lessons within the school’s curriculum.  The school is an integral part of the local community, enjoying positive working relationships with other local schools and with the church. This helps to expand the support network available to pupils and their families, many of who have circumstances that may make them more vulnerable. There are good relationships with external agencies that the school draws on from time to time to help those pupils who have additional learning, emotional or physical needs.  The large majority of parents who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, were very positive about the school and would recommend it to other parents.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have not challenged school leaders with enough rigour to ensure that the school is able to bring about improvements to raise pupils’ achievement. While governors provide challenge to leaders, they do not always probe deeply enough to check the accuracy of the information provided. They have not ensured that leaders responded to the issues for improvement from the previous inspection. Although governors are well organised and meetings are run smoothly, they do not provide enough rigour in probing school leaders’ assertions of the school’s strengths and what needs to be improved further. For example, they have not provided enough challenge to school leaders regarding pupils’ achievement, which remains in need of improvement.  They visit school regularly and know staff well. They know how well the school cares for pupils and that the school is a safe and happy environment.  Governors are very passionate about the school and recognise its strengths in the

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Governance of the school

pastoral care provided for pupils. They point to improvements in behaviour and attendance but recognise that there is more to be done to raise pupils’ achievement. However, they have not challenged leaders over assertions made in their self-evaluation regarding pupils’ progress.  Governors carry out their statutory duties effectively. They manage finances with care, ensuring that resources, including staffing, support the work of the school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school is a safe place for pupils. All staff and governors have been trained to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk from harm. Staff understand their role in promoting safe practice and that they have a moral duty to protect pupils. The school ensures that risk assessments are in place for external visits and staff are vigilant in their duty to protect pupils. The culture and ethos of the school contribute to pupils feeling safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teaching, learning and assessment continue to require improvement because they are still not good. While there is some effective teaching, the quality is inconsistent and consequently pupils do not make good enough progress across the school.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are too low and they provide work for pupils that is sometimes too easy. Consequently, pupils, particularly those who are most able, do not make enough progress. Work in pupils’ books shows that some teachers readily accept what pupils produce without giving enough guidance on what they need to do to improve their work.  There are times when teachers focus on what pupils are to do, rather than what they are to learn. Work provided for pupils does not always build on previous learning and this slows the progress that pupils make.  Some teachers have a good overview of how well pupils are working and they adapt their lessons to support those who struggle or those who need harder work. However,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

this is not consistent and some teachers fail to pick up those pupils who are not doing enough work or those who finish their work early.  School leaders have recently introduced a new marking policy but staff are not implementing it consistently across the school. Consequently, pupils are not always sure what they need to do to improve their work. There are times when pupils do not act on teachers’ guidance and so continue to repeat their errors.  The school has recently introduced a published scheme to help pupils to make links between reading and writing and this has helped to improve pupils’ learning. However, not all teachers are using it well enough to provide a greater challenge for the most able pupils. Some pupils in Year 2 have reading books that are too easy for them and this slows their progress.  Some teachers have good subject knowledge and they use this well to challenge pupils by asking questions that make them think deeply. When this happens, pupils make

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

good progress.  Pupils in Sun class, the unit for pupils who have autism spectrum disorder, are taught well. This is because teachers have a good understanding of their individual learning needs. They provide activities that are engaging and motivating and allow pupils to progress well. Sometimes pupils in this class are taught in their specialist classroom while at other times they are integrated into mainstream classes. This helps them to develop social skills and independence.  There are positive working relationships between teachers and pupils and this encourages pupils to behave well even when work is not challenging enough. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution by supporting pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. This is a strong feature of the school’s work that has been maintained since the previous inspection. Parents speak highly of the school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development.  Pupils are happy and confident and they enjoy school. They get on very well together regardless of background, showing respect and understanding towards each other’s faiths and beliefs.  The school environment is bright and attractive and this helps pupils to feel safe and secure. They know that adults will help them should the occasional disagreement arise. Pupils say that there is no bullying and that incidents of racist behaviour are rare.  The school is very aware of the potential dangers associated with the internet and use of computers and they take active steps to teach pupils how to avoid becoming victims. Pupils understand what they need to do to stay safe, particularly when online, and what

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Personal development and welfare

to do should they have a concern.  Pupils are taught about how to stay safe from other dangers outside school. They know that care is needed when crossing roads and that tobacco and some non-medicinal drugs can be harmful. They learn to stay safe in water through their swimming lessons in key stage 2.  The breakfast club provides pupils with a nutritious start to the school day.  The school provides good support to those pupils and their families whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable. They know pupils well and they identify specific barriers to learning and put into place appropriate support to help them to overcome their difficulties. For example, they support pupils who struggle to manage some aspects of their behaviour through nurture activities including ‘play therapy’. This support helps these pupils to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well when in class and when moving around the school, which they do carefully, showing consideration for others. Pupils are polite, helpful and friendly and enjoy talking to visitors about their school.  Pupils trust and respect staff and respond quickly to instructions. Even where teaching is less challenging, lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour. Just occasionally, pupils take time to settle to work when they do not understand what they are to do.  Governors report that pupils’ behaviour is good and that it continues to improve. Those parents who responded to the online survey agreed or strongly agreed that pupils’ behaviour is good.  A significant improvement since the previous inspection is in pupils’ attendance. Owing to actions taken by the school, it is now above average. However, there remain a small number of families who take their children out of school for long periods to visit family

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Behaviour

overseas, and this disrupts the learning and progress for these pupils.  Pupils are confident and enjoy the range of responsibilities, including being reading buddies.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Outcomes for pupils still require improvement because pupils do not all achieve as well as they should across the school. Their progress is inconsistent across classes, year groups and subjects, with the strongest progress seen in writing. Provisional data indicates that pupils’ achievement at the end of Year 6 in 2016 was lower than expected and that pupils were not well prepared for the next stage of their education. By the end of Year 2, pupils made good progress from their different starting points.  While most pupils make expected progress, too few exceed this. Those who are most able do not get hard enough work, particularly in mathematics. Consequently, they do not achieve as well as they should.  Differences between disadvantaged pupils and others are diminishing as staff are becoming more skilled at identifying their specific needs and ensuring that they get the right help in class. However, they know that more needs to be done to ensure that

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

these pupils do at least as well as all pupils nationally. Currently, their progress is not rigorously checked and so adults are not able to intervene quickly enough to ensure that these pupils do not fall behind others.  Pupils who have special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils. They are provided with special programmes of work to help them to overcome their difficulties. Sometimes they receive support from skilled teaching assistants in class, while at other times they receive one-to-one support for specific weaknesses in reading, writing or mathematics.  There has been a year-on-year increase in the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics at the end of Year 1. Consequently, pupils’ standards are now broadly average. However, they do not all progress as quickly as they should because reading activities are not challenging enough. By Year 2, pupils develop

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

confidence in reading, and they say that they enjoy reading. However, they do not make good progress because the reading books provided for them are too easy.  Pupils in Year 5 read fluently and confidently and with enjoyment. They talk about their books and respond to questions by referring to the text. They talk about their favourite authors and books, showing clear preferences.  Scrutiny of pupils’ writing shows that they have developed a clear sense of audience and purpose. They choose effective vocabulary that expresses their ideas and thoughts and engages and maintains the interest of the reader. However, they do not have a secure grounding in basic skills of spelling, grammar and punctuation, and this slows their progress.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is not as good as it is in reading and writing. This is because they have a weak understanding of basic mathematical skills such as place

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

value. This leads to errors when they are carrying out calculations. There are times when work provided for pupils is too easy and offers little challenge or opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years has built on the strengths identified in the previous inspection and continues to be good. Children are warmly welcomed into a bright, stimulating environment, which is well equipped with good-quality resources that help children to feel safe and secure.  The percentage of children reaching a good level of development has increased to be broadly in line with children nationally. This prepares them well for Year 1.  Children have settled well into the routines of both the nursery and reception classes. They are confident and self-assured and they behave well. Many are articulate and enjoy sharing their favourite activities with visitors. For example, during the inspection, a group of children proudly showed an inspector the garden they created using woodland materials.  Children show resilience and perseverance in completing tasks. They concentrate well and take great enjoyment in completing their activities. They respond quickly to adults’

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Early years provision is good

instructions and this means that little time is wasted.  Many start school with skills below those expected for their age and they make good progress across all areas of learning. This is because staff are skilled at assessing children’s learning and providing activities that are well matched to their developmental needs. The pupil premium funding is used to provide additional support for disadvantaged pupils and this helps them to progress as well as their classmates.  There is a good balance of activities that children select for themselves as well as those that are led by adults. All adults play a key role in helping children to learn, and consequently relationships between adults and children are good.  There are good relationships with parents who are involved in their children’s learning and progress. Before children start school, they are offered home visits and meet staff. Parents warmly welcome this involvement. The school has good relationships with other

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Early years provision is good

local providers as well as external agencies to ensure early intervention for any child experiencing difficulties.  The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of provision. She is passionate and knowledgeable and has high expectations for children and staff. She has a good awareness of the learning needs of different groups of pupils and is keen to secure the highest possible standards for children.

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School details

Unique reference number 125235 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10012307

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 456 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian McMillan Headteacher Janet Lightfoot Telephone number 01737 762080 Website www.stmatthewsredhill.org.uk Email address info@stmatthews-redhill.surrey.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 July 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is above average.  There is a specially resourced provision for up to 15 pupils aged 7 to 11 in the Sun class. These pupils have autistic spectrum disorder.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ learning and progress.  There is provision for children in the early years foundation stage in the nursery and two reception classes. The majority of children attend nursery part time and are admitted to the Reception classes full time.  The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils. Inspection report: St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School, 21–22 September 2016 Page 10 of 11

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils working in 24 lessons or parts of lessons, several of which were observed jointly with school leaders. They looked at work in pupils’ books and they listened to pupils reading in Year 2 and Year 5. One inspector attended an assembly. They observed pupils in school and in the playground.  Meetings were held with school leaders, teachers, four governors, including the chair of governors and groups of pupils. A discussion also took place with advisers from both the local authority and the diocese.  Among the documents scrutinised were school improvement plans, records relating to pupils’ learning and progress and information regarding pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also examined the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe.  The views of parents were taken into account by analysing the 87 responses to the online survey, Parent View, as well as speaking with parents informally during the

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Information about this inspection

inspection. The views of staff were taken into account by considering the 45 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Chris Corr Ofsted Inspector Simon Yates Ofsted Inspector Inspection report: St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School, 21–22 September 2016 Page 11 of 11 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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