Ocklynge Junior School

Ocklynge Junior School Victoria Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN20 8XN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Disadvantaged pupils do not do as well as other pupils.  Too many pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make good progress from their starting points.  Disadvantaged pupils who also have special educational needs and/or disabilities fall behind in their learning and make much less progress than they should.  A few pupils, mainly boys, do not behave as well as they should. They disrupt the learning of others too frequently.  Teachers do not know enough about how well pupils are doing. Many have not kept their professional knowledge up to date.  Teaching is too often pitched at the wrong level for the class. The most able pupils find the work much too easy and become bored.  Teachers’ feedback to pupils does not result in improvements to pupils’ work.  Most management systems are out of date and do not enable senior leaders to execute their duties efficiently and effectively.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Middle leaders do not check how well pupils are doing regularly enough. Their focus is more on promoting pupils’ well-being rather than pupils’ progress and attainment.  The new headteacher has not had enough time in the school to correct the many aspects of its work that are inadequate.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The new headteacher, who joined at Easter in 2016, is fully aware of the scale of the school’s historical and current weaknesses. He knows what to do to put things right. The headteacher’s actions have already improved attendance, for example.  The school’s new curriculum is imaginative and interesting and is inspiring better attitudes to learning.  The school makes a strong contribution to most pupils’ well-being and their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and improve outcomes for pupils by: – increasing rates of progress for all pupils, and especially the most able, from key stage 1 to key stage 2 – ensuring that a greater proportion of disadvantaged pupils meet or exceed age- related expectations – ensuring that pupils who receive support for special educational needs and/or disabilities, or who have education, health and care plans or statements of special educational needs, consistently make or exceed expected rates of progress from their starting points.  Improve leadership and management at all levels by: – sharpening the collection, interpretation and use of information about pupils’ progress and attainment – strengthening the system for checking adults are fit and proper to work with pupils – providing rigorous coaching and training for middle leaders so that they focus their work on improving outcomes for pupils

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring all staff are trained regularly and effectively to fulfil their statutory obligations. An external review of the use of the pupil premium should be carried out. This should not be commissioned by or from the local authority.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Until Easter 2016, leaders and managers did not act quickly enough to reverse declining standards from those found at the last inspection.  Some leaders still do not have a clear understanding of current expectations about the standards pupils are expected to achieve.  Too much leadership activity is focused on ensuring that pupils are happy at school and have enjoyable experiences, such as the safety-in-action activity undertaken by Year 6 pupils. Many leaders do not pay enough attention to the pace at which pupils make progress or the levels they attain at the end of key stage 2.  The large majority of pupils’ starting points are typical for their age. Leaders have not, until recently, done enough to ensure that they build on this good start to school and achieve well in Year 6.  Leaders have not set teachers rigorous targets for their work. As a result, there has been little accountability.  Teachers have not received regular and universal training to ensure that their practice

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

keeps pace with educational developments. As a result, the approach to the teaching of mathematics, for example, does not enable pupils to access higher levels of knowledge or depth of understanding.  Until term 6 (the second half of the summer term) in 2016, the provision of support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities lacked coordination, strategy and coherence. Consequently, such pupils did not receive the kind of help they needed to overcome their barriers to learning. Some missed large parts of the curriculum because they were withdrawn to do extra work. However, the impact of the intended withdrawal work was also relatively unsuccessful, especially for disadvantaged pupils. These pupils, over time, fell behind their peers and gaps in progress and attainment widened between them and other pupils nationally.  The quality of leadership has improved since the headteacher joined the school as a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

consultant headteacher before taking up his appointment at Easter 2016. Some improvements were underway when the deputy headteacher was acting headteacher from September 2015 to Easter 2016. Further improvements began when the school business manager started work in January 2016.  The headteacher, deputy headteacher and school business manager have undertaken a thorough review of the school. They are now acting quickly to resolve many of the enduring weaknesses. Every day they find new issues emerging. Some issues are the result of poor advice received from the local authority in the past. Others are legacy issues related to poor management systems in the past and many are to do with the school’s failure to keep up to date with shifts in policy and best practice.  Since arriving, the headteacher has acted decisively to improve pupils’ attendance, which is judged to be good so far this year for current pupils. This includes reductions

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

in the persistent absence of a few pupils who missed too much school.  Senior leaders have also put in place a new, interesting and inspiring curriculum. Pupils in an increasing number of classes like the way they are learning now. The curriculum enables pupils to develop appropriate attitudes, build skills, understand more about the diverse world in which they live and prepares them for the next stage of their education. Pupils acquire these skills by studying the ancient Greeks, Jamaica, Spain, Egypt and India.  The school retains much of its positive work relating to pupils’ well-being. Each pupil knows that they matter to their teachers. Parents like the care that teachers provide for their children. The vast majority like the school’s impressive work to support pupils’ development of respect for the rule of law, tolerance and respect for others’ beliefs. Year 4 pupils joined in enthusiastically with preparations for a ‘Bollywood’ dance

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

routine. This complements Year 4’s learning adventure related to India. Pupils are learning about the geography of India, its religions and its people.  The new headteacher has changed the way the school records, tracks and measures the progress of its pupils within this new way of working. It is too soon to see the impact of this change.

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Governance of the school

 Governance is effective. Since the new headteacher arrived, governors have had access to the kind of information that has enabled them to develop an accurate and informed picture of the performance of the school. They did not have this information before. As a result, they were not in a position to exercise their duties fully. They are better informed now.  Some governors had an overly simplistic and overgenerous understanding of the performance of the school. This largely derived from their own perception and experience as key stakeholders. They lacked a detailed understanding of the performance of vulnerable groups, evaluating the school’s performance on the basis of outcomes overall. They recognise now that some pupils’ underachievement was lost in the headline figures.  Governors, with the headteacher, recognise now that there are some serious weaknesses in the performance of the school. They know, for example, that:

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Governance of the school

– outcomes for some groups of pupils are not good enough – teaching is not good enough in all classes to accelerate the learning of key groups of pupils.  Governors have reconstituted the governing body so that their volunteering is more closely aligned to the needs of the school. They have not, however, made their new structure available on the website.  Governors have not met their duty to ensure that all teachers have read Part 1 of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ in the current academic year. They know it was issued to staff by email, but do not know how many, if any, read it.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Many parents who expressed an opinion appreciate the new security measures, especially the driveway gates at the main entrance. They are pleased that the site is now secure. A parent commented: ‘It was too open before.’ They also appreciate the much more secure arrangements for collecting their children from the wide array of after-school clubs provided by the school. Such measures are rightly judged by the headteacher to be in keeping with modern safeguarding practice.  The headteacher has made rapid improvements to other aspects of safeguarding. This was necessary as they were too lax. He is in the process of strengthening record- keeping relating to incidents of bullying, racist incidents, the restraint of pupils at risk to themselves and others, and the process for checking the suitability of anyone wishing to work or volunteer at the school.

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Safeguarding

 Pupils told inspectors they feel safe at the school. Some parents are very clear that the behaviour of a small minority of older boys potentially endangers their children and members of staff.  At the start of the inspection, some of the documentation relating to safeguarding was judged to be out of date. Immediate action was taken to rectify this. Staff are to be issued with the most recent guidance relating to child protection and safeguarding. The evacuation procedure is due for immediate testing so that all new staff from September 2016 and Year 3 pupils know exactly what to do should they hear the alarm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 In most classes, all pupils are presented with the same work. Most teachers do not take account of the wide range of starting points in the class. They are rightly concerned about the large numbers of children they are expected to teach in standard- sized classrooms.  Few teachers create learning activities aimed at specific groups in the class. As a result, higher attaining pupils find the work far too easy. The most able pupils finish the work quickly and only in a tiny minority of classes are they given something more challenging to do to keep their interest.  A few of the most able pupils ask for more challenging work or attempt to stretch themselves. Disappointingly, a few teachers, lacking in the necessary subject knowledge, close down this ambition and passion for learning.  Some individual needs assistants support pupils’ learning effectively. However, current arrangements mean that work with pupils who need to catch up often takes place

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

outside the classroom. Inevitably, this means pupils miss important parts of the curriculum.  Teaching assistants provide a range of catch-up sessions for pupils. Some help pupils with their reading and others with mathematics skills such as their times tables. Some also take whole lessons while teachers plan, prepare or assess pupils’ work. They undertake this work with varying degrees of success.  Teaching does not consistently help pupils move on in their learning, over time, whatever their starting point. Some acquire knowledge, develop understanding and prepare well for their secondary education. Too many are insufficiently challenged by the work, so that they make little or no progress. Pupils who are disadvantaged and have special needs and/or disabilities often fall behind. Sometimes this is because the work is too hard and sometimes because they are given the wrong kind of support, even to the extent of teaching assistants doing work for them.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teachers new to the school or newly qualified teachers understand the way the new curriculum is intended to work and deliver it well. Others, out of step with the school’s policy, teach pupils discrete subjects. This means that pupils have access to a wide curriculum but also indicates resistance to change among a majority of the staff.  Some teaching is imaginative and effective. In one class, the school’s cook led a group of pupils through an engaging session on how to prepare and present healthy food. Pupils enjoyed this and took part well. In a Year 5 class, pupils were actively, and with great excitement, involved in making microscopes with plastic cups, kitchen wrapping film and water. Conversely, all pupils observed in music were learning the same thing, in the same way, whatever year they were in or whatever their prior knowledge of music-making might be.  Teachers follow the school’s assessment policy for the most part, though pupils were

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

not able to say, generally, what difference assessment work made to their learning. Many commented that they liked the praise they receive from teachers and awards like class ‘star of the week’.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Too many pupils were able to identify examples of when bullying had occurred. They were able to explain clearly and accurately what bullying is and why it is wrong. Over a tenth of parents who responded to the survey disagreed that the school deals effectively with bullying. Leaders acknowledge that bullying occurs and attempt to deal with it decisively when they become aware it is happening.  The school has not met the behavioural needs of a minority of pupils in the past.  Leaders are committed to promoting the well-being of pupils. Leaders have put in place a number of resources such as the ‘Think Tank’, the rainbow room, ‘Oasis’ and ‘The Haven’ to enable this to happen more easily.  Teachers care for the pupils and ensure that the vast majority feel happy and safe at school.  Pupils generally agree that they are safe in school. Most report enjoying school and

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Personal development and welfare

feeling happy. Parents, for the most part, report that they are happy with the way the school looks after their children.  Pupils also provided strong evidence that they know how to keep themselves safe online. There is an appropriate approach to e-safety.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  The behaviour of a small group of mainly older boys is a cause for concern. Pupils commented that their lessons are frequently disrupted by this behaviour. Some parents confirmed that this is the case.  Leaders were able to show the work that they have undertaken to reduce the impact of this behaviour. Leaders were also able to account verbally for the measures taken to limit the risk of injury by such behaviour. Written records of incidents are thin.  The school ensures that excluded pupils are monitored while out of school, or are helped to find a place at a school better able to meet their needs.  The behaviour of the rest of the pupils is good. They conduct themselves well around the school for the most part. Breaks and lunchtimes are typically calm and orderly. Adults supervise these breaks in the school day in reasonable numbers.  In every class, at different points in the lesson, pupils who are not sufficiently engaged

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Behaviour

in their learning drift off task or become distracted. The cramped conditions in some classes mean that adults are not always able to access easily all parts of the room as pupils are working. As a result, some pupils remain unchallenged for lengthy periods and do not do very much work.  Pupils are mainly respectful to each other and adults. Many are polite, welcoming and friendly to strangers. A large proportion are bright, alert, inquisitive and ambitious to learn.  Pupils wear their simple uniforms smartly. Many parents comment that this helps foster a sense of identity and the strong sense of community associated with Ocklynge Junior School.  The attendance of vulnerable pupils has not been as good as that of the rest of the pupils and much worse than similar pupils nationally. In the last year, and especially since the beginning of the current academic year, attendance has improved for all groups. The persistent absence of a small group of pupils has reduced dramatically.

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Behaviour

This is the result of concerted effort by the leadership team. Leaders have used the school’s minibus to collect pupils at risk of being absent or late and have worked with the local authority to serve appropriate fixed penalty notices on those failing to comply with the school’s reasonable expectations.  Pupils follow the school’s simple routines accurately, but they are, for example, slow to line up at the end of break time unless teachers come to collect them from the playground.  In most classes, adults are able to manage behaviour effectively. The vast majority of pupils present no challenge at all and are keen to learn. They do not routinely get the teaching they deserve or that their good behaviour would enable.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils join the school having attained standards in their infant schools that compare favourably with pupils in similar schools nationally. The vast majority have no barriers to their learning, but do not make the good or better progress of which they are capable.  Pupils are not provided routinely with tasks that enable them to write at length or produce the volumes of work consistent with similar pupils nationally. Too many spend long periods on introductory activities before settling into their work. This means they have insufficient time to practise skills, deepen their understanding or extend their knowledge independently.  Pupils in many classes do not receive work that is at the standard expected for their age. For some, this is appropriate as they need to fill gaps in their knowledge caused by weaker teaching in feeder schools. This is especially true of some pupils’ reading skills and basic mathematical skills like number bonds and times tables. Most pupils,

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

though, repeat lessons learned earlier or find the work so unchallenging that they make no progress.  Published results show that Year 6 pupils overall did not make expected levels of progress in 2015 in reading, writing and mathematics. This was repeated in writing and mathematics in 2016.  Some governors, many parents and many teachers were insufficiently concerned by this because, overall, a reasonable proportion of pupils attained the appropriate standards for their age.  The published results for 2015 and unvalidated results for 2016, represent, therefore, considerable underachievement by the most able pupils. Many more of these pupils should have exceeded the expected level because they entered with prior attainment above the national average at the end of Year 2.  The results also mask significant underachievement for disadvantaged pupils. Gaps between the performance of these pupils and other pupils nationally are wide and not

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

diminishing over time.  The headline figures fail to show the much weaker progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Gaps between the performance of the majority of these pupils and other pupils nationally are wide and not reducing over time. A large minority of these pupils do, however, make good progress and succeed as a result of some very specific additional attention and support.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address head@ocklynge.e-sussex.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–18 May 2012

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about governors’ financial interests, the governors’ committee structure, and the most up-to- date safeguarding and child protection guidance on its website.  Ocklynge Junior School is one of the largest schools of its type in the country.  The vast majority of its pupils are from White British households. Only a few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is smaller than the national average. However, the size of the school means that overall this group of pupils is large.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above the national average. Due to the size of the school, this proportion represents a very large number of pupils.  The school benefits from a stable population. Few pupils enter during the course of a key stage and few leave.

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Information about this school

 The community served by Ocklynge Junior School has average levels of deprivation.  The school works in partnership with a cluster of schools known locally as the Eastbourne Education Improvement Partnership.  The headteacher joined the school at Easter 2016, after a short period as a consultant headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection began as a short inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. On the first day of the inspection, it was judged necessary to convert the inspection to a full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  On the second day of the inspection, a further four inspectors joined the existing team.  Inspectors observed learning in 25 lessons. Senior leaders observed learning jointly on eight occasions.  Inspectors also conducted two extended tours of the school, visiting briefly all classes, one accompanied by the headteacher. The lead inspector observed a few pupils learning with learning support assistants away from their main classroom.  Inspectors met frequently with senior leaders. Inspectors met with teachers, including a group at different stages of their careers. Inspectors took into account 31 responses to Ofsted’s confidential online staff survey.  Inspectors met with four groups of pupils and heard six Year 4 pupils reading.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors spoke to many pupils informally at break and lunchtimes and took into account 20 responses to Ofsted’s confidential pupil survey.  The lead inspector met with governors and conducted a phone conversation with a representative of the local authority. The lead inspector conducted a second conversation with the local authority, at its request, on the second day of the inspection.  Inspectors met with several parents informally at the end of day one. The lead inspector met a group of seven parents formally at the beginning of day two. The lead inspector also took into account 319 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s confidential online survey.

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Inspection team

Simon Hughes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Judith Grevett 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

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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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