White Meadows Primary Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.1

Mrs Luisa Gould Executive headteacher White Meadows Primary Academy Whitelea Road Wick Littlehampton West Sussex BN17 7JL

p.1

Short inspection of White Meadows Primary Academy

Following my visit to the school on 24 January 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in February 2014.

p.1

Short inspection of White Meadows Primary Academy

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Your much-larger-than-average-sized school has continued to grow since the last inspection and you now provide leadership over more than one school. You have skilfully used the talents of your leadership team, including the head of school, to ensure that White Meadows continues to improve. You have a clear and accurate view about what your school does well and what could be even better.

p.1

Short inspection of White Meadows Primary Academy

Leaders and staff know the pupils and families extremely well, including those who join the school at different times of the year and in different year groups. You have a very high proportion of pupils who do not stay in the school from the early years through to Year 6. Strengths identified at the last inspection have been maintained. Your school provides a vibrant, calm and caring environment for pupils to learn. The relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. Pupils are focused on their learning in class, move around the school with minimum fuss and are keen to tell visitors about themselves and their school.

p.1

Short inspection of White Meadows Primary Academy

At the time of the last inspection, you were asked to provide greater challenge for pupils, including the most able. In 2016, at the end of key stage 2, the small number of pupils who achieved the highest levels at the end of key stage 1 made good progress from their starting points, including those who were disadvantaged. The progress that all pupils made in reading, writing and mathematics from their different starting points was broadly in line with those found nationally. The significant differences in 2015 at the end of key stage 2 between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally were not evident in 2016 because disadvantaged pupils made good progress.

p.1

Short inspection of White Meadows Primary Academy

Your current plans for improvement rightly focus on increasing the proportion of pupils working at greater depth at the end of key stage 1. You have already made changes to how you develop pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics. These improvements are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ progress.

p.2

Short inspection of White Meadows Primary Academy

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You have highly detailed and effective record-keeping systems. Staff meticulously record their concerns and this enables you to make detailed and swift referrals to other agencies when you need to. Members of your team are rigorous in their pursuit of information from others and are not afraid to make strong representation on behalf of children when they feel that even more can be done.

p.2

Short inspection of White Meadows Primary Academy

You work with large and increasing numbers of vulnerable families. As leaders, you are never satisfied with your effective systems and actively seek to improve them. For example, you are planning to make small changes to your current disclosure forms because you believe they can be even better. You work closely with other schools in the locality and with the local authority. This work provides valuable opportunities to learn from each other and access training that is specific to the needs of your locality.

p.2

Inspection findings

 During this inspection I looked at: how well governors know the school and how well they challenge you; the progress of pupils in Year 2; the progress that key stage 2 pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making in their writing; the impact of leaders’ actions on improving attendance levels.  Governors know the school well. They undertake regular visits to the school and use what they see first-hand to question leaders. New governors are given ‘shadow’ visit opportunities to ensure that the agreed policy for visits is followed. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities. Governors do not make judgements about teaching and learning but they actively gather as much information as they can from pupils about their learning.  Governors challenge senior leaders effectively. Governors ask searching questions about the progress that pupils make. They seek high levels of assurance and do

p.2

Inspection findings

not always merely accept leaders’ initial responses. Governors have high expectations of leaders and are not afraid to hold them to account. For example, following a recent visit, governors left leaders with a clear message about the improvements required to the sports premium information on the school’s website.  Current Year 2 pupils are making good progress from their starting points in writing and mathematics. Pupils who are new to the school, and who were working well below the standards expected, make rapid progress, particularly in their writing. Pupils who reached a good level of development at the end of the early years make good progress. The most able pupils are receiving a good level of challenge in their mathematics work, particularly in developing their problem- solving skills and explaining how they got the answers they did. As a result, current pupils are making good progress.  Pupils in key stage 2 who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are

p.2

Inspection findings

making good progress in their writing. Pupils are given a wide range of different writing opportunities, and use and apply the skills they have been taught well. Pupils’ accurate use of punctuation has improved over time. Planned learning takes account of pupils’ prior knowledge and skills, including when pupils are working at levels significantly below their peers. Pupils are given clear expectations about what successful writing will look like, and enthusiastically rise to the challenge.  Attendance levels are beginning to improve. Leaders track lateness and absence very thoroughly. You know that families who have not been in your school for a sustained period represent a significant proportion of those pupils who have the lowest attendance. You use what you know to constantly develop new initiatives. For example, the minibus collection service you provide is having a positive impact for a small number of families. Your recent focus on the attendance of

p.3

Inspection findings

older pupils is also beginning to improve the attendance of key stage 2 pupils.

p.3

Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  they increase the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 1 who are working at greater depth  the attendance levels for all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, improves.

p.3

Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for West Sussex. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3

Information about the inspection

I met with you, senior leaders and governors to review your evaluation of the school’s effectiveness. I accompanied senior leaders to some key stage 1 and key stage 2 classrooms. I spoke to pupils around the school and at lunchtime. We evaluated a range of work in pupils’ books and your assessment information. I reviewed monitoring information from the trust. I looked at 36 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and 20 staff survey returns. I checked the effectiveness of your safeguarding arrangements, including those related to recruitment.

p.4