Cherrywood Community Primary School

Cherrywood Community Primary School Mayfield Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 8LH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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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 a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors are ambitious for all pupils but outcomes for pupils are not yet good.  Pupils do not make enough progress, especially in writing, mathematics and science. There are too few opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding in mathematics.  Pupils have weak basic writing skills. Their work is often untidy and they do not write fluently and confidently by Year 6.  Some teachers have low expectations for pupils and do not move pupils on to new learning quickly enough. There are times when teachers do not make clear to pupils what it is they are to learn.  Teachers do not all have a secure understanding of the level at which pupils are working. Work planned for pupils does not always build upon previous learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

The school has the following strengths  The school is fully inclusive. Pupils are warmly welcomed into school, regardless of their circumstances.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are polite, friendly and helpful. They get on well together and are proud to attend this school.  The school provides good-quality care and support for pupils and their families. Pupils feel safe in school.  A heavy emphasis on English and mathematics is squeezing out other subjects. There is little time for pupils to learn other subjects to any depth. Provision for science is poor.  School leaders regularly visit classrooms and provide feedback to help teachers to improve, but not all teachers consistently adapt their practice.  Some management systems are overcomplicated and duplicate performance information that already exists. This means that leaders sometimes struggle to use the information to gain a clear picture of pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress.  Some leaders are new to their roles and have not yet had time to bring about the required improvements.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children get off to a good start in the Reception Year. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s learning needs. Staff provide a range of stimulating activities that allow children to progress well.  Leaders have actions in place to improve teaching. Teachers are positive about this support.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – pupils in all classes are provided with a rich and stimulating curriculum that develops their skills in all subjects, particularly in science – leaders systematically check teaching and work in pupils’ books to set clear actions for improvement and to ensure that teachers follow up these actions – management systems are simplified by reducing unnecessary paperwork so that leaders rapidly gain a clear picture of the progress made by different groups of pupils.  Improve the quality of teaching by making sure that: – teachers have a secure knowledge of the standard at which pupils are working and that they plan work that is at the precise level for all pupils so that it builds upon and extends what pupils already know – all teachers have the highest expectations for the standard and quality of work that pupils produce – teachers make clear to pupils exactly what it is they want pupils to learn.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ standards, particularly in writing, mathematics and science, by: – making sure that pupils have secure basic skills, including spelling, punctuation and grammar and that they use these correctly in their writing – providing opportunities for all pupils to deepen their mathematical understanding by reasoning and explaining their ideas – moving pupils on more rapidly when they have demonstrated that they have understood their work.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders’ ambitions for all pupils to achieve their best are not translated into practice, and expectations in some classrooms are not high enough. Although leaders provide training and support to help teachers to improve their skills, this has not yet led to teaching that is consistently good across the school.  School leaders have a broadly accurate view of how well the school is performing. However, they do not make sharp enough use of all available information to target specific areas in need of attention. For example, although they look at work in pupils’ books, they have not picked up some of the weaknesses in teaching identified by inspectors.  Leaders and governors responded to the disappointing results in 2016. They created a plan of action that has brought about improvements in reading. They provided training and used local authority advisers to help drive improvement. However, pupils’ learning

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

and progress in writing, mathematics and science are below where they should be.  Since their appointment in 2015, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have introduced new systems to record and track pupils’ progress. Some of these systems are overcomplicated and do not give a clear picture of how well different groups of pupils are achieving. This means it is sometimes difficult for leaders to have an overview of how much progress pupils make.  The curriculum is too narrow and provides few opportunities for pupils to learn subjects other than English or mathematics to any great depth. Work in pupils’ books shows very little history, geography, science or religious education in some classes. Pupils do not develop their skills and knowledge in these subjects systematically and so do not progress as well as they should.  Thoughtful use has been made of the additional funding to support disadvantaged

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils. For those disadvantaged pupils who have additional learning needs, teaching assistants have been employed to help them in class, in small groups, and individually. This helps those pupils to achieve as well as their classmates. Funding has also been allocated to subsidise their attendance at breakfast club and to support the costs of school visits. This has developed confidence for these pupils and provided them with the same opportunities enjoyed by their classmates.  The primary school sports funding has been used to improve teachers’ skills and confidence to teach physical education. School leaders have employed an outside agency to work alongside teachers and pupils to develop skills across a range of sports. This has led to an increase in the number of pupils enjoying sports that help to keep them fit and healthy.  Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities provided by the school, including trips and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

visitors to school, that promote their personal development and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils take part in a democratic election for posts of responsibility around the school and pupils are proud of these roles. British values such as respect and tolerance largely mirror the school’s own values and are taught through assemblies and class topics.  The local authority provides robust support and challenge to the school. Leaders welcome this support as well as engaging with other schools within the local area to learn from best practice.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are passionate about the school and pride themselves on welcoming pupils with a diverse range of needs. They have benefited from an external review and have an action plan in place to show how they complement school leaders in bringing about the required improvements. Minutes from their meetings show that they challenge school leaders by asking questions. They visit school regularly to see for themselves how well pupils are learning. However, they do not always check well enough that actions agreed by school leaders are translated into practice. For example, planned actions to raise pupils’ achievement in science have not yet been implemented. Although they have reviewed the key findings of published performance information, they do not analyse the detail of the report that would give them a clearer picture of the specific areas that need to be addressed.  Governors are well organised in their working practices. There is a schedule in place to

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Governance of the school

ensure that all statutory policies are reviewed at the right time. Individual governors lead small teams of governors to review policies before they are submitted to the full governing body for ratification. Governors know that pupils’ behaviour in school is good and that pupils are happy and safe in school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff say that school leaders promote a culture of safety within the curriculum and through regular training. Safeguarding is frequently discussed at staff meetings so all staff are fully up to date with the latest information. The school safeguarding policy and the policy for protecting children are robust and provide clear guidance to staff. Teachers feel confident that they know exactly what to do should they have a concern about a pupil. School leaders know there are several pupils whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable and they endeavour to ensure that these pupils receive the right support in school. Leaders have established good working relationships with external agencies so those pupils at risk from harm quickly get the help that they need.  Pupils are taught how to be safe and they say they feel safe in school. They are confident that staff listen to their concerns and that any issues they raise will be dealt

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Safeguarding

with promptly. The vast majority of parents who responded to the online survey, or who spoke to inspectors, are happy that their children are safe and well looked after in school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good across the school. Some teachers have low expectations for what pupils can do and do not demand enough from them. Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers do not provide enough feedback to pupils about how they can improve their work. Consequently, pupils continue to repeat their same mistakes and do not progress as quickly as they should.  Although teachers set learning objectives for pupils, these are sometimes so complex that it is difficult to understand what pupils are expected to learn. Consequently, planning lacks clarity and does not allow pupils to build their skills and extend their understanding.  Teaching of mathematics varies. Some teachers do not have sufficient knowledge of the mathematics curriculum and so do not provide work that meets the needs of different groups of pupils. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills and so pupils do not learn as rapidly as they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

should.  Not all teachers use information about pupils’ learning to plan activities and work that are matched to pupils’ abilities. Consequently, pupils often spend time completing simple tasks and waiting for others to catch up, rather than tackling more difficult work.  In all classrooms, teachers have established good working relationships with their pupils. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes and they want to learn. There is usually good support for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, enabling those pupils to progress as well as their classmates.  In most classrooms, pupils have opportunities to talk to each other and to share their learning. This helps to build their confidence and to develop their understanding, trying out their ideas in a climate of trust and respect.  The teaching of phonics is variable across the school. While some adults lead effective

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

phonics groups, this is inconsistent across key stage 1 and the Reception class. There are times when some pupils are held back until everybody has understood. At other times, the sessions are much too long for the less-able younger pupils who become fidgety and lose concentration.  Where teaching is better, teachers show they have good subject knowledge and use this effectively to question pupils and probe their understanding.  Often, tasks enable pupils to work things out for themselves. For example, in a Year 2 English lesson pupils were required to read a set of instructions that the teacher had deliberately written in the wrong order. They then had to establish the correct order to follow the instructions to create a model. This was a challenging activity in which pupils had to analyse the writing in order to accomplish the task.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Teachers treat pupils kindly and they promote a climate of trust and respect so that pupils develop confidence and a desire to learn.  Pupils are proud of their school and warmly welcome new pupils to the school. They understand that there are a few pupils who have specific issues that make it difficult for them to cope with some aspects of school life. However, they demonstrate understanding and compassion and do what they can to help.  Pupils say they feel safe at school. They say that adults care for them and take their concerns seriously. Although acts of poor behaviour are few, pupils know that adults will deal quickly should a problem arise. Pupils know about different forms of bullying, including that related to modern technology. They know that they should not provide personal information when using the internet.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school prides itself on being inclusive and will strive to ensure that all pupils are treated equally and fairly. There are a number of pupils whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable. Staff create strong links with their families and they work closely with external agencies to ensure that the right support is provided in a timely way.  Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are good, although some pupils do not take enough care when completing their work. Occasionally, pupils’ attention in lessons wanders when the work they are given is insufficiently challenging.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite, friendly and well mannered. They get on well together and they show respect towards each other. They enjoy coming to school and they listen to each other and to adults.  Breaktimes and lunchtimes are sociable occasions and pupils eat their lunch in a calm and orderly way. There is plenty of space in the school playgrounds where pupils play games or chat among themselves.  Pupils usually behave well in class and when moving around the school. Occasionally, when the pace of learning slows, they exhibit ‘off-task’ behaviour and chat among themselves.  School leaders work closely with families to encourage good attendance. While the majority of pupils attend school regularly and on time, there are a few pupils who are persistently absent and the school is working with external partners to reduce this figure. The latest attendance information shows that rates of attendance for all groups

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils do not make enough progress, particularly in writing, mathematics and science. This is because teaching has not been consistently strong enough to secure good progress for pupils over time.  In 2016, at the end of key stage 2, pupils’ standards in reading and mathematics were significantly below those of other pupils nationally. This reflects slow progress for pupils, with middle-ability pupils making significantly less progress than other pupils in reading. Pupils made the progress expected of them in writing to reach standards that were broadly average.  Published data shows that, in 2016, pupils in Year 6 reached average standards in science. However, work in pupils’ current books shows that they do very little science and are not working at the required level.  Many of the disadvantaged pupils also have complex special educational needs and/or disabilities and this prevents these pupils from reaching similar levels to their

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

classmates. Leaders have reorganised the way in which the pupil premium funding is spent to provide specific support to meet these pupils’ needs. Leaders have identified the particular barriers to learning that these young people need to overcome and this is leading to improvements.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress in line with their classmates. They receive targeted support from skilled teaching assistants who help them to understand what they are expected to do. At other times, pupils are provided with extra help, either individually or in small groups. This is directed at addressing their particular area of difficulty.  Pupils currently in school do not make enough progress in writing. Their spelling, punctuation and grammar are not of the standard they should be. This is because pupils do not routinely apply basic skills to new work. Additionally, teachers do not

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

always pick up and address pupils’ errors.  Pupils make variable progress in mathematics. Where teaching is well planned, pupils make strong progress. For example, in a Year 6 lesson the teacher asked pupils if every three-dimensional shape, including a sphere, had a net. This was a particularly challenging activity calling for reason and analysis, and allowed pupils to apply their understanding to solve a complicated problem. However, in less effective lessons, pupils fail to make adequate progress because the level of work is too easy.  Following the disappointing results in 2016, school leaders put into place actions to raise pupils’ standards in reading. These have largely been successful. Pupils in Year 6 demonstrate a range of skills that allow them to read clearly, fluently and with good understanding. In Year 2, pupils read competently but do not always use punctuation to help them to read for meaning or with any expression.

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Early years provision Good

 Children get off to a good start in the Reception class. They enter school with skills below those typical of their age, particularly in their language development. They are well prepared for the demands of Year 1 because they make good progress to reach a level of development that is broadly as expected.  Children are warmly welcomed into a bright and stimulating environment by staff who care for them and make them feel safe and secure. The Reception class is very well equipped with good-quality toys and resources that help children to learn and develop.  Children have good behaviours for learning. They concentrate and persevere, showing resilience in tackling tasks. They delighted their proud parents in their class assembly by retelling the story of ‘Jack and the beanstalk’. They spoke confidently and sang a song from memory, needing no prompting from adults.  Children get on very well together. They are interested in what each other has to say

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Early years provision Good

and they enjoy learning and playing together. During the inspection, children searched for ‘magic beans’ outside and found a variety of mini-beasts. They excitedly shared their findings with other children who were absorbed in watching snails slide up the side of a box. This generated much discussion as well as promoting children’s understanding of the need to treat all living things with respect.  The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of provision. She works alongside staff, supporting and developing their roles. She ensures that all staff are kept up to date with new ideas by attending training and visiting other settings.  Relationships with parents are good. Staff aim to establish good relationships well before children start school and this makes for a settled start. Staff make home visits, and parents are well informed about what to expect from school. Parents are provided

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Early years provision Good

with guidance about how they may help their children at home and there are regular workshops on topics such as phonics that parents find useful.  There is a good balance of activities that are led by adults and those that children choose for themselves. However, there are times when children spend too long without any adult guidance and this reduces the opportunities they have to learn. For example, during the inspection a small group of boys were not engaged in any purposeful activity but chose just to race around the outdoor area.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address k.lewis@cherrywood.hants.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 November 2014

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  A new headteacher was appointed in September 2015 and there have been several changes to the teaching and the leadership team since the previous inspection.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school and pupils are taught in single-age classes.  There is provision for children in the Reception class. These children attend school full- time  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is above average.  The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups is broadly average and about one quarter of the pupils speak English as an additional language.  The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to that other schools.  The school met the government’s floor standards in 2016. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. However, they are close to meeting

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Information about this school

the government’s definition of being a ‘coasting’ school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils working in 14 lessons or parts of lessons and they looked at work in pupils’ books. They observed pupils in class and as they moved around the school. Inspectors listened to pupils reading in Year 2 and Year 6. One inspector attended an assembly.  The inspectors held meetings with school leaders, teachers and groups of pupils. They also met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector held a telephone meeting with a representative from the local authority.  Among the documents scrutinised were school development plans, records relating to pupils’ attainment and progress, and information about how leaders check the quality of teaching. Inspectors also looked at records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour as well as information showing how the school keeps pupils safe.  Inspectors analysed the 25 responses to the online survey, Parent View. They also met

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Information about this inspection

with parents informally during the inspection. The views of staff were taken into account by evaluating the 26 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Gadd 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

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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