Saxon Way Primary School

Age group 0–11 Inspection date(s) 29–30 May 2012 Inspection number 381523 Saxon Way Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 133632 Local authority Medway Inspection number 381523 Inspection dates 29–30 May 2012 Lead inspector Hilary Macdonald HMI

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare provision, managed by the governing body, was inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 0–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elizabeth Burridge Headteacher Lynn Andrews Date of previous school inspection January 2009 School address Church Path Gillingham ME7 1SJ Telephone number 01634 852320 Fax number 01634 852320 Email address andrl001@medway.org.uk

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Registered childcare provision Saxon Way Children's Centre Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision January 2011 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colle ges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not

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exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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

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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.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Hilary Macdonald Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 15 lessons and five parts of lessons taught by eight teachers. Of these, three were joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors listened to a range of pupils read and analysed the work in pupils’ books. Meetings were held with pupils, the chair of the governing body, representatives of the local authority and school staff, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior and middle leaders. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line survey (Parent View) when planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including: assessment data; monitoring evidence and strategic planning; and evaluations. Inspectors took account of questionnaires completed by 18 parents and carers, 23 staff and 99 pupils.

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Information about the school

Saxon Way is an average sized one-form-entry primary school. There is a co-located children’s centre which was subject to a separate inspection held at the same time. The school also provides childcare and a breakfast club managed by the governing body, which formed part of this inspection.

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Information about the school

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average and many more pupils than average join the school at other than the normal entry times. Most pupils are of White British heritage and nearly all speak English as their first language. The proportion of pupils supported at School Action Plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than that found in most primary schools. The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 In accordance with section 13(3) of 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.

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Key findings

 This is not a satisfactory school because the achievement of too many pupils is inadequate. In some year groups, pupils make very slow progress while in others they make satisfactory and occasionally rapid progress. However, the rapid progress made by pupils in some classes is not enough to enable all pupils to attain the standards they should. At the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils’ attainment is low in both English and mathematics.

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Key findings

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent and is inadequate overall. The weaknesses in teaching currently and over time have resulted in pupils’ erratic progress and low standards. Teaching is consistently good in the Early Years Foundation Stage but a minority of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 is inadequate and much is no better than satisfactory. There is too little good teaching to accelerate pupils’ progress. Not all teachers consistently adapt work so that it meets the varying needs of pupils. The role of adults in classrooms is not always used to best effect. Some pupils receive very helpful guidance on how to improve further but the quality of teachers’ marking is far too variable. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to use their reading, writing and mathematics skills across the curriculum. However, the effective teaching of letters and sounds and the quality of leadership in English are beginning to

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Key findings

make a positive impact on raising standards.

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Key findings

 Behaviour and safety are satisfactory. The majority of pupils enjoy school and want to learn, and are respectful of adults and each other. The pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour are supported by a range of effective additional interventions and strategies. Pupils and their families receive high quality pastoral care and support. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are inadequate. Leaders have not been successful in tackling the declining trend in attainment since the previous inspection. The lack of rigour in monitoring and developing the quality of teaching and learning through managing teachers’ performance has hindered improvement. The governing body has not held the school’s leaders sufficiently to account for the performance of the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in English and mathematics by:  providing regular opportunities for pupils to improve their literacy skills across the curriculum  developing pupils’ number skills and their ability to solve problems in mathematics  providing regular opportunities for pupils to improve their mathematics skills across the curriculum.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, so that none is inadequate and the majority is good or better, by ensuring that teachers consistently:  provide pupils at different levels of ability with tasks accurately matched to their learning needs and ensure they understand what it is they are learning  let pupils know the next steps in their learning through good quality marking and feedback  plan the effective use of all adults in lessons.  Strengthen the capacity and impact of leaders and managers at all levels, including the governing body, in driving school improvement by:  rigorously monitoring and evaluating the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress and taking swift action to bring about more rapid and sustained improvement  ensuring that leaders and managers at all levels develop the necessary skills to enable them to meet their responsibilities, including the implementation of school improvement priorities so that weaknesses can

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

be tackled robustly and eliminated  ensuring the governing body monitors thoroughly and accurately the school’s work and offers support and challenge to senior leaders about their performance.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ achievement is uneven across the school. It is inadequate overall because attainment is too low by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 and is not rising securely or quickly enough. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

Assessment data show that children start school in the Nursery class with experiences and skills that are well below those typically seen for their age. They make a good start and are helped to settle quickly. They talk excitedly about cutting shapes in dough. Some are able to transfer the spoken word into writing. Absorbed by the range of activities, including playing bingo, children show a growing understanding of addition and subtraction. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children have made good progress to exceed the expected goals in personal and social development, although they remain lower than the expected levels in aspects of literacy and mathematics. This is a positive start to their school life.

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Achievement of pupils

However, this good start is not built upon sufficiently. Pupils in both Key Stages 1 and 2 make erratic progress that varies from class to class and from subject to subject. Attainment in the national tests in Year 2 demonstrate that over a long period of time standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been well below average for pupils of this age. Initiatives such as the introduction of phonics (learning about letters and sounds) are beginning to improve both reading and writing skills but teaching is not yet good enough to raise pupils’ attainment securely and consistently in all classes.

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Achievement of pupils

There are signs of improvement in those lessons where the teaching is good. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 for example, worked enthusiastically to identify sounds in spoken and written words. Activities were carefully tailored to their learning needs and adults recorded each child’s progress. Pupils in Year 2 read aloud to inspectors and talked about their books with confidence. They used their knowledge of letter sounds to tackle unfamiliar words. Despite this, persistent inconsistencies in teaching and learning result in attainment in reading at the end of Key Stage 1 remaining low.

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Achievement of pupils

In Key Stage 2, the impact of a strong focus on English can be seen in examples of good quality work and in improving rates of progress. Nevertheless, rates of progress overall are far too uneven which hinders and impedes a trend of sustained improvement. Visiting authors, a school writing magazine and poetry workshops were highlighted by pupils as examples of their own enjoyment in this subject. Despite this, attainment at the end of Year 6 remains low in reading, writing and mathematics because pupils do not have enough opportunities to use and apply their English and mathematics skills across the curriculum. In addition, fewer steps have been taken to promote problem-solving so that pupils are not making enough progress in mathematics in both key stages. While attainment remains low the school has been successful in reducing the attainment gap between boys and girls. The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is

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Achievement of pupils

satisfactory. This is because they receive sensitive, well-targeted and skilled interventions to support their learning, particularly when they are taught in groups outside the classroom. On these occasions the pupils make good progress.

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Quality of teaching

The impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement over time is not sufficient to ensure Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

that all groups of pupils learn quickly enough or attain at least in line with their capabilities. Consequently, inspection evidence does not support the views of parents and carers who are mostly happy with the quality of teaching in the school. Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently good but varies widely in Key Stages 1 and 2. Learning intentions are shared with pupils at the start of lessons but sometimes these are vague and tend to describe what the pupils will do rather than what they should be learning. In one English lesson, however, clear links were made with pupils’ previous learning of adjectives and adverbs, before they were required to apply and extend this knowledge in their written work. In a good physical education lesson, activities enabled all pupils to improve their own performance. The quality of lesson planning varies. Some teachers rely heavily on published materials that are

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Quality of teaching

not then adjusted to suit the abilities of pupils in the class. As a result, pupils find work either too easy or too difficult and therefore do not make adequate progress. Adult support in the classroom is not always used effectively to promote pupils’ learning, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, although support for pupils outside classrooms during specialised interventions are much more focused and productive. In more effective lessons teachers plan to meet individual learning needs of pupils and how adults will contribute to successful learning.

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Quality of teaching

There are inconsistencies in teachers’ marking and in the opportunities provided for pupils to assess or improve their own work. Pupils have targets in their English and mathematics books and know that these are goals they are working towards. The system for updating these is understood and pupils have a sense of their own progress. Some marking of pupils’ workbooks is of high quality, celebrating success and giving clear guidance to pupils on the next steps to take in order to improve their work further. However, this is not consistent as some workbooks are marked infrequently and provide little or no guidance. In the more successful lessons, pupils are asked to review and discuss their own thinking and learning, to work in different groupings and to develop as active and independent learners. This effective approach was not seen in all year groups.

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Quality of teaching

In the Nursery and Reception Year, detailed planning and carefully resourced activities enable all children to learn at a good pace. Children are encouraged to be active, cooperative and to solve problems, such as when they were faced with the task of retrieving a shell from within a frozen block of ice.

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Quality of teaching

In all year groups, relationships between adults and pupils are positive and classrooms are bright, well-resourced environments. Teaching and the engaging wider curriculum contribute effectively to the development of pupils’ moral and social skills and an appreciation of diversity and other cultures. However, the wider curriculum is not consistently exploited to promote English and mathematics skills sufficiently.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy school and their behaviour is satisfactory. The vast majority of pupils are courteous to each other, to adults known to them and visitors alike. They are happy Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

to come to school and say that they feel safe and know who to turn to if they require support. Of the small number of parents and carers who expressed a view, the vast majority indicated that they believe their children are kept safe. This view is supported by inspection evidence, which found appropriate systems and practices to be well established. Older pupils are clear about the difference between falling out with a friend and incidents of bullying. In discussion, pupils talked about internet safety, racial and cyber-bullying. School incident logs demonstrate a consistent and restorative approach to behaviour, with most recorded examples relating to isolated outbursts and inappropriate conduct, rather than systematic bullying. Despite the expansive play space, pupils who spoke with inspectors cited incidents of falling out over games of football as being the most typical cause of what they considered as

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

‘bad’ behaviour. Parents, carers and pupils expressed concerns about behaviour and disruption to learning. While inspectors observed some pupils displaying challenging behaviour, this was swiftly managed by the teacher, or frequently by a teaching assistant, and learning was not disrupted.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school offers a very wide range of support to pupils and families, including advice, counselling and play therapy as well as a daily breakfast club. Working closely with a number of organisations, including the children’s centre and social services, the school effectively promotes the safety and well-being of pupils and families.

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Leadership and management

Leadership and management are inadequate and capacity for further improvement is limited. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the school’s work are not rigorous enough and, as a result, there has been a downward trend in pupils’ attainment over a significant period of time. Despite leaders’ efforts to manage and monitor staff performance, their impact on raising the quality of teaching has been insufficient. School self-evaluation lacks rigour and does not effectively analyse the impact of actions upon outcomes for pupils.

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Leadership and management

The information about the school’s performance shared with the governing body has been overly positive. Some governors have attended training courses, but these have not been extensive enough to ensure governors have the levels of skill and understanding necessary to hold the school effectively to account. Governors consider they hold an accurate view of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the school, but inspection evidence indicates that this is not the case. The governing body ensures that safeguarding requirements are met and all members of the school community demonstrate commitment and care for those whose circumstances make them vulnerable.

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Leadership and management

Effective leadership by the special educational needs coordinator and specialised programmes of support provided for individuals or small groups result in disabled pupils and those with special educational needs making better progress than most other groups. Particular classes of pupils are subject to frequent poor teaching and Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

this is reflected in the school’s tracking data. The monitoring of pupils’ progress has improved recently. A detailed analysis, completed by the deputy headteacher, exists to demonstrate how each group of pupils is performing. While this has strengthened the promotion of equality by ensuring that remedial action is planned when any pupil or group fails to make the progress they should, persistent weaknesses in the quality of teaching are stalling the school’s efforts to raise attainment in all classes at a sufficient rate. The curriculum is satisfactory because it is successful in promoting pupils’ interests and enjoyment in most lessons. It effectively supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and increases their understanding of their place in Britain’s multicultural society.

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Leadership and management

Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and staff morale is high. The English coordinator is providing a wealth of inspiration to pupils and staff, the impact of which is clearly illustrated in the improving quality of some pupils’ current work.

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childcare provision

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides full day-care provision for 15 children aged 0−3 years in a nurturing, safe and engaging environment. Young children are cared for well and receive individual attention. They are encouraged and comforted throughout the day, ensuring their sense of security. In conversation, staff demonstrate that they know the children well as individuals and, as a result, activities and care match needs accurately. Children settle down quickly and engage readily in activities, such as bead threading or construction. Most children start with skills and understanding that are well below those expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress overall in most areas of learning and good progress in their personal and social development. Behaviour is good, relationships are strong and the promotion of social, moral and spiritual development is a particular strength. Disabled children and those with special educational needs make similar progress to

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childcare provision

their peers because staff draw out their understanding and know how to encourage them, building on their strengths and interests as individuals.

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childcare provision

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the registered childcare provision, inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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childcare provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the registered provision

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

Thank you for being so welcoming and talking to us when we recently visited your school. We found some good things about your school but there are also important aspects that need to improve. You are not all making enough progress in reading, writing and mathematics, so we have decided that your school needs ‘special measures’ to help it improve. This means that the school will receive help to get better. Other inspectors will visit your school regularly to check that your teachers, the headteacher and the governing body are making improvements.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

Here are some of the things we liked most.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

 Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a positive start and make good progress in their personal and social development.  You told us that you enjoy school and that you all have targets to work towards in English and mathematics.  You feel safe in school and we could see that everyone in school takes very good care of you.  You enjoy the curriculum ‘topics’ and range of experiences that help you improve your English skills.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

The school’s leaders know that by the time you leave Saxon Way you are not reaching the standards in your work expected of pupils of your age. They have not been successful in changing this or in improving the overall quality of teaching. All of you can help your teachers by doing your best in all your lessons.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

These are the main things we have asked the governing body, headteacher and staff to do.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

 Improve your skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  Increase the amount of good teaching and ensure that teachers plan work that always meets your needs and that helpful marking makes clear how you can improve your work.  Make sure that leaders and governors plan improvements carefully and keep checking to make sure the actions they take are making a difference.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

We wish you every success for the future.

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Inspection of Saxon Way Primary School, Chatham, ME7 1SJ

Hilary Macdonald Her Majesty’s Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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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