Seely Primary School

Seely Primary School Perry Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 3AE

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The co-headteachers have successfully established a culture of high expectations for all leaders, staff and pupils. Since the last inspection, the quality of education provided by the school and pupils’ outcomes have improved considerably.  Leadership and management are much improved. The governing body now provides strong support for school improvement and senior and middle leaders carry out their roles well. Leaders focus their efforts on ensuring that pupils in all year groups achieve well.  Good-quality teaching and the effective use of assessment have led to a trend of improvement in pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics and a range of other subjects. Standards in writing remain below those in reading and mathematics.  All groups of pupils make good progress from their varied starting points. The curriculum is suitably modified to meet the learning needs of the most able pupils, and also of those who

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

find learning more difficult. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well. Those who speak English as an additional language soon grow in confidence in their spoken and written English.  The great majority of parents and carers are fully supportive of the school and would recommend it to other parents.  Not only do pupils achieve well in English and mathematics, but also achieve well in a wide range of other subjects. Pupils do particularly well in art and design, music, physical education and games (PE) and in Spanish.  The school’s ethos and curriculum give high priority to pupils’ spiritual moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are thoughtful and considerate to one another and form good relationships with adults in the school.  Teachers use their good subject knowledge and questioning to good effect. Staff are particularly skilful at using pupils’ mistakes and misconceptions to help pupils overcome any

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

difficulties they have in their learning.  Safeguarding is effective. Pupils behave safely and act with respect for the safety of others. A strong culture of safeguarding is evident throughout the school.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. They respond sensibly and calmly to routines and instructions and are keen learners.  Rates of attendance have been persistently below average recently. The school has undertaken some work to address this weakness, but the impact of this work is not sufficiently evident.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ attainment in writing by: – ensuring that the school’s current strategies to improve attainment in writing are fully embedded in all classes – ensuring a consistent approach to the teaching of handwriting and the presentation of work – ensuring that opportunities are taken in all classes to develop pupils’ extended writing in subjects other than English.  Improve pupils’ attendance to be at least in line with the national average by: – embedding and consolidating recent improvements in the management of attendance so that all pupils develop good attendance habits – working to ensure that all pupils and families recognise the importance of regular attendance – ensuring that all senior leaders, within their areas of responsibility, contribute to improving rates of attendance – ensuring that pupils’ attendance is regularly monitored.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Since the previous inspection, the school has improved in key areas. The co- headteachers work very effectively together and have formed a stable and effective leadership team. Leaders and staff are working to the same ends. The school has made great strides in improving the quality of teaching and the use of assessment. These have resulted in all groups of pupils making good progress in their learning.  Leaders have an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that require further attention. Their plans for improvement are effective and well thought out.  Middle and subject leadership is already strong and continually improving. Subject leaders appreciate the quality of support for their work that they receive from within the school and via the groups they belong to through the school’s membership of the Nottingham Schools Trust. There is good capacity on the part of leaders, at all levels,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

to sustain and strengthen the improvements made since the previous inspection.  Staff training and development are of good quality and result in the quality of teaching and the use of assessment being effective. Staff say they value the good-quality guidance they receive to help them improve their work.  A key reason for the higher standards that are evident throughout the school is the close tracking of pupils’ progress by leaders and teachers. Underachievement is identified at an early stage. Teachers are fully held to account and accept responsibility for the learning of all pupils in their classes.  Staff work together, both with other staff within the school and also with staff from other schools, to ensure that their assessments of pupils’ learning are accurate.  Additional funding for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and for disadvantaged pupils are both used more effectively than at the time of the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

previous inspection.  The additional funding for physical education (PE) and sport is used wisely. Pupils benefit from the regular good-quality PE teaching they receive from an additional sports coach. Staff are also able to reflect on and improve their own teaching of PE because they are present at these sessions.  The curriculum is effectively modified to meet the learning needs of all groups of pupils, including the most able. It is also broad and balanced. It is clear from pupils’ workbooks, and from discussions with pupils and staff, that pupils are supported well to develop knowledge and skills in a wide range of subjects. For example, the regular Spanish lessons pupils receive from Year 1 onwards result in pupils, by Year 6, achieving very well in their written and spoken Spanish.  The school’s work to improve attendance has not yet had the desired effect. The main responsibility for assuring regular attendance rests with the co-headteachers and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

deputies and is insufficiently distributed to other senior leaders throughout the school. The monitoring of attendance patterns and trends are not undertaken and analysed as closely as pupils’ learning. This means that action to address poorer attendance is sometimes not sufficiently targeted.  The curriculums for mathematics and reading are both strong. Although the writing curriculum is being improved, opportunities are missed in some classes to develop pupils’ extended writing in other subjects, such as history, geography, science and religious education.  The curriculum provides extensively for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are knowledgeable about the wide range of cultures and beliefs in modern Britain. They are taught fundamental British values, particularly those of tolerance and respect for ways of life that are different from their own. The school’s

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

curriculum and ethos are strongly committed to promoting equality of opportunity and all pupils are valued and treated equally. The curriculum and the school’s ethos effectively promote pupils discussing and taking action to address any conflicts that arise in order to restore good relationships, including restorative conferences.

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Governance of the school

 Governance is very effective, and governors make an important contribution to improving the school. The governing body has organised its work well so that governors have a comprehensive and accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  Governors are reflective about their role and carry out checks to ensure that they continually improve their work. A particular improvement has been in establishing a data committee so that governors can cast a close eye on the performance of the school. Their detailed knowledge of data enhances the ability of the governing body to work with and challenge leaders to continually improve the school.  Governors receive accurate and comprehensive information from leaders, including assessment information and reports regarding the impact of initiatives and spending. Specialist governors have close links with subject leaders and other leaders to ensure that they fully understand and can challenge and support ongoing work to improve

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Governance of the school

their specialist areas. Both staff and governors benefit from these links.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Governors fulfil their statutory duties regarding safeguarding. The checking of the school’s safeguarding arrangements is continually of high profile with members of the governing body. Governors ensure that external checks on safeguarding take place and that action is taken to address any issues that come to light.  The school has established a culture where all staff give safeguarding and child protection the prominence they deserve. Staff and governor training is up to date and fully meets requirements. The school liaises with external agencies whenever necessary.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Throughout the school, behaviour is effectively managed, resulting in good relationships and pupils sustaining good concentration and positive attitudes to learning in classes.  Well-trained teaching assistants work in close partnership with teachers to promote the learning of pupils. They are effectively deployed and have a particularly positive impact on the good progress made by pupils with SEND, and those who find learning more difficult. They provide good-quality support in classrooms and when working with individuals or small groups of pupils outside the classroom.  Teachers show good subject knowledge in their teaching. This is brought to bear to help pupils see their mistakes and learn from them, to provide good-quality guidance for learning, to ask searching questions, to explain things clearly and to help pupils remember what is being taught.  Since the previous inspection, much has been done to improve the quality of teaching

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

of mathematics and of reading. National assessment results last year indicated that pupils made particularly strong progress in mathematics. Pupils’ work and school records indicate that pupils are continuing to progress well in mathematics. Teachers are particularly effective at promoting positive attitudes to mathematics and pupils enjoy tacking quite challenging work.  Reading is well taught. Phonics is taught well in younger classes and pupils throughout the school benefit from regular guided reading lessons. A well-organised home reading programme and the Wednesday and Friday morning parent reading sessions mean that many parents make an important contribution to the good progress their children make in learning to read. A good proportion of Year 6 pupils become hobby readers.  The school, over this year, has turned its attention to improving the teaching of writing. Some improvements are evident, for example in the teaching of extended

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

writing in English work and in linking the teaching of writing with pupils’ reading work. However, in some classes, chances are missed to develop pupils’ extended writing in other subjects. Although pupils throughout the school are taught to take pride in looking after their books, the quality of presentation and of handwriting is too variable.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils in all year groups show consistently positive attitudes to learning. This is having and increasingly positive impact on their academic progress, which is consistently good.  Pupils embrace opportunities to take on responsibilities. For example, they enjoy acting as peer mentors, or as members of the school council. Pupils told inspectors that they felt able to approach school council representatives in case of any concerns or worries.  Pupils who spoke with inspectors showed a sound appreciation of what constitutes various forms of bullying. They told inspectors that incidents of bullying were very rare and that they felt safe in school. They also showed confidence that the adults in school would be able to help if bullying were to occur.  Pupils value the opportunity to access the school’s counselling and mediation systems if

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Personal development and welfare

any difficulties occur.  Pupils show good understanding of ways of life and faiths other than their own, reflecting the strong emphasis placed on diversity in the school’s curriculum.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Their conduct throughout the inspection was calm and orderly, both around school and in lessons. Pupils understand the school’s behaviour policy and know what happens if they do not behave as expected.  Peer mediators make a good contribution to pupils behaving well. Peer mediators are trained for their roles and pupils say they carry them out well.  Pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes is also good. Pupils say that the midday staff show good supervision and handle any unacceptable behaviour fairly and effectively.  Pupils’ attendance, despite the co-headteachers’ efforts, has remained stubbornly below average for some time and the latest information indicates that matters are not improving sufficiently. Responsibility for good attendance and the developing of good attendance habits is not sufficiently shared among senior leaders. There are some gaps in the tracking of attendance patterns. These make it difficult to compare year-on-year

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Behaviour

attendance rates and so hinder the ability of leaders to identify and tackle particular weaknesses.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 is improving. Results in the 2018 national assessments were better than in the previous year. Pupils’ work and the school’s accurate records indicate that improvements are being sustained and strengthened in almost all year groups and across a range of subjects.  This year, in Year 6, more pupils are working at the higher standard than previously, especially in reading and mathematics.  The proportion of pupils attaining and exceeding the expected standard has steadily improved over time, particularly in reading and mathematics.  Pupils with SEND achieve well and make good progress from their various starting points. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress due to the good-quality support they receive.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well throughout the school due to the wise spending of additional funding for these pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Good-quality teaching of phonics in the younger classes has resulted in an improving proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. Younger pupils apply their phonics knowledge well to read and spell unfamiliar words.  Attainment in writing, although rising, is not as strong as in reading and mathematics. Standards of writing, particularly extended writing, in some classes are much better in their English work than in other subjects. Standards of handwriting are not consistently high throughout the school.

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Early years provision Good

 Children join the early years with a wide spread of attainment. The majority enter with knowledge and skills that are below those typical for their age, but some children enter with above typical development. As a result of effective teaching and the use of assessment, all groups of children make good progress from their varied starting points. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development has risen over time and the great majority of children who are currently in the Reception Year are on track to attain a good level of development in all areas of learning.  A rising proportion of children this year are also on track to exceed the level of development expected by the end of Reception. Children who find learning more difficult make good progress because staff skilfully identify barriers to learning and modify their teaching to help children learn.  The classroom and outside areas provide a very good and well-organised environment

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Early years provision Good

for learning. For example, there are many opportunities and stimuli to help children widen their vocabulary. Children, including those whose families speak languages other than English at home, soon extend their vocabulary and overall language skills. Good- quality teaching of phonics helps children grow in confidence as readers. Although pencil grip is taught well, some children’s letter formation and early handwriting is not as developed as could be expected.  Children respond well to staff’s high expectations of behaviour and conduct. Parents appreciate the effective procedures to introduce their children to school and regard provision in the early years highly. Children are well cared for and kept safe. They cooperate with each other and with adults, responding quickly and sensibly to routines and instructions.  Teaching is good. Adults provide children with thinking time and the opportunity to

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Early years provision Good

solve problems, for example in making sails for boats. Good-quality provision prepares children well for Year 1.  Leadership and management are good in the early years. Leaders provide many ways of helping staff do their jobs better. For example, they sometimes swap roles so that they can learn from one another. Leaders have a clear understanding of where improvements are needed and are continually working to further improve the quality of provision and to help children to do even better.  Liaison and relationships with parents and carers are good and parents say that the school works closely with them for the benefit of their children.

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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

Co-headteachers Jacqui Newton and Sally Pearce

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School details

Email address admin@seely.nottingham.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6–7 December 2016

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Information about this school

 Seely Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average and the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is also above average.  The school is part of the Nottingham Schools Trust.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes, sometimes jointly with one of the co- headteachers.  Inspectors looked at work across an extensive range of pupils’ books and considered the school’s assessment information in relation to the progress and standards achieved by current pupils.  Pupils were heard reading and were spoken to about their reading.  An inspector met with a group of pupils from key stage 2 and spoke with pupils of all ages informally in lessons and around school.  A key stage 1 assembly was observed.  Meetings were held with the co-headteachers and deputy headteachers, the early years leader and the teacher who has responsibility for pupils with SEND. Inspectors met a group of subject leaders. Inspectors also spoke individually with teachers and support staff.  A meeting was held with the chair and vice chair of the governing body.  An inspector met with representatives of the local authority and the Nottingham

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Information about this inspection

Schools Trust.  Brief individual discussions were held with 47 parents of 75 pupils at the start of the second day of the inspection. The 105 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, were also considered as were the 65 more detailed text-based responses. The 200 responses to the school’s very recent survey of parents’ views were also analysed.  The inspectors considered a wide range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation summary, minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s current information on pupils’ attainment and progress, attendance information, external reports on the work of the school, monitoring and evaluation records and a range of documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Roger Sadler, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jackie Thornalley 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

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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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