Waterside Primary School

Waterside Primary School Ashford Crescent, Hythe, Southampton, Hampshire SO45 6ET

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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 headteacher was appointed recently at the end of a period during which pupils’ outcomes had fallen sharply. She has provided strong leadership and, with the support of her highly effective deputy, has ensured that this is now a good and rapidly improving school.  Leaders have ensured better teaching and outcomes since the previous inspection.  Safeguarding is effective. Pupils feel safe. Staff are well trained in this area.  The introduction of new systems for tracking individual pupils’ progress is having a positive effect on outcomes.  Disadvantaged pupils are making strong progress. The difference between their progress and that of other pupils is diminishing quickly.  Governors know the school well and are supportive in their roles. They challenge leaders and hold them to account for their actions effectively.  Rates of pupils’ attendance have improved since the last inspection, as a result of leaders’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

effective actions.  Teaching is good. It is well planned and supports pupils in their learning. In some classes, however, there is a lack of challenge for the most able pupils.  The introduction of high-quality texts and a focus on vocabulary are having a positive impact on pupils’ reading comprehension. However, many pupils at the school are not heard to read regularly enough and many do not read for pleasure.  Pupils are well behaved. They are polite and enjoy engaging visitors in conversation. They behave respectfully towards each other and staff.  The developing curriculum is typically broad and balanced and gives pupils many opportunities to learn across a wide range of subjects.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress. This is due to good-quality teaching and to the effective support provided by teaching assistants.  Early years is well led. Children make good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress through the year and are well prepared for Year 1.  Parents and carers are largely very positive about the school. Nearly all parents would recommend the school to other parents.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: – embedding the work of middle leaders, so that the rapid improvements made to systems during this academic year are applied consistently across the whole school – further developing the reading curriculum, so that pupils gain a love of reading and enjoy reading regularly, both at school and at home.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning by: – ensuring that teachers are focused on increasing the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standards of attainment and appropriately challenging the most able pupils – building on recent improvements in the progress of disadvantaged pupils, so that the gap between their attainment and that of other pupils continues to narrow.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide strong, effective leadership. They are uncompromising in their drive to make Waterside School the best it can be. Since the formation of the present leadership team, there has been rapid improvement in teaching and learning and, as a result, improved progress for pupils.  Leaders have an accurate view of the school. Improvement planning accurately identifies priorities for further improvement and the actions needed to achieve them. Leaders’ regular monitoring of the completion of improvement targets and their impact has aided the drive for continuous improvement.  Robust monitoring systems are now in place which map the progress of every pupil in the school. Staff are held to account for any underachievement of pupils in their care, and processes are put in place to ensure that pupils receive appropriate support to catch up. As a result, the rate of pupils’ progress has increased across the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Pupil premium funding is used effectively to reduce the difference in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. Funding is also used to provide emotional support for these pupils and to ensure that they can participate fully in school activities.  Service pupils are well supported by a range of initiatives, for example the setting up of an internet contact that pupils can use to talk to family members who are serving abroad. Priority is also given to supporting pupils’ emotional well-being during times of anxiety for the family.  Additional funding for pupils with SEND is used to good effect. The special educational needs coordinator has a good understanding of pupils’ individual needs. Learning support assistants are well trained and passionately believe in providing the best possible support for the pupils they work with. Work in books, comments from parents and school progress information confirm that most pupils with SEND are making good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

progress from their various starting points.  Leaders ensure that pupils develop both socially and emotionally very well. The pupils’ understanding of British values is much improved from the previous inspection. This has been achieved through a wide range of activities, including cultural visits to local places of interest; celebrating Fiji day; developing an understanding of democracy by voting for house captains; and promoting aspirational career choices.  This year, leaders have made a very positive difference to the leadership of both mathematics and English. This has contributed positively to improved pupils’ progress. The changes made to teaching and new systems that have been introduced now need further time to embed fully across the whole school.  The developing curriculum is typically broad and balanced and gives pupils a variety of opportunities to learn across a wide range of subjects. Leaders have started to make

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

useful links across subject areas, and there are plans to develop this further during the next academic year. The curriculum is enriched by educational visits, for example to Butser farm and Winchester discovery centre, and by welcoming visitors to the school, including a Paralympian and an Arctic explorer.  Sports and physical education leadership is strong. The additional sport funding is used effectively. Over the past year, there has been a marked increase in the participation of pupils in a range of sports. Parents comment positively on the increased participation in competitive games.  A wide range of extra-curricular activities are available for pupils, for example multi- sports, lunchtime club, cookery, netball, and boys’ and girls’ football. These clubs are very well attended.  Leaders appreciate the support given by the local authority. It has been highly effective in helping the school to improve rapidly and to develop from its position at the previous

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

inspection.  Parents speak positively about the school. Many commented about the positive changes that the new leadership team has introduced. One parent, echoing the views of many, remarked:

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

‘Fantastic teachers and staff. Approachable, helpful and understanding. My children are happy, learning beyond expectations, motivated and encouraged. Great head and deputy, who genuinely care about each child. Awesome school.’

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Governance of the school

 The effective governing body members are enthusiastic, well informed and have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for further improvement. They hold leaders rigorously to account for their actions. For example, they regularly monitor and challenge leaders on actions taken towards school improvement and ensure that targets and deadlines are met.  All governors are suitably trained in safeguarding. Four governors are trained in safer recruitment and ensure that at least one is always present at interviews for new staff. The safeguarding governor regularly visits the school to check that processes and procedures are robust. This includes checking that staff know what to do should a safeguarding situation arise.  Governors carefully review and monitor the use of additional funding to ensure that funds are being used effectively to make a positive impact on pupils’ progress and outcomes.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Strong systems ensure that staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children. Leaders ensure that all staff receive up- to-date training about safeguarding issues and safeguarding is regularly reviewed in weekly staff meetings.  Leaders report safeguarding concerns to the appropriate authority when needed and work well with outside agencies to safeguard pupils. Record-keeping is detailed and thorough. The single central record is up to date and contains all the required information.  Leaders regularly provide information to parents about keeping children safe, for example about the dangers of cyber bullying. Pupils say that they are safe in the school and that they know who to talk to with any concerns or worries. Parents and staff agree that pupils are safe at this school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The leadership of teaching and learning is strong. Since the last inspection, leaders have put in place systems and whole school expectations to improve pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders are aware that there is some inconsistency in the impact of these systems between classes and that more time is needed to analyse their full effectiveness.  The improved quality of monitoring and deeper analysis of information about pupils’ progress have resulted in improved teaching and assessment across the school. These improvements are evident in discussions with pupils, observations of work in pupils’ books, visits to lessons and information from the school’s own pupil progress information.  The teaching of writing is effective and much improved. The well-planned curriculum develops pupils’ technical writing skills and allows them to practise their writing for different purposes. Longer pieces of writing are carefully planned with a highly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

structured approach and, as a result, pupils develop their stamina for writing well. However, the most able pupils are sometimes restricted by the support offered and do not complete as much as they could during a session.  Leaders have accurately identified issues with pupils’ reading. At present, priority has been given to whole-class reading from high-quality texts. This has improved vocabulary and comprehension skills and has inspired pupils’ writing. However, leaders have identified that many pupils are not given enough opportunities to develop their reading skills by reading regularly to an adult, either in school or at home. As a result, leaders are now raising the profile of reading for pleasure, for example by setting up a book swap, which pupils are very enthusiastic about.  The teaching of mathematics has improved and, as a result, there has been strong progress made by pupils since the start of the academic year. Teaching is well planned,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and apparatus is generally used effectively to aid pupils’ understanding. There is clear support and appropriate challenge for lower-ability pupils, who are now making strong progress. There is, however, little evidence in some year groups of appropriate challenge for the most able.  The teaching of the broader curriculum is largely effective. Pupils engage in a wide range of topics, many of which are linked, showing pupils that skills learned in one curriculum area can be applied in others. At present, however, the Year 6 curriculum is not as broad as it should be. Leaders have plans that are well underway to improve it for the coming year.  Teaching assistants are enthusiastic and effective. They are well trained and offer good support for all pupils.  Homework is set in accordance with school policy. Pupils enjoy the homework they are given and talk enthusiastically about the tasks they are set, for example making

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

artefacts at home to enhance their topic work.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are aware of equalities issues and told inspectors that the staff had taught them to be accepting of others’ differences, celebrating and understanding diversity, while focusing on human qualities in everyone, such as kindness and reliability.  In most classes, pupils maintain their concentration on activities well. They work hard and responsibly. Pupils say that lessons are fun that they enjoy coming to the school. They work collaboratively, taking turns and listening to each other’s ideas. However, in classes where the levels of challenge are not high enough, some pupils lose focus and go off task  Leaders have encouraged a ‘family feel’ within the school, which pupils of all ages appreciate. Pupils enjoy the extra responsibilities given to them. For example, older pupils say that they love the opportunity to be a ‘lunchtime monitor’ for the younger

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Personal development and welfare

pupils. They sit with the youngest pupils, help them to cut up their food, make sure they drink water and ensure that they join in conversations.  Pupils know what bullying is and say that it happens occasionally at the school. They know that, should bullying occur, adults at the school would deal with it quickly and effectively.  Pupils say that they feel safe at the school. They know about the dangers associated with the internet and can explain how to keep safe online. They are also highly aware of the dangers of riding their bicycle on the road.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils typically conduct themselves well in class and around the school. During the inspection, behaviour was good around the school at lunchtimes and breaktimes. Pupils enjoy breaktimes and say that there is always plenty to do. They particularly enjoy playing in the newly developed woodland area and use it extensively.  Pupils reported that the school’s work to improve behaviour over time has had a positive effect. Pupils who in the past felt unsettled and lacking in friends say that, since the introduction of activities such as circle time and the provision of time-out spaces, they now feel part of a much friendlier school. This improvement is reflected in the greatly reduced number of incidents recorded in the school’s behaviour log.  Attendance has improved and is now nearly in line with national averages. Since the previous inspection, leaders have more readily engaged with parents over the

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Behaviour

importance of good attendance, and this has had a positive impact. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is also improving and is now close to that of other pupils at the school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Following two years of underachievement, 2018 saw a significant improvement in the proportion of pupils achieving age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2, rising by 40% on the previous two years. School progress information and work in pupils’ books indicate that this improvement has been consolidated this year.  Attainment in writing has been below the national average for the past two years. However, this has been an area of focus for all staff, and progress in writing in all year groups and all ability groups is now strong. Rapid progress is evident through the work in pupils’ books and in school progress information.  The progress of the most able pupils is improving, reflected by the increased proportion of pupils reaching the higher standards in reading and mathematics at both key stages 1 and 2. However, across the school, the most able and most able

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Outcomes for pupils Good

disadvantaged pupils are not regularly challenged at a greater depth of thinking or working. As a result, these pupils do not fulfil their potential.  Disadvantaged pupils currently at the school are making strong progress. This is clearly seen in pupils’ books and the school’s own information about progress. However, the difference in their progress and that of other pupils, although diminishing, is not yet eliminated.  Phonics teaching is good. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the national screening at the end of Year 1 has been at least in line with the national average for the past three years. In 2018, the proportion of pupils meeting the standard was above the national average.  The proportion of children reaching a good level of development in early years has been above the national average for the past three years. Current children are making good progress towards a good level of development and indicators are that they will

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Early years provision Good

 Children achieve well in early years. Many start school with skills below those found typically in most children of their age. Staff plan well to ensure that children are supported in developing these skills, and most make good progress from their starting points. As a result, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of their time in early years has been consistently above the national average.  The early years provision is well led. Staff are very knowledgeable about the children in their care. Staff observe teaching, check planning, track progress and keep clear, detailed records. They have a strong understanding of the progress made by different groups of children, use assessment well and plan next stages of learning based on the child’s own interests.  The outside area is well used and well resourced. Children play and learn well together, take turns and listen to the ideas of others carefully. They behave well and enjoy

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Early years provision Good

engaging visitors in conversation and explaining about what they are doing.  There are many carefully planned activities, both inside and outside the classroom, to support writing for pupils who need to develop fine motor skills, for example writing recipes and using light boards.  Support for disadvantaged children in early years is well targeted. Their needs are supported effectively and, as a result, they make very good progress from their starting points.  Parents are positive about the communication they receive from the school. They welcome the opportunity to talk to staff before and after the school day and enjoy contributing to the online learning journals.  Safeguarding policies are robust. All staff in early years are fully qualified. They have all undergone paediatric first-aid training.  Children leave early years well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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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 headteacher@waterside.hants.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–18 January 2017

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Information about this school

 This is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is higher than in schools nationally.  The proportion of pupils with SEND who have an education, health and care plan is below the national average.  The proportion of service pupils attending the school is higher than the national average.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2018.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out observation of learning in all year groups. All these observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders. Some classes were visited more than once.  Inspectors scrutinised documents including minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan, monitoring and assessment information, school policies, behaviour and safety records, safeguarding policies and procedures, and reports from visits by the local authority.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, members of staff and four members of the governing body.  Inspectors met with pupils, as well as having informal conversations with pupils during lessons and playtimes. Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about their work.  Inspectors considered 68 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire Parent View, including 42 free-text comments. They also met with parents before the school day.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered 35 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire and 27 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Brian Macdonald, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Catherine Old Her Majesty’s 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

Parent View 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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