Whitehouse Primary School

Whitehouse Primary School Vaynol Way, Whitehouse, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK8 1AG

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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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The head of school has established a culture of high expectations for staff and pupils in this expanding school. As a result, the school is providing a good quality of education and continuing to improve.  The trust board and local governing body give effective support and challenge to leaders. They have a thorough knowledge of the school and are highly committed to school improvement.  Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged is good.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Activities are usually well matched to pupils’ needs. However, occasionally the most able pupils do not receive the right level of challenge to develop their writing in greater depth.  The leadership of and provision in the early years foundation stage are outstanding. Children settle very quickly and make good and often outstanding progress from their starting

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

points.  The teaching of phonics is a strength of the school. Effective teaching enables pupils to gain early reading skills and use this knowledge when they read and write independently.  Middle leaders do not rigorously track and monitor pupils’ progress in some subjects, such as humanities and arts, to ensure that pupils do as well as possible.  Parents and carers, staff and pupils have overwhelmingly positive views about the school and the quality of education it provides. Parental support for the school is strong.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strongly promoted. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Safeguarding takes a very high priority. Staff ensure that pupils are kept safe. Pupils said that they feel safe and well cared for in school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching in all year groups consistently provides the most able pupils with opportunities to extend their writing, so that more attain at the higher standard in this subject.  Further develop the roles of middle leaders in the foundation subjects, so that their actions improve outcomes for pupils within their subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The determined head of school, ably supported by her leadership team, demonstrates a commitment to raising attainment and improving pupils’ outcomes. Leaders have effectively ensured improvements to the quality of teaching and learning. As a result, most current pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  High pupil mobility due to an expanding roll in the previous two years has led to significant challenges for school leaders. However, leaders acknowledge that managing such challenges is an integral part of their work. They liaise closely with parents and carers, particularly those whose children join the school mid-way through the year, to ensure that all pupils receive the support they need when they enter the school. This is particularly the case for pupils with SEND. Consequently, these pupils settle quickly and make good progress, both socially and academically.  Leaders, including trustees, have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and what it

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

needs to do to improve. They have quite rightly given priority to raising the profile of writing for the most able pupils. School leaders have engaged well with support from the trust. In addition, teachers and teaching assistants have benefited from important training to develop their skills. They have also worked alongside specialist leaders from the trust, enabling them to observe good practice. This has led to improvements in the quality of teaching across the school.  Leaders ensure that pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities, including visits to increase their experiences beyond their local community. Pupils visit many places of interest, such as art galleries, museums, the zoo and the seaside, that enhance their understanding of the topics they learn about in their lessons.  Leaders have been successful in establishing improvements in reading, writing,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

mathematics and science across all year groups. However, the leadership of history, geography and art is less effective. This is because these leaders do not routinely check that learning is planned sequentially to ensure that pupils make the best possible progress.  The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used effectively to improve teaching and learning. Specialist teachers provide high-quality PE teaching and train teachers to improve their practice. Pupils also have access to a selection of after-school clubs to further develop their interests and talents.  Pupils with SEND and those that are disadvantaged receive targeted support. Additional funding is used effectively to support their academic, emotional and physical well-being. These groups of pupils make strong overall progress. They have positive attitudes to learning and their attendance is good.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted strongly. Pupils are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

taught the difference between right and wrong and know how to conduct themselves appropriately. Relationships across the school are respectful, particularly with regard to pupils’ backgrounds and religious beliefs. Pupils follow instructions and understand the importance of school rules. Pupils understand why British values are important, including democracy and the rule of law. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  Parents are very positive about the leadership of the school and almost all parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, would recommend the school to other parents. One parent echoed the views of many and told inspectors, ‘This is a fully inclusive school where all children are held in unconditional regard by leaders and staff.’

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Governance of the school

 Governance of the school is provided by the local committee. The local committee is ambitious and members share the headteacher’s commitment to securing the highest standards of care and academic progress for pupils. The local committee ensures that its statutory duties are met, including those for safeguarding.  Local committee members have a secure understanding of standards in the school. They visit regularly and receive detailed information from leaders. Minutes of meetings confirm that members ask searching questions about a wide range of matters, including finance and pupils’ performance. They are effective in holding leaders to account and ensuring that leaders secure good progress for pupils of the school. Members clearly articulate the strengths and weaknesses of the school.  Leaders in the multi-academy trust provide strong challenge and support for the school. Their evaluation of the school is accurate and has enabled leaders to refine

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Governance of the school

their plans for how they will continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning in writing and further develop the roles of middle leaders.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in this area. Staff know the signs of abuse and what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. They know their pupils well and are alert to any changes in their behaviour or demeanour.  The school’s records of the necessary background checks on adults who work in school are thorough and comply with relevant guidance. Leaders follow appropriate procedures to ensure they recruit staff who are suitable to work with children.  Careful records are kept of all concerns raised and actions taken. Leaders work very closely with other agencies, where appropriate, to ensure that pupils and their families receive timely and effective help and support.  Pupils feel safe in school and value the support of teachers and other adults. Pupils demonstrate a good awareness of the actions they can take to keep themselves safe

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Safeguarding

online and when walking to and from school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers establish good relationships with pupils and ensure that classrooms are well ordered and calm. Teachers are consistent in managing pupils’ behaviour. Class routines are embedded so that pupils settle quickly to work.  Leaders make regular checks on teachers’ practice in classrooms. They provide good support to staff, through a wide range of training and coaching opportunities. This process has been effective in improving the standard of teaching and learning.  Teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding. They are quick to clarify any misconceptions and to provide well-targeted support to pupils who need it. As a result, pupils usually focus well on their learning. However, in the small proportion of lessons where tasks are not well matched to pupils’ abilities, pupils sometimes lose concentration.  Leaders’ focus on improving the teaching of mathematics has resulted in pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

increased confidence. In key stage 1, pupils demonstrate fluency in their use of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They regularly use strategies such as inverse operations to check their work. In key stage 2, pupils have many opportunities to tackle complex problems and are becoming increasingly proficient in developing their reasoning and problem-solving skills.  Phonics is taught consistently well across the school. Most pupils are able to use their phonics knowledge well to sound out words they are not sure of. Pupils who are less confident receive individual support and are making good progress from their different starting points.  Teaching assistants make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning and progress. They play a full and active role in teaching and learning, both within lessons and when supporting pupils in small groups. Other members of staff, such as those who work in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

the nurture room, also provide valuable support, particularly to those pupils who are experiencing difficulties with their emotional well-being or self-esteem.  Teachers promote reading well. This is a key focus for the school. They use a stimulating and engaging choice of texts to underpin each term’s topic. The pupils are enthusiastic about these books. Pupils read confidently and are happy to talk about their reading choices.  Teachers use their secure subject knowledge in English and mathematics to plan learning that builds on pupils’ knowledge and challenges their thinking. However, in some lessons the most able pupils are not routinely challenged to craft their writing with precision and consideration of audience, purpose and text type. As a result, the most able pupils do not make very strong progress in writing.  The high proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged, those who have complex needs,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and those with SEND are supported very effectively by additional adults and teachers. Small group work and clear targets provide pupils with teaching and activities tailored to their needs. Consequently, these pupils make good progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Leaders ensure that pupils’ welfare and well-being are given as high a priority as their academic achievement. This was acknowledged by some of the parents who spoke to inspectors and those who responded to Parent View. The school has a particularly supportive, caring and nurturing ethos, which enables pupils to flourish.  There are strong relationships and mutual respect across the school. Pupils interact well with each other and are self-assured and confident. They have positive attitudes to their learning and are proud of their school and achievements.  The school promotes the emotional health and well-being of its pupils well. The nurture room provides ideal support for those pupils with more complex emotional needs. The nurture room helps pupils to self-regulate their behaviour and develop their independence. This enables pupils to successfully engage with learning and the wider

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Personal development and welfare

aspects of school life.  The daily breakfast club is well attended and provides a calm and welcoming atmosphere for pupils to interact and socialise. Pupils are provided with a range of stimulating activities, including drawing, reading and writing.  Pupils told inspectors that they always feel safe at school. They said that if they had any worries about their safety, a member of staff would deal with it. Pupils are taught well how to stay safe in a variety of situations, including when online and in the local areas.  Pupils relish the opportunities they have to take on responsibilities, such as being members of the school council, sports leaders, library monitors and safeguarding ambassadors. Through these roles, pupils develop their confidence, which prepares them well for the next stage of their education.  Pupils are taught well about healthy eating, the importance of hygiene and how to lead healthy lives. They have access to a wide range of sporting activities and understand

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Personal development and welfare

the importance of physical fitness.  Pupils learn about equalities and show respect for diversity. They have a good awareness and appreciation of different cultures and religions.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Teachers encourage positive behaviours and routines from the early years onwards. Pupils show care and consideration towards one another and adults. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and staff are strong and trusting.  Pupils move around the school site in a calm and orderly manner. They play sociably with each other in the playground. The playground is spacious and has a range of interesting activities and resources.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They cooperate well with their teachers and other adults. They readily work in pairs or groups, as directed by their teachers. They are keen to succeed. These attitudes make a positive contribution to their successful learning. However, in a small number of lessons, their attention wanders when work is not at the right level of challenge.  Attendance is above average. Leaders closely monitor pupils’ attendance. They have

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Behaviour

established effective systems for supporting families and they are rigorous in following up attendance concerns. No groups of pupils are disadvantaged by low attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The typically good and improving teaching means that the vast majority of pupils make good progress from their varied starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. This is demonstrated in their books. Their progress, positive attitudes and well- developed interpersonal skills prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education.  The teaching of phonics is consistently effective. As a result, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is above average.  Improvements to the teaching of mathematics mean that pupils develop secure calculation skills. They also benefit from frequent opportunities to reason and apply their skills in problem-solving contexts. As a result, they become confident mathematicians and a significant proportion reach a greater depth of learning by the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2  Pupils with SEND are well supported in lessons and through additional small groups

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Outcomes for pupils Good

and one-to-one sessions. As a result, they make good progress academically and socially.  The highly effective use of the pupil premium funding has diminished the differences in attainment that existed between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. There is now little or no difference in the standards achieved by disadvantaged pupils in the school compared to others. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are catching up fast with other pupils nationally.  Pupils’ work shows that their outcomes in other subjects such as history and geography are variable across the school. Leaders know that there is more work to do by middle leaders and teachers to ensure that pupils make as much progress as they can in these subjects.  Current progress information and work in pupils’ books show that a high proportion of pupils are on track to attain the expected and higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. However, pupils’ attainment in

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Outcomes for pupils Good

writing at the higher standard is weaker than in mathematics and reading. In some year groups, the most able pupils do not make as much progress in writing as they should because they do not receive work that is challenging enough.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 The provision and outcomes for children in early years are outstanding. Leaders have created a culture of very high expectations for all children, regardless of their starting points. Outcomes for children in the Nursery are consistently strong and provide a firm foundation for those children when they move into Reception. Likewise, children make outstanding progress in Reception and are well prepared for their move into key stage 1.  Leaders have created a vibrant and stimulating environment in which children enjoy a rich range of learning and play. Children use the different activity areas with confidence and feel comfortable and safe in their surroundings. The children exude a sense of happiness and enjoyment. They are curious and engaged and concentrate well on what they are doing.  Staff skilfully advance the children’s development both indoors and outdoors. An excellent blend of free exploration, skilful questioning, modelling and repetition, and

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Early years provision Outstanding

well-planned formal learning sessions allow children to develop their physical, language and social skills effectively.  Children’s behaviour is exemplary. Teachers model expected behaviour highly effectively and children respond to requests quickly, understand and follow routines promptly and cooperate with each other willingly.  Staff work closely with parents and help them to support their children’s learning at home. There is excellent and ongoing communication with parents so that they know how well their children are learning. Parents are extremely appreciative about the work of the early years. They told inspectors that their children are safe, well cared for, taught well and make ‘superb’ progress.  The interesting curriculum is developed from teachers’ accurate, ongoing assessment of children’s learning, development needs, and children’s interests. Teachers use the outside area exceptionally well to enhance the curriculum, for example by providing

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Early years provision Outstanding

opportunities for children to independently choose resources and organise and lead learning activities.  All staff are involved in observing and monitoring the progress that children make. The assessment system is rigorous and involves parents. Many children with SEND have not been identified prior to starting school. This is rectified quickly. Observations ensure that staff plan effectively to meet the needs of children and ensure that gaps in development are swiftly addressed. As a result, all children make substantial progress.  Safeguarding and early intervention in the early years are in line with the rest of the school. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have received appropriate training and have regular updates. All appropriate policies and procedures are in place.

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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

Email address enquiries@whitehouseprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Whitehouse Primary is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The school roll has increased significantly in since September 2016.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.  The school is part of the Inspiring Futures Through Learning multi-academy trust and opened in September 2016.  There is a daily breakfast and after-school club run by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes, jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Inspectors observed phonics lessons in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.  Together with leaders, inspectors scrutinised pupils’ books from all year groups and across a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, science, history and the topic being studied. Inspectors discussed and analysed a range of information about pupils’ progress.  Inspectors listened to pupils from across the school read. They spoke to pupils while visiting classrooms, in the dining hall and at playtimes. In addition, inspectors met with a group of pupils formally to find out their views of the school.  The lead inspector met with trustees and governors, including the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors held meetings with the head of school, senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at playtimes and at lunchtimes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors reviewed various documents provided by the school. These included: the school’s self-evaluation; the school improvement plan; the pupil premium statement; information about sports funding; external reviews of the school; and governing body minutes.  Inspectors reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, attendance and behaviour. These included the school’s single central record, records of all behavioural incidents, exclusion records, and child protection and safeguarding files.  The views of parents were collected at the beginning of the school day. Inspectors took account of 95 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors visited the breakfast and after-school club, spoke to staff and observed some activities.

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Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mineza Maher 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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