West Ashton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of West Ashton Church of England Primary School 29 Bratton Road, West Ashton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 6AZ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected 19–20 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

West Ashton Primary School provides a calm and safe place to learn. Children in the early years are enthusiastic about their learning and enjoy coming to school. They are keen to share what they have learned. This level of enthusiasm is not always evident in the older year groups, for example in reading. However, pupils are beginning to enjoy the extra sport and music activities that are on offer, besides their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they can talk to an adult if they have a worry or a problem. Older pupils think that they should sort out problems with friends themselves. They recognise that this does not always work. Pupils spoke about areas of the playground where misbehaviour occurs. Some pupils talk about bullying in the school, but they know that leaders are working hard to stop this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Subject leaders are developing the curriculum. They acknowledge that there is more work to do. Expectations for pupils’ learning varies across subjects. Too few subjects build on what pupils know and can do. When pupils do not build on their knowledge, they are not as interested in their learning and do not achieve as well.

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better?

School leaders have identified that the development of reading is a priority. Children in the early years show a keen interest in early reading and enjoy their phonics lessons. Teachers’ knowledge of how to teach phonics is strong. They notice when children need more help and make sure that they have extra phonics sessions. As pupils approach the upper school, they choose their own books from the ‘free readers’. Pupils say that they do not always read books that will challenge them. For some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the texts are too hard to read. Leaders recognise that books need to match older pupils’ reading abilities and ages more closely.

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better?

The English and mathematics leaders are currently trialling new systems, for example using whole-class reading to teach reading skills. These appear to be helping pupils’ learning, but it is too soon to be sure that pupils are learning and remembering more.

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better?

In some subjects, such as science, curriculum plans are complete. However, this is not the case for other subjects. For example, the geography curriculum is not taught consistently across the school. Some classes teach geography through a topic, others as a stand-alone subject. It is not clear how pupils’ learning will build on what they already know. This inconsistent approach leads to gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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better?

Children in the early years class are eager to learn. The early years curriculum sets out what children will learn but it is not clear what children are expected to remember and how it will build on their previous learning. However, phonics and early mathematics lessons build on children’s knowledge. This prepares them for the next stage and the move to Year 1. 19–20 November 2019

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Pupils are supported to develop an understanding that difference is positive, but there is still more to do. The recent ‘show racism the red card’ event and anti- bullying week helped with this. Pupils who have been excluded are successfully reintegrated into classes. However, although leaders record incidents, they do not use this information well. They do not know why incidents are taking place and, therefore, how they may be prevented from reoccurring.

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Pupils with SEND are supported well with their learning. Teaching assistants help pupils as they arrive at school each morning, so that they are ready for learning. A life-skills curriculum supports pupils to develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills alongside life skills such as woodwork. A range of suitable strategies help pupils with SEND learn. They work with teaching assistants or teachers to practise skills before lessons start. When all pupils are helped in ways like this, their behaviour and attitudes to learning are strong.

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The headteacher has supported families to improve attendance. Parents and carers report that they now know more about what their children are learning. They appreciate time to talk with teachers and attend workshops. This information encourages parents to make sure that their children attend school whenever possible.

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Leaders, including curriculum leaders, do not know the impact of new systems on pupils’ learning. They do not know how effective their work has been. Leaders’ development plans do not identify clearly what needs improving and why.

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Trustees do not meet their statutory obligations well enough. They have not checked the difference that the pupil premium or sport premium funding makes on pupils’ achievement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out the necessary checks to ensure that adults who work and volunteer in the school are suitable to work with children. The trust reviews records of these checks regularly. Staff complete training to help them identify any concerns about pupils’ welfare. They understand their responsibilities to pass on concerns. Leaders take appropriate action when they have a concern about a pupil.

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Safeguarding

Most pupils say that they feel safe, although a few worry about some behaviour incidents that happen at lunchtimes. Leaders are addressing pupils’ concerns with more staff on duty at lunchtime. Pupils are helped to understand how to keep themselves safe, for example when online. 19–20 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ development plan is not yet clear in outlining the actions that need to be taken to improve the school. As a result, improvement work is not targeted precisely enough to address key weaknesses effectively. Leaders need to identify important next steps and outline these clearly in improvement plans.  All leaders, including those responsible for governance, do not have clear and reliable systems for monitoring and holding staff to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. Trustees do not have a clear enough view of the difference that additional funding makes on pupils’ achievement. As a result, they are not able to identify important next steps. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, need to be more rigorous in their checking of the impact of their strategies on the quality of education for all pupils and hold staff to account.  The school’s curriculum is not yet complete in foundation subjects, such as

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

geography and personal, social and health education (PSHE). This means that pupils are not acquiring knowledge well enough. Leaders need to identify, sequence and be more precise about the key knowledge that they expect pupils to remember across the whole curriculum, including in the early years.  Leaders have made some changes to improve pupils’ behaviour. They have recently set clear expectations about behaviour such as bullying. While they record behaviour incidents, leaders do not analyse the information. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is not good. Leaders need to ensure that staff maintain high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and make use of information about poor behaviour to help prevent further occurrences.  Leaders have not yet invested in reading books that match the reading skills, abilities and interests of pupils in Years 5 and 6. This reduces pupils’ learning. Leaders need to provide the oldest pupils with appropriate reading books so that

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

all pupils can develop their reading fluency and comprehension skills further.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 19–20 November 2019

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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. 19–20 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10119943 Type of school Primary

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Chair of academy council

David Middleton Mari Webster and Robin Stone

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Chair of academy council

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 West Ashton Church of England Primary School converted to an academy on 1 February 2017 and joined the Acorn Education Trust.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with the executive headteacher, headteacher, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). We met with representatives of the academy council and had a separate meeting with the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chair of the board of trustees.  The inspection focused on the curriculum for reading, writing, mathematics, science and geography. We met leaders for these subjects and undertook joint lesson visits. We also talked to pupils and teachers. We looked at pupils’ exercise books.  We reviewed leaders’ checks on the suitability of staff to work with children. We looked at attendance information, behaviour logs and safeguarding records. We 19–20 November 2019

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held discussions with senior leaders about safeguarding.  We spoke informally with pupils and observed their behaviour at various times during the day, including breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors met several parents at the start of the day, to gain their views of the school. We reviewed the 26 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and additional free-text comments. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire or pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough Ofsted Inspector 19–20 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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