Orchid Vale Primary School

Inspection of Orchid Vale Primary School Torun Way, Haydon End, Swindon, Wiltshire SN25 1UG

p.1

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Outstanding 10–11 March 2020

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. However, staff are not doing enough to make sure that pupils are safe. The monitoring of health and safety risks and the training of staff have been sloppy.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher’s recent changes to expectations of behaviour mean that pupils’ conduct around the school is a strength. Pupils are polite to each other and to adults. Pupils say that there is very little bullying, and staff deal with it well most of the time. However, not all pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Although there is a broad curriculum, there is no logical order to the teaching of several subjects. Consequently, pupils cannot remember what they have learned over time. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in the curriculum are too low.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The breakfast club is attended well and provides a good start to the day for many pupils. There are several after-school clubs, which pupils attend. These range from sports to music and outdoor exploration. Most pupils find something of interest to do. Assemblies and personal, social, health and economic education focus on how pupils can become good citizens. However, there is a lack of teaching about cultural awareness for older pupils.

p.2

better?

The new headteacher has a very clear understanding of what she needs to do to improve the school. She has identified the priorities, such as improving behaviour, and is making a positive difference.

p.2

better?

The curriculums for mathematics, science and phonics are improving. However, teachers’ subject knowledge is not secure. Curriculum leaders are not checking this effectively. Too often, pupils’ misconceptions are not picked up and corrected so pupils have gaps in their learning.

p.2

better?

In other subjects, the curriculums do not follow any order. As a result, pupils’ learning is superficial and flits from one thing to another without any depth of understanding. Pupils cannot explain why their learning is important. They are unable to make links and develop their learning further. In English and history, pupils are unclear about which aspects are important to learning English or history.

p.2

better?

Teachers’ expectations have been too low. Pupils lack pride in their work. There are too many incomplete and untidy pieces. The headteacher has introduced new systems by which leaders share with teachers what pupils’ work should look like. This is making a difference, but it is at an early stage. 10–11 March 2020

p.2

3

Pupils in key stage 1 have the skills to read. Teachers match reading books to the sounds that pupils learn most of the time. Older pupils are not given the same support and guidance in reading. Consequently, some pupils are not choosing reading books wisely. This limits their reading. Even though every pupil has a reading record, teachers do not check these consistently, so some pupils’ reading skills are not developing as well as they should be.

p.3

3

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are able to access the curriculum. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is new to the role, but she knows the pupils’ needs thoroughly. Sometimes, pupils with SEND who have a lower ability struggle, as teachers do not adapt work sufficiently. This is the same for pupils without SEND who also have a lower starting point.

p.3

3

Disadvantaged pupils have not done as well as other pupils in the past. Leaders are starting to plan more carefully to remove the specific barriers that affect their learning. Leaders are beginning to spend pupil premium funding more wisely and with some success.

p.3

3

Pupils know how to behave. Attentive teaching assistants support the minority of pupils who cannot manage their own behaviour in lessons and nurture groups.

p.3

3

Children in the Nursery gain a good start to their education with a well-thought-out curriculum. However, some of the curriculum planning in Reception lacks precision. As a result, children are not developing their skills effectively in readiness for Year 1. Staff do not consider how the curriculum can extend to the outside area. This limits children’s learning.

p.3

3

Governors have not stemmed the decline in standards, especially in mathematics. They have not monitored curriculum plans effectively. Consequently, there has not been an improvement in pupils’ learning of the curriculum. Since the headteacher started, this has changed. Governors are more involved in planning. They have a greater awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in the school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have not ensured the health and safety of pupils, especially the younger ones. Unsafe equipment is accessible. Staff do not consider health and safety risks carefully enough.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff induction is not sufficient. Too many staff do not know who to report any safeguarding concerns to. Some important policies are missing or are not read thoroughly.

p.3

Safeguarding

Suitable checks are undertaken on staff recruitment. Staff work sensitively with parents and external agencies to monitor and support the more vulnerable pupils. 10–11 March 2020

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not been vigilant in ensuring the health and safety of pupils. Leaders must make sure that they deal with this urgently, so no pupil is at risk.  The curriculum is not sequenced effectively. It is too reliant on texts and topics that have no bearing on what pupils have learned already. Leaders must plan an effective curriculum that helps pupils to know and remember more.  Many teachers have weak subject knowledge. Curriculum leaders must take responsibility for training staff whose subject knowledge is weaker so that they can implement the curriculum more effectively.  Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ understanding of the curriculum are too low. Teachers need to instil greater resilience in pupils so that they become more curious and develop their knowledge at a greater depth than currently.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

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. 10–11 March 2020

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10133447 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 6–7 July 2011

p.5

Information about this school

 A new headteacher started in September 2019.  The school uses Applied Behavioural Analysis tutorial services.

p.5

Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

p.5

Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 We visited lessons with the headteacher, senior and curriculum leaders and the SENCo.  We scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. 10–11 March 2020

p.5

6

 We talked with groups of pupils from Years 3 to 6, as well as with other pupils informally across the site.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, SENCo, curriculum leaders, teachers and members of the governing body.  Documentary and other types of information were evaluated, including evidence relating to safeguarding.  We did deep dives in these subjects: Early reading, mathematics, science and history.

p.6

Inspection team

Kathy Maddocks, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Linda Rowley Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 2020

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7