Southill Primary School

Inspection Report Southill Primary School

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113719 Unique Reference Number Dorset LEA 279228 Inspection number 15 May 2006 to 16 May 2006 Inspection dates Peter Kerr AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Sycamore Road School address Primary Type of school Southill Community School category Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9UF 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01305 773144 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01305 773144 Fax number 213 Number on roll Mrs Karen Sharpe Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Wanda Bolton Headteacher 3 July 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279228 15 May 2006 - 4 to 11 16 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Southill is an average-sized community primary school. It takes pupils from a wide catchment area and is over-subscribed. Nearly all the pupils are from White British ethnic backgrounds and are fluent in English. A below-average proportion of the pupils is identified as having special educational needs and four pupils have statements of special educational needs. The school is part of the Chesil Educational Partnership, which has won recognition for its innovative approach to collaboration between the 29 schools involved. The pupils come from average social and economic backgrounds and have average attainment on entry to the school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Southill Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 16 May 2006

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Grade: 1

The school views itself as a good school. The inspection judges it to be better than this and to provide an outstanding education for its pupils. It has improved significantly since the last inspection in 2000 and has a very good capacity to continue to do so. Achievement is outstanding overall. Standards in English, mathematics and science have improved to the point where the school was in the top five per cent of schools nationally in 2004 for the progress made in Key Stage 2. The dip in test results in 2005 is explained by the fact that the Year 6 class teacher was acting as headteacher for much of that year. Boys and girls of all abilities and backgrounds achieve equally well, but more could be done to challenge gifted and talented pupils. Pupils’ personal development and well-being are very good. Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils enjoy school greatly and they work hard. Relationships throughout the school are excellent.

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Grade: 1

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good, although more could still be done to prepare pupils for life in a culturally diverse society. The quality of teaching is outstanding because it is consistently good throughout the school and exceptionally good in Years 2 and 6. Provision in Reception is good. The great majority of the children reach the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. The curriculum provides very good opportunities for pupils of every background and ability to succeed. Outstanding leadership and management have succeeded in maintaining high standards since the last inspection in 2000 and through recent major staff changes. Monitoring by the newly established senior leadership team, supported by an excellent governing body, is first-rate. Challenging but attainable targets are set and progress towards them rigorously evaluated. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Build on the measures already taken to ensure that the pupils are well prepared for life in a culturally diverse society. • Extend opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to excel.

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Grade: 1

Achievement is outstanding and standards are high. Attainment on entry to Reception is broadly average, but is below average in some years. Good provision enables the vast majority of children to achieve the goals expected of them by the end of Reception. The school caters well for the summer-born children who need more time to achieve some of the goals in Year 1. Pupils achieve very well in Years 1 and 2 to reach above-average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress is good in the early stages of Key Stage 2 and outstanding in Years 5 and 6. The school’s results in the Year 6 national tests reflected this in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, the Year 6 results were in the top five per cent of schools nationally when compared to the pupils’ attainment in Year 2. In 2005, the results dipped to broadly average, owing mainly to the Year 6 teacher having to take on the duties of acting headteacher. Inspection

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Grade: 1

2 Inspection Report: Southill Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 16 May 2006 evidence shows that present attainment is much nearer to the 2004 levels. Demanding targets are set for the pupils, based on meticulous records of their progress in each year. The pupils are very aware of these targets and take great pleasure in striving to achieve them, which most do. Standards in writing are high throughout the school, particularly the development of content and style. The pupils are also good problem-solvers. Recent improvements in provision have led to rapid progress and good skills in ICT. Pupils with learning difficulties make excellent progress and most of them achieve the expected average level in national tests in Year 6, despite their low starting points. Achievement is high for more able pupils generally, but more could be done to stretch exceptionally gifted and talented pupils.

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Grade: 2

The pupils’ personal development and well-being are very good. The spiritual, moral and social aspects of their development are very strong. For example, the diverse range of their high quality expressive writing demonstrates a growing self-awareness. Good cultural development includes much-improved preparation for life in a culturally diverse society, although there is still some work to do to ensure that this is fully effective. Pupils have excellent relationships with each other and with their teachers and they enjoy school enormously. Good attendance, exemplary attitudes to learning and excellent behaviour all contribute towards their achievements. The pupils respond with enthusiasm to the many interesting challenges their teachers provide and are both independent and collaborative in their learning. The pupils feel very secure in school and are highly aware of and obey safety rules. They know that they can turn

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Grade: 2

to a trusted adult in times of need. They have a very good knowledge of the requirements for a healthy lifestyle. They do plenty of physical education in school, and there is an exceptionally good level of participation in sport. The school does well when competing against other schools, in Netball, Rugby and Football. The pupils’ very good skills and their problem-solving abilities prepare them especially well for the world of work. Pupils make a good contribution to the community, for example, through fund-raising for charity, and they are developing an awareness of citizenship through their participation in the school council.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. It is consistently good throughout the school and excellent in Years 2 and 6, ensuring that the pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the end-of-key-stage tests. A hugely successful focus on assessment for learning (AFL) has helped to generate a high level of challenge, collaboration and enjoyment throughout the school. The pupils are particularly good at critically but positively evaluating their own and each other’s success. They show independence and initiative and also work very well with their learning partners in many lessons. The 3 Inspection Report: Southill Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 16 May 2006 teachers explain thoroughly what needs to be learned next and check with the pupils what has been accomplished at the end of lessons and through marking in books. Teaching assistants make an excellent contribution to the pupils’ learning. They are

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Grade: 1

very effectively deployed and give tremendous support to individuals and groups with the tasks set by the teachers. The teaching of pupils with individual learning needs is excellent, enabling them to achieve the challenging targets set for them. The strong partnership between parents and the school makes a very effective contribution to the pupils’ success.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum that meets all the pupils’ needs. All statutory requirements are met. The core of the curriculum is the teaching of good skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT, which are used well to support and enrich learning in other subjects. Lessons in personal, social and health education build the pupils’ self-awareness and confidence and give them an increasing insight into their place in the wider world. Joint planning in Key Stage 2 ensures that all the pupils cover the required ground in each subject. All the pupils have a taster of work-related activities in Year 6 through the Chesil Partnership of local schools. An exceptionally good range of trips and visits is provided, including residential field study visits in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. Multi-cultural events are organised to widen the pupils’ appreciation of life beyond their locality. A varied programme of extra-curricular activities adds to the

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Grade: 2

pupils’ enjoyment and personal development.

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Grade: 1

The quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding. There is excellent support and encouragement for pupils’ educational progress and all other aspects are good. All pupils are set challenging targets, which they are well aware of, and they are given very good guidance on how to achieve them. Individual learning programmes enable pupils with learning difficulties to make excellent progress in basic skills. These pupils are fully included in all activities. Some extra challenges are provided for gifted and talented pupils. These opportunities could be extended, and further improvements are planned. Child protection and health and safety procedures are first-rate, ensuring that the pupils feel safe and secure in school. Pupils are encouraged to have a healthy diet and take plenty of exercise.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding leadership and management ensure that the school provides a high standard of education. The recently appointed headteacher sets a very clear educational direction for the school. The new senior leadership team is exceptionally effective in setting the agenda for improvements in the school and they have made very significant 4 Inspection Report: Southill Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 16 May 2006 contributions to the school’s capacity to improve still further. For example, the Key Stage 1 co-ordinator has established the AFL initiative within the school. The explicit focus on learning that this has produced has helped to improve standards, particularly in writing. It has also strengthened monitoring through involving the pupils much more in evaluating their own learning. The school’s self-evaluation is very good. Governors are closely involved in reviewing the school improvement plan alongside

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Grade: 1

all members of teaching and non-teaching staff. Parents are consulted and their views taken into account. Pupils are also involved in this process through the school council. Realistic improvement targets are set in each area of the school’s work and reviewed and evaluated over manageable time-frames. The process has produced rising standards in ICT and writing and an increase in the pupils’ awareness of themselves as learners. Achievement of pupils from different ethnic origins and of differing abilities is closely monitored and the school ensures that they all have equal opportunities to succeed. 5 Inspection Report: Southill Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 16 May 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Southill Primary School, 15 May 2006 to 16 May 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism No Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 May 2006 Dear Pupils, Thank you for being so friendly and helpful during our visit to your school. We very much enjoyed being there and can see why you do too. You are very lucky to have such a good school – we think it is outstanding. It is so good because: • your lessons are interesting and your teachers are very good at getting you to do your best • your good skills, especially in English, mathematics and ICT, will stand you in good stead for your secondary education and the jobs that you eventually choose to do • you know how well you are doing and what you need to do next to improve • your written work is very good and is very interesting to read • you behave so well and show such interest in all that you do. There are a few things that we have asked your headteacher, teachers and governors to do in order to make your school even better than it already is. These are: • to prepare you even better for living in a

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

country that is made up of lots of different ethnic groups, religions and cultures • to provide even more opportunities for you to develop your special talents. We wish you all well for the future. Yours sincerely, Peter Kerr Lead Inspector Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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