Worplesdon Primary School

Inspection Report Worplesdon Primary School

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125025 Unique Reference Number Surrey LEA LEA 281863 Inspection number 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005 Inspection dates Lynn Bappa AI Reporting inspector

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

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Envis Way School address Primary Type of school Fairlands Community School category Guildford, Surrey GU3 3NL 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01483232126 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01483234676 Fax number 409 Number on roll Mrs G Willis Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr A Parsons Headteacher 26 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281863 4 October 2005 - 4 to 11 5 October 2005 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 three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is larger than average for its type with 409 pupils on roll. Almost all pupils are from white British backgrounds and only one pupil speaks English as an additional language. There are eleven pupils from Traveller (Gypsy/Roma) backgrounds. Pupils come from backgrounds which are mixed but broadly average. The proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is below average. The percentage of pupils on the special educational needs register is below average. Children's attainment on entry to school is average. The school is fortunate to have both a purpose-built performing arts centre and a swimming pool.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The school judges itself to be effective, and inspectors agree. Inspectors agree that this is a good school because of the consistently good teaching, outstanding curriculum and committed leadership of the head teacher. There is a clear drive towards continuous improvement. No issues were identified at the last inspection. The school is, however, self-critical and its action planning for the future is well judged. As a result, the pupils achieve above average standards overall, although girls make more progress than some boys in writing. The school is well aware of this issue and is working hard to close the gap. Children in the Foundation Stage enter the school with average standards and make satisfactory progress in their work and do well in their personal and social development. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are good. They are enthusiastic about all the interesting things they do at school. Pupils with learning difficulties are

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Grade: 2

supported well, as are Traveller pupils. The school gives good value for money and has a clear capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Continue its efforts to raise standards in writing, especially for less able boys

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Grade: 2

The school judges that its pupils achieve well overall and inspectors agree. Pupils enter the school with average standards and make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage, although their personal and social development is good. Standards by ages 7 and 11 are above average because the school is constantly seeking to help the pupils to do as well as they can. Test results and the pupils' work are used to measure how well they are doing and to set challenging targets. During Key Stage 2 pupils achieve well, reaching above average standards in English, mathematics and science at age 11, with a high proportion obtaining Level 5. This is because teachers have built effectively on what the pupils already know so that they make particularly good progress by the end of Year 6.The school has identified an issue to do with boys' writing. Although boys make good progress with writing overall, the school's analysis shows that less

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Grade: 2

able boys do not do as well as this relative to other boys and to all girls. Inspectors agree with this analysis but feel that less able boys do at least make the expected progress. Over the last few years the school has succeeded in raising the standards attained by all pupils and the gap is slowly beginning to close.More able pupils generally make the good progress expected of them. The good support provided for pupils with special educational needs, and for Traveller pupils, enables them to gain the basic skills for learning and to access the full curriculum 2 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good. The pupils behave well and say they feel safe in school and on the playground. Pupils of all abilities are keen and eager to do well. The youngest children learn and play in safety. They are encouraged to become increasingly independent. Consequently, they grow in confidence. The school is a very welcoming place. One parent commented how, '...starting a new school can be tricky ... the staff have been wonderful, very supportive and caring - I am very impressed ...'The older pupils have mature and sensitive outlooks. They take on responsibilities as house captains or members of the school council. They are proud of these roles and know what is expected of them and relish the opportunity to lead and help others. The children are encouraged to eat healthily and keep fit. Along with physical education lessons, sports clubs and energetic playground games

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Grade: 2

led by specialist play leaders the pupils benefit from swimming lessons in the school pool. One pupil told the inspectors that 'you never get bored at play time because the play leaders always have interesting things for us to do'. The pupils contribute to the school community. They raised considerable funds to build the new performing arts centre. They also identify a charity to support each year. By extending their numeracy and ICT skills to solve problems the school prepares them well for later life. Although attendance is satisfactory the school is continually seeking to secure the full attendance of all pupils and to ensure that those who are absent for long periods of time catch up with the work they have missed.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching is the main reason why pupils achieve well. The good gains in pupils' learning result from the teachers' high expectations and challenging work set for all groups. Many teachers have successfully widened the strategies they use to help boys to improve their writing. Such strategies include the use of information technology and getting pupils to re-tell stories before writing them down. Such techniques are working well and are beginning to have a positive impact.Pupils' work is rigorously checked and tracked. Teachers accurately pitch learning so that pupils give their best and learn as much as they can. Teachers fine tune learning as lessons proceed and so pinpoint the areas where reinforcement is needed. The school rightfully has a good reputation locally for supporting pupils with special educational needs. Their needs are carefully identified and a close watch is kept on their progress. Teaching assistants

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Grade: 2

are effectively deployed and play a pivotal role in supporting them in the classroom. Traveller pupils achieve well because of the effective support they receive both academically and for their personal development. 3 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005

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Grade: 1

The school is modest about the quality of the curriculum it offers. The curriculum is extremely well planned and inspectors judge it to be outstanding. Pupils are offered the full national curriculum, including an effective personal and social education programme. They also benefit from a very wide range of stimulating and exciting opportunities that enhance this curriculum enormously. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 have one session a week in which they are taught French, physical education and music in small groups by specialist teachers. Many pupils say these lessons are 'exciting, challenging and fun'. Unusually for a primary school there is a dedicated performing arts centre which delivers a first rate experience for the pupils. Both boys and girls are very enthusiastic about the termly Creative Arts Days and examples of their work are prominently displayed all around the school. The library, for example, houses a beautiful

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Grade: 1

collection of decorated tiles. Large numbers of pupils participate in the wide range of extra curricular opportunities. A swimming pool on site helps pupils keep healthy and fit. Effective steps have been taken to raise awareness and celebrate the Traveller culture within the curriculum. In circle time, for example, Traveller pupils share their experiences of looking after horses and going hop picking in the summer.

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Grade: 2

Good care for pupils contributes well to their good progress, their high self-esteem and enjoyment of school. Inspectors found the school to be full of smiles with the pupils learning happily and keen to do well. Pupils feel safe because of the good attention paid to ensuring health and safety. Staff keep a watchful eye and intervene quickly should any child feel distressed. Traveller pupils are supported well, and although their absence rate is sometimes high, they are helped to catch up with their work on returning to school and integrate well with their peers. Robust child protection and staff vetting procedures are in place. A good example of the attention to detail is the way in which high quality guidelines for parental helpers have been drawn up to ensure they are aware of good practice in caring and working with children.

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Grade: 2

The head teacher provides highly effective leadership, and is well supported by other managers. The school's main aim of helping its pupils to develop a love of life and learning is truly reflected in the provision of a rich and varied curriculum.The leadership of the school is successfully focused on raising standards and promoting the personal development and well-being of learners. Self evaluation is accurate and senior managers have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, the school is well placed to build on its many successes and to continue its drive to improve the standards of boys' writing. There is a strong commitment towards the inclusion of all learners. New children are warmly welcomed. The impact of this is seen 4 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005 in the steady progress made by pupils and in their sense of security and well being.

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Grade: 2

Parents' views are used to highlight priorities for improvement and the school is successful in taking into account the views of all major stakeholders, including the pupils.Governors have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, gained through frequent visits, observation of lessons and very active committee work. They are very involved in the life of the school and committed to its success. The school runs smoothly and there are clear and well understood daily routines. Accommodation is good, although the staff room is far too small. 5 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005 .

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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: Worplesdon Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005

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

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 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 2 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 2 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 2 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 Yes 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

Thank you for being so welcoming to us when we visited your school. We liked talking to you about your work and watching you learn. We also enjoyed having lunch with you and chatting to you in the playground and around the school. These are the things we liked best about your school:* You are friendly, kind and helpful to each other and to your teachers. You work hard in your lessons and almost always try your best to behave well.* Mr Parsons has made sure that you have lots of interesting things to learn in your lessons. We especially liked seeing all the different kinds of art work around the school and we really enjoyed watching some of you in your music lessons. You also told us that you like play time because there are lots of exciting things to do in the playground.* We think you are very lucky to have music, French and PE lessons in small groups so that it is easier for you to learn well.* Mr Parsons and the other teachers run your school very well. They know you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and your work, listen to what you have to say about the school and work hard to make sure your school is a good school.* Your parents and carers are right in thinking that you go to a good school. This is what we have asked your school to do now:* Although all of you work hard in your lessons, girls do a bit better in their writing than some boys. Your teachers already know about this and are working very hard to help boys catch up with the girls.Thank you again for welcoming us to your school.

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