Eton Wick CofE First SchoolOfsted inspection, 9 May 2007

Eton Wick CofE First School Inspection report

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109996 Unique Reference Number Windsor and Maidenhead Local Authority 288560 Inspection number 8 °9 May 2007 Inspection dates Richard Hancock Reporting inspector

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

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First Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 3 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 181 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr William Cooley Chair Mrs Maria Houston Headteacher 12 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection Sheepcote Road School address Eton Wick Windsor SL4 6JB

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01753 860096 Telephone number 01753 868274 Fax number

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3 °9 Age group 8 °9 May 2007 Inspection dates 288560 Inspection number .

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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

The school serves children of families from the village and its surrounding area. The majority are of White British heritage but over a third are from an ethnic minority background, predominantly Asian. The proportion of pupils who do not speak English as their first language is higher than in most schools and about ten percent of the school's population is at the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is well below the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is also below average. The attainment of most pupils when they join the Foundation Stage is in line with expectations for their age but some children have weak language and social skills.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007

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Grade: 4

The school is providing an acceptable education for its pupils but its overall performance is not good enough. In accordance with section 13 [3] of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to leadership and management. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage as a result of good teaching. In Years 1 - 4, standards are average and pupils' achievement is satisfactory. However, although the overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and helps most pupils make satisfactory progress in the main school, there are weaknesses in some lessons which lead to gaps in pupils' knowledge in English and mathematics. Levels of challenge for higher attaining pupils are not always great

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Grade: 4

enough. Pupils like being in the school and their behaviour is satisfactory. They relate well to one another and show respect to adults. Relationships between teachers and pupils are good. Pupils' personal development and well-being are satisfactory. Pupils know the importance of eating healthily and staying fit through their work in science and personal social and health education. They feel safe and cared for in the school, one pupil saying, 'Teachers are always kind to us'. Pupils make a satisfactory contribution to their own community by serving on the school council and supporting charities. Pupils' overall competence in basic skills prepares them satisfactorily for their future economic well-being. The curriculum is satisfactory. It has breadth and balance and ensures that there is an appropriate emphasis on pupils' literacy and numeracy development but there is insufficient impact on improving pupils' academic progress. Pupils do not receive consistent feedback on how to

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Grade: 4

improve their standards, on whether their work shows they have reached their targets in English and mathematics, or on what they have to do to improve. This hampers their progress. The school has satisfactory arrangements for safeguarding and ensuring the care and protection of the pupils. Leadership and management are inadequate because they are not proving effective in improving standards. The school does not have a shared ethos where staff work strongly together to help all pupils reach the highest possible standards. Planning lacks sufficient detail to show how the school intends to raise overall standards significantly in the immediate years ahead. The monitoring of teaching and learning is too limited to have a positive impact on quality. The school's progress since the last inspection is unsatisfactory. Improvements have been made in standards of writing but not in reading or mathematics. The quality of teaching has not improved

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Grade: 4

and standards have not risen. Assessment is still undeveloped because the school does not have effective tracking procedures to help ensure that all pupils receive the strongest support when it is most needed. Although most parents believe the school is doing a good job, significant numbers have concerns about leadership and management and the behaviour of pupils. The school and the governing body have too positive a picture of the performance of the school in Years 1- 4. As its self-evaluation is weak the school does not have an accurate picture of its strengths and weaknesses. This means that it is not acting with the urgency needed to improve. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

Ensure that: • lessons are rigorously monitored so that the school always acts effectively to address its weaknesses in teaching and learning • higher attaining pupils are set challenging work in English and mathematics that enables them to make good progress • pupils receive regular, clear, helpful feedback on how to improve their work • procedures for assessing and tracking pupils' progress are established and used consistently to raise standards further.

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Grade: 3

Standards are average and pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage because they are well taught and are beginning to acquire sound basic skills. They become increasingly confident and independent. 'However, whilst pupils' progress is satisfactory in the main, there are many missed opportunities for increasing its rate. Although national assessments have been broadly average over time, in 2005 results declined slightly and in 2006 they fell below the national average. Girls did considerably less well than boys. Pupils learning English as an additional language receive satisfactory support and they attained better results than those whose first language is English. Standards of current work in English and mathematics are average but as a result of inadequacies in some of the teaching, there are weaknesses in aspects of pupils' work such as their understanding of what they read, and their

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Grade: 3

grasp of shape, space and measure. There is also too little challenge for higher attaining pupils and, as a result, these pupils do not achieve as much as they could.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development and well-being are satisfactory. On the whole, pupils enjoy school and their parents support this view. They particularly like reading, writing stories and listening to music in assemblies. Their behaviour is satisfactory, although small numbers of pupils sometimes misbehave in classes, especially if lessons have not captured their interest. Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils show an awareness of how to keep safe, and know the importance of eating healthy food and taking regular exercise. Members of the school council are happy that the school listens to them and helps them put their ideas into practice, such as the introduction of a 'Friendship Bench' to prevent pupils from feeling isolated. Pupils raise money for local and international charities and have helped to regenerate gardens in the neighbourhood.

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Grade: 3

The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. It is good in the Foundation Stage and results in a firm basis for future learning when pupils start Year 1. In the main school most lessons are thoughtfully planned, well organised, fully resourced and have clear objectives. However, some lack pace, excitement and interest which results in pupils becoming restive, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007 bored and losing concentration. Weaker lessons provide insufficient challenge, particularly for higher attainers. Some of the teaching is inadequate and then most pupils fail to make sufficient progress. Generally, the quality of marking is uneven and does not provide consistent support to show pupils how to improve. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are satisfactorily taught because their needs are accurately identified and appropriately addressed. For the same

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Grade: 3

reasons, the teaching of pupils for whom English is an additional language, is also satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. In the Foundation Stage, children benefit from a good range of activities that promote their learning, both indoor and outdoor. The curriculum in the main school is suitably planned to meet most pupils' needs but the scope for challenging pupils to learn at higher levels is limited. Appropriate attention is given to developing pupils' basic skills and making links between subjects through suitably planned topic work linked to literacy, numeracy and science. However, weaknesses in teachers' subject knowledge limit the impact on raising standards. The personal, social and health education programme pays appropriate attention to the development of safe and healthy living. Pupils participate in a suitable range of clubs, such as the football, basketball and gardening clubs. They have some good opportunities to extend their learning when they have visits from

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Grade: 3

theatre groups or celebrate special events such as`World Book Week'.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Pupils feel safe and are at home in the school. Adults show kindness towards them and care about their welfare. The school shows good initiative in running a course on the development of parenting skills. It has clear procedures relating to the protection of children and has ensured that up-to-date training has been undertaken. Satisfactory links have been established with a range of outside agencies and benefit pupils with learning difficulties and those most vulnerable. Pupils learning English as an additional language are supported adequately in lessons. Records of pupils' individual progress are maintained but systems for tracking their progress are not well established or used consistently to ensure that they progress as well as they should. Few pupils are aware of their targets and what they have to do to reach them. Pupils are not involved enough in assessing

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Grade: 4

Leadership and management are inadequate. The school lacks a determined and purposeful drive to build strongly on the firm basis laid down in the Foundation Stage. It is not setting challenging targets and ensuring that pupils have the opportunity to reach them through high quality teaching. The monitoring of teaching and learning is ineffective because it is done too infrequently and lacks consistency and accuracy. The leadership and management of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are satisfactory because pupils' needs are clearly identified and their progress is monitored. Leadership and management in the Foundation Stage are good because the curriculum serves children's needs well and their progress is carefully tracked. The school's self-evaluation lacks rigour, especially in relation to the quality of teaching 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007

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Grade: 4

and learning, which means that some significant weaknesses have gone unidentified or have been allowed to persist. This has had some negative impact on pupils' progress in the main school. The governing body ensures that staff are valued and supported but has not proved effective in ensuring that the school's performance is rigorously monitored. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007 .

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Grade: 4

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 4 The capacity to make any necessary improvements No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 3 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

2 July 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Eton Wick CofE First School,Windsor,SL4 6JB Many thanks for helping us to inspect your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and were pleased that you like your school and that you feel well cared for. We liked the fact that you are happy, take care of one another and that teachers are kind to you. It was also good to see you enjoying reading books, writing stories and listening to music. We were pleased to see that the school council is helping to make some improvements to your school. We believe children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a good start. In the main school, lessons in English and mathematics are helping you reach standards which are in line with those of pupils in most schools. However, we feel that if some improvements are made to lessons your standards would rise and all of you would then achieve more, including those of you who have the ability to shine. You are sometimes given help from teachers about how you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

might set about improving your work. We liked that and are suggesting that this happens more frequently. We are also asking the leaders in the school to check that you are all getting the best teaching. For our part, we intend to check that things are improving as a result by making further visits. We know that you respect your teachers and will be very ready to work with them to bring about the improvements we are suggesting. This will mean that you get more from your schooling. Thank you again and best wishes for the future. Richard HancockLead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Eton Wick CofE First School, 8 °9 May 2007

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