Emsworth Primary School

Emsworth Primary School Inspection report

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116260 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290475 Inspection number 10 °11 May 2007 Inspection dates Beryl Richmond 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 236 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Simon Reynolds Chair Mrs Rosemary Law Headteacher 9 December 2002 Date of previous school inspection Victoria Road School address Emsworth PO10 7LX

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01243 375750 Telephone number 01243 379011 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 10 °11 May 2007 Inspection dates 290475 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

Emsworth is an average sized primary school. Pupils come from a variety of economic, social and ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is more than double the national average. A very small proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and, of those, about half are learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is just below the national average.

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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: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 May 2007

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Grade: 3

Emsworth Primary School provides its pupils with a satisfactory education. Its effectiveness is improving. The school has implemented satisfactory systems to track pupils' progress, which are having a positive impact on the standards that pupils achieve. Teaching and learning have improved and are satisfactory, with some good features. Parents value the education that the school provides for their children. Pupils develop well personally and have good attitudes to their work. The headteacher places a high priority on providing good care and support for pupils, which makes them feel safe and secure in a nurturing environment. As one parent said, 'We chose this school for our children because it has a lovely caring and inclusive atmosphere and ethos'. From broadly average starting points, pupils make satisfactory progress to reach average standards by the end of Year 6. This is reflected in the Year 6 national test results in 2006.

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Grade: 3

Results in Year 2 in 2006 were exceptionally low in reading, writing and mathematics and, taking account of pupils' starting points, their achievement was inadequate. Standards amongst pupils currently in Year 2 have improved because the school has tracked their progress satisfactorily and provided extra support for pupils who need to catch up. This represents a satisfactory level of achievement but it could be better. The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good and consequently children are getting off to a good start and making good progress. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The staff are a united team who work together well. There is not enough rigour in the use of systems for tracking pupils' progress to ensure that pupils achieve well. The accuracy of assessment information has improved but it is not yet fine-tuned enough to ensure that there is sufficient challenge for all pupils in all lessons.

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Grade: 3

Pupils are well cared for and supported and there are good links with a wide range of educational and other organisations to meet most needs. Pupils are set targets to improve their learning, but these are not always challenging enough and teachers do not always check closely enough that pupils are achieving them. Combined with inconsistent marking, this means that pupils do not always know how they should improve, although there are examples of good practice where pupils are fully involved in setting and evaluating their own targets for improvement. The curriculum is satisfactory with some good enrichment opportunities and a wide range of extra curricular clubs that parents and pupils value highly. One parent mentioned 'the fabulous opportunity of singing in the school prom at the Royal Albert Hall'. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay healthy and how to keep safe. They develop satisfactorily the

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Grade: 3

skills they need to be successful in their adult lives. It is clear from pupils' comments and the parents' questionnaires that pupils enjoy school. The school evaluates its provision satisfactorily and has made satisfactory progress in addressing the weaknesses in the last inspection. Its track record shows that it has satisfactory capacity for further improvement. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly by the end of Year 2. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 May 2007 • Make better use of assessment and marking to set pupils challenging work and targets and ensure that they understand how they should improve. • Monitor all aspects of the school's work more rigorously to identify and address areas for improvement, for example, by analysing in more detail school data on how different groups of pupils are progressing.

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Grade: 3

In Year 6 standards in English, mathematics and science are broadly average. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. There is no significant difference in the achievement of different groups of pupils. Level 5 attainment in 2006 in English and mathematics was close to the national average and above in science. In 2006 standards in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics were exceptionally low and achievement was inadequate. Current standards in Year 2 are improved, but there is still room for further improvement, and although below average, pupils' achievement is satisfactory. A more focussed approach to teaching phonics is helping pupils make better progress and attain higher standards in reading and writing. Clearer guidance on how pupils record their calculations in mathematics is also leading to improvement. Progress in the Foundation Stage is good and many children attain broadly average standards

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Grade: 3

because the school addresses their needs well by providing stimulating activities and by focusing on language, personal and social development. The increasing proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, particularly in younger year groups, achieve in line with other pupils because they receive focussed support. The school sets challenging targets for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school. 'Since my son moved to Emsworth Primary, he has been a happier child...' and, 'The happy atmosphere that prevails at Emsworth Primary School...' are typical of comments from parents. Teachers act as good role models and have created a caring environment where pupils feel secure and their views are valued and taken into account. 'Teachers help us become more tolerant' said one pupil. Behaviour has improved and is now good. Safety is given a high priority, 'we're always doing risk assessments', said one pupil. Pupil's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils talk confidently, including about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, and enthuse about the wide range of sporting activities available to them. Parents comment favourably on the way that the school develops pupils' self esteem. Pupils contribute well to their own and the wider community by being 'buddies' who support lonely

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Grade: 2

or troubled pupils on the playground, by being members of the 'lunch bunch', who organise and run a variety of indoor activities for younger pupils and by supporting charities. Attendance is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

Teachers and pupils enjoy good relationships. Pupils work well independently and cooperate well. Most teaching is enthusiastic and behaviour is managed well so that pupils engage with 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 May 2007 their learning satisfactorily. Teachers now have a better understanding of how to improve writing by giving pupils opportunities to write for different audiences and by teaching phonics more systematically in a way that appeals to the pupils. On some occasions, expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough and planned activities lack sufficient challenge. There are some missed opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills through discussion and posing and answering questions. Teachers mark books regularly but the effectiveness of this is variable and consequently pupils do not always know how to improve. Communications between home and school to support pupils' learning have improved and are

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is well supported by a range of well-attended extra curricular activities, including visits to local places of interest, such as the Portsmouth Outdoor Centre, Beaulieu and Fairthorne Manor, creative weeks such as African Week, the Maths Open Morning and the Healthy School presentation by the pupils for the parents. Pupils' needs, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, are usually met, although pupils are not always sufficiently challenged. Reading and phonics programmes, successfully introduced throughout the school, provide consistency of approach and are beginning to have a positive impact on standards. In mathematics, the school is now ensuring consistency in how pupils record their calculations after identifying this as an area that caused difficulties for pupils. The Foundation Stage curriculum is very responsive to the needs of the pupils. It is well planned

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Grade: 3

and supported by a wide range of appropriate resources. The outdoor learning areas provide many opportunities for the children to cooperate, learn and play together. The school provides well for pupils' personal, social and health education and consequently pupils are developing well personally.

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Grade: 3

The care and support offered to pupils are good but there are still areas to be developed in academic guidance. Rigorous assessment procedures, completed soon after pupils enter the school, ensure that the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are quickly identified. Very good links with outside agencies ensure that they receive the support they need. These pupils are also well supported in lessons by well-trained learning support assistants who work closely with teachers in identifying needs and monitoring progress. Procedures to track the progress of pupils are in place and pupils are set targets for learning in mathematics and English. However these targets are not always pursued with sufficient pace and rigour and challenging personal targets are not always set. Consequently some pupils are not sufficiently challenged and others are not sure of what they need to do in order to improve. Procedures

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Grade: 3

to protect pupils are secure and widely understood and regular risk assessments and health and safety checks are carried out. Pupils are taught how to take care of themselves and how to make safe and healthy choices. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 May 2007

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory and this contributes to the school's recent improvement. The school prioritises pupils' personal development and care and the outcomes of this work are good. The school has a strong commitment to provide for the needs of its pupils but assessment information, although more accurate now, is not always used well enough to address their academic needs. The school's self evaluation is satisfactory. It judges its overall effectiveness correctly but in some areas it has a too positive view of its work. The school values the recent work with the local authority, which has resulted in improved standards and achievement. The school keeps a satisfactory check on the quality of teaching. Monitoring of other aspects of the schools' work, including checking on the progress of different groups of pupils, lacks sufficient rigour so that achievement is further improved. Parents' views are sought from time

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Grade: 3

to time including through the use of questionnaires. Parents are positive about the school although a few disagree that behaviour is good. Pupils' views are taken into account formally through the school council and, for example, by involving them in planning for topics. The governing body is satisfactory. Governors are very supportive of the school. They are beginning to hold leaders to account for the school's effectiveness, for example, by monitoring work that the school has been undertaking with the local authority and the new way of teaching phonics. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 May 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes 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?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 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? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 May 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Emsworth Primary School,Emsworth,PO10 7LX Thank you for helping us during the inspection, particularly by talking about your work and all the activities that go on in your school. We think that your school is satisfactory and improving. You are developing well personally and achieving satisfactorily in English, mathematics and science. Here are some of the things that we liked best about your school. • You enjoy school because you learn in a happy environment and you play your part by behaving well. • All the adults in your school make sure that you are safe and well looked after. • You have a good range of after-school clubs, which you enjoy, and there are many other interesting visits and opportunities that you can participate in. • You are developing well the personal skills that will help you to be successful in your adult life, like working well with other people, taking on responsibility for your own learning and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

for jobs in school and speaking confidently and politely to other people. • Your school works well with organisations to make sure that you receive the care and educational support that you need. Here are some of the things that we think could be improved. • Standards in reading, writing and mathematics could be better. • Some of you could do harder work. • How well the school checks up on how well you are doing. We enjoyed our visit to your school and would like to send you our best wishes for your future success. Yours sincerely, Beryl Richmond (Mrs.)Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Emsworth Primary School, 10 °11 May 2007

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