Estcots Primary School

Estcots Primary School Inspection report

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125945 Unique Reference Number West Sussex Local Authority 293407 Inspection number 8 °9 May 2007 Inspection dates Janet Sinclair 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 404 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Julia Peaty Chair Susan Percy Headteacher 12 February 2001 Date of previous school inspection Bourg-de-Peage Avenue School address Lewes Road East Grinstead RH19 3TY

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01342 327473 Telephone number 01342 300677 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 8 °9 May 2007 Inspection dates 293407 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Estcots is a larger than average primary school. It serves families from a wide range of backgrounds with an increasing number of one parent families. There are twice as many boys as girls in Years 2 to 5. Children's attainment on entry is mainly below that expected of four year olds. Pupils are mainly of White British origin with a small number from other backgrounds. There have been several headteachers since the last inspection. The current headteacher has been in post since September 2006.

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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: Estcots Primary School, 8 °9 May 2007

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Grade: 3

Estcots is a satisfactory and improving school. Good leadership by the new headteacher is giving parents renewed confidence, as shown by comments such as, 'She has turned the school around,' and 'She has made good improvements'. Pupils also express positive views of her influence, such as, 'She makes us feel important'. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good and children make good progress across the areas of learning so that many achieve the levels expected on entry to Year 1. Pupils attain just above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. They make broadly satisfactory progress during their time in school and progress in Year 6 is good, owing to good teaching. Closer tracking of pupils and an increased focus on accelerating their rate of progress is starting to raise standards across the school. Pupils' personal development is good. They are well behaved, have positive attitudes to school

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Grade: 3

and their attendance is good. They have a clear understanding of healthy lifestyles and fully enjoy the many opportunities for exercise. The school council gives them good opportunities to make the school better for everyone. Teaching is satisfactory. It is good in the Foundation Stage and Year 6, ensuring good achievement in these year groups. Lessons are well planned and organised and pupils work hard and behave well. Relationships are good and pupils enjoy their lessons. However, some lessons are not challenging enough and insufficient use is made of teaching assistants in whole-class introductions and this limits pupils' learning. The curriculum is satisfactory. It is appropriately planned to ensure continuity in pupils' learning. There is a good range of visits, visitors and after-school clubs which pupils thoroughly enjoy. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Pupils feel they are safe, well cared for and valued

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Grade: 3

as individuals. Any instances of bullying are dealt with swiftly and sensitively by the headteacher. There are sound procedures to ensure their health, safety and well-being. Academic guidance is satisfactory and improving, but setting of group targets for English and mathematics is inconsistent across the school so not all pupils benefit from the opportunity they give for improvement. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has begun to make improvements across a range of the school's work, some of which are already showing results. However, there is a need for consolidation and greater rigour to ensure measures are fully embedded. Subject leaders are satisfactory and improving as they extend their roles to monitoring pupils' progress. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure pupils' targets are used more consistently to help them improve. • Improve the level of challenge and the use of teaching assistants in lessons in order to accelerate pupils' rate of progress. • Employ greater rigour in monitoring the effectiveness of new initiatives and take effective measures to make good any shortfalls. 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. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Estcots Primary School, 8 °9 May 2007

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory and, by the time they leave Year 6, standards are mainly just above average. However, progress is somewhat uneven so targets have been set for all year groups in order to accelerate progress and ensure pupils achieve well year on year. Most children in the Foundation Stage make good progress across the areas of learning and reach broadly average levels by the end of the year. National test results for Year 2 pupils have shown a decline over the last few years, indicating some underachievement. However, a disproportionately high number of boys in these year groups have contributed to these results as boys generally do less well than girls. There is a slight improvement this year, with attainment in reading, writing and mathematics being just below average and progress broadly satisfactory. Progress across much of Key Stage 2 is satisfactory, although slower in Year 3. Progress is good

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Grade: 3

in Year 6 owing to good teaching and a focus on revision and preparation for national tests. Over time, standards of Year 6 pupils in national tests have been just above average. The school has set challenging targets for current pupils which, if met, will bring a further rise in standards. Pupils with learning difficulties are benefiting from improved provision and are making satisfactory progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans.

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Grade: 2

Pupils, including children in the Foundation Stage, are confident, polite and friendly. Relationships are good at all levels. Pupils work well together and enjoy school and this is reflected in their above average attendance. Spiritual, moral and social development is good and cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils' cultural awareness is encouraged through music and art but they have less well developed understanding of Britain as a multicultural society. Behaviour is good and pupils are courteous and considerate towards others. They feel safe in school and confident that there is always someone they can talk to if they are upset. They enjoy sports and are aware of the importance of healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle. Pupils are keen to adopt safe practices, recognising their importance, particularly in science and physical activity. Their participation in the community is good. Members of the

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Grade: 2

school council take their responsibilities very seriously. For example, they consulted their classmates on improving facilities in the playground. Additionally, pupils raise funds for those in need and sing at local homes for the elderly. Pupils satisfactorily develop skills that contribute to their economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

Effective monitoring has ensured that no unsatisfactory teaching remains. While there is some good practice, particularly in the Foundation Stage and Year 6, the majority of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Across the school lessons are well organised and managed and relationships are good. As a result, pupils are keen to learn and behave well. Where teaching assistants are well deployed, they make a valuable contribution to raising standards. However, they are often not used effectively in the parts of lessons led by the teacher. Teachers set a good range of work for pupils but they do not always sufficiently challenge them in lessons 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Estcots Primary School, 8 °9 May 2007 either through effective questioning or good match of work so that pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable. Marking is good in Years 3 to 6, where it clearly tells pupils what they need to do to improve, but less effective elsewhere.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactorily planned to ensure coverage and continuity in pupils' learning, particularly in the development of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). There is a strong emphasis on art with evidence of good work across the school. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good. It covers all areas of learning and ensures a good balance between directed activities and guided choice. Pupils' personal development is promoted well through a strong emphasis on sports within the curriculum and good attention to health and safety. The appointment of an inclusion manager is ensuring that provision for pupils with learning difficulties has improved, ensuring sound progress. A wide range of visits and visitors to the school extends pupils' learning. For example, pupils agree that the Year 6 residential visit to the Isle of Wight is 'very good'. There is a good variety

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Grade: 3

of after-school clubs. Pupils particularly enjoy sporting activities and are very proud to have recently won the East Grinstead Netball League Cup.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Pupils are well cared for and feel confident that any bullying will be dealt with quickly and their concerns handled sensitively. Satisfactory systems to ensure their safety and well-being include employment checks for all new staff and child protection procedures. Academic guidance is satisfactory. Through its tracking procedures, the school now monitors pupils' progress more systematically to ensure they make enough progress year on year and holds staff accountable. However, group and individual targets are often too general and are not used consistently enough across the school to help pupils improve.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher, who has been in post for two terms, provides good leadership and, with the support of staff, has encouraged a positive and caring ethos. Careful monitoring is beginning to improve the quality of teaching and learning and the tracking of pupils' progress is starting to raise standards. Making ICT a priority has improved provision in the subject. The school's self-evaluation is satisfactory. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the school's performance are in place, including the monitoring of teaching, setting of whole school targets for improvement and holding subject leaders to account for performance in their subjects. However, not all initiatives are monitored rigorously enough to ensure good outcomes. The leadership and management of senior staff are satisfactory. The comparatively new governing body provides sound support and governors are

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Grade: 3

keen to develop their role further to provide greater challenge to the school. Under the leadership of the new headteacher, there is evidence of an improving picture in terms of pupils' personal development, greater attention to increasing pupils' rate of progress and regular monitoring of teaching in order to improve standards. However, rigour in monitoring 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Estcots Primary School, 8 °9 May 2007 of outcomes is somewhat uneven. Overall, this demonstrates that the school has a sound capacity to improve further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Estcots Primary School, 8 °9 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: Estcots Primary 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 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 2 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: Estcots Primary 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? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Estcots Primary School, 8 °9 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 May 2007 Dear Pupils, Inspection of Estcots Primary School, Bourg-de-Peage Avenue, Lewes Road, East Grinstead, RH19 3TY Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and really appreciated the help you gave us with the inspection. Congratulations on winning the East Grinstead Netball League Cup ° we know how much you all enjoy your games and how pleased you must be with this success. We think Estcots Primary is a satisfactory and improving school. • Here are the things we like about your school: • You have a good headteacher who is helping to make your school a better place to be and where you feel safe and valued. • You behave well and work hard in lessons. • You enjoy all the after school clubs and activities on offer. • You make good progress in the Foundation Stage and in Year 6 and satisfactory progress across the rest of the school. • You get on well with your teachers and work hard in lessons.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• These are the things we think could be better: • We have asked your school to make teaching better so that it challenges you more and helps you make faster progress. • Some of you have targets for your work and this helps you to improve but the school needs to ensure that this is the same for everybody. • The senior staff of the school have done lots of things recently to help improve your work and they now need to check how successful they have been. You can help by making sure you carry on working hard and do your best to improve your work. Yours sincerely, Janet Sinclair Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Estcots Primary School, 8 °9 May 2007

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