West Wittering Parochial Church of England School

Inspection Report - Amended West Wittering Parochial Church of England School

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126000 Unique Reference Number West Sussex Local Authority 293428 Inspection number 28 September 2006 Inspection date Kathryn Taylor 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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Pound Road School address Primary Type of school West Wittering Voluntary controlled School category Chichester PO20 8AJ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01243 513015 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01243 513452 Fax number 104 Number on roll (school) Trevor Tupper Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Janice Coomber Headteacher 25 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293428 28 September 2006 4 °11

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Amended Report Addendum

Report updated to resolve formatting inconsistency

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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

This is a small village school. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds and have English as their first language. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties is above average. Socio-economic circumstances are very mixed, but generally favourable. The headteacher was appointed to the school in September 2005.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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Grade: 3

This is an improving school that rightly judges its overall effectiveness as satisfactory. Children make a good start in Reception because arrangements for settling them into school are very good, and staffing levels are high, ensuring children get lots of individual support and attention. Activities are well planned to cater for children's age and interests, and good use is made of outdoor learning. The school has a very strong family atmosphere and works well with parents and carers. Parents are very supportive of the school, have very positive views of it, but also recognise that a few improvements are needed. For example, they note that occasionally pupils are not sufficiently challenged. Pupils behave very well and have very good attitudes to school. Their personal development is promoted well through a broad curriculum, the wide range of after-school activities, pupils' involvement in the local

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Grade: 3

community and good standards of pastoral care. Pupils make satisfactory academic progress during their time in the school. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress because their needs are identiifed promptly; they receive well-directed support and all aspects of provision are well led and managed. Standards in English, mathematics and science are average. They show some year-on-year variations, which is not unusual in small schools. Nevertheless there are some weaknesses in pupils' attainments, which are being addressed, such as weaknesses in the development of more advanced reading skills, and their skills in applying mathematics and scientific knowledge to problem solving and investigations. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, but marking does not provide enough guidance to pupils about how to improve their work, and pupils are not given enough responsibility for reviewing their learning and setting themselves new targets. Leadership, management

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Grade: 3

and the school's capacity to improve are satisfactory. The school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. The headteacher provides a very clear direction. She has brought about rapid improvements during the past year, putting many systems into place that provide a firm foundation for the school to build on. Nevertheless, subject leadership, although improving, remains weak, as it was at the time of the last inspection. This limits the staff's involvement in school self-evaluation and planning for improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• • Ensure that subject leaders take on more responsibility for checking pupils' progress and standards and determining where improvements are needed. • Address weaknesses in pupils' attainments by increasing the opportunites for pupils to learn more advanced skills in reading, and to apply their mathematics and scientific knowledge to investigations and problem-solving activities. • Provide better guidance to pupils through marking and by involving them in reviewing their learning and setting new targets. 2 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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Grade: 3

Standards are average and achievement is satisfactory. Over the past few years, test results for pupils aged seven and eleven have generally been above average. Those at age eleven in 2006 dipped significantly, and were well below average, because the Year 6 group last year was weaker overall than in previous years. Although efforts were made to boost pupils' attainments during their time in Year 6, the school's targets were not met. It is, however, unclear why such high targets were indeed set. Pupils make satisfactory progress during their time at the school, but this has not necessarily always been consistent year on year. During the past twelve months, improved assessments and better tracking of all pupils' progress have enabled the school to highlight some general areas of weaknesses in pupils' attainments and progress that are now being tackled. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress in relation to their capabilities, as a result of the good additional support,

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Grade: 2

Both pupils' personal development and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. Pupils are friendly and polite, behave very well and act very responsibly. Relationships between pupils are very good and older pupils support younger children particularly well. Attendance has improved in the past two years and is satisfactory. Pupils told inspectors they really enjoy school and find many of the activities interesting and fun. They make a good contribution to the school through day-to-day activities. They regularly contribute to charities, the church and to the local and wider communities. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to take responsibility for their learning and identifying how they might improve their work. Pupils develop a good understanding of their own culture and a secure understanding of other cultural traditions. Discussions with pupils show they have a very good

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Grade: 2

understanding of healthy lifestyles. This is also reflected in the choices they make about snacks and lunches, and their active participation in physical and sporting activities. Pupils understand how to stay safe. They say that disputes and cases of bullying are very rare and are quickly resolved. Pupils' very good attitudes and their competent basic skills prepare them well for secondary school and future economic well-being. 3 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. School records and inspection evidence show strengths in teachers' subject knowledge, classroom organisation, planning and use of information and communication technology (ICT). Teaching assistants are deployed well to support pupils' learning and relationships with pupils are very good. Weaker aspects relate to some lack of challenge in a few lessons, missed opportunities to explore pupils' ideas and mistakes, the teaching of more advanced reading skills, and the application of scientific and mathematical knowledge to independent tasks. Teachers regularly assess pupils' progress. However, marking does not do enough to explore pupils' mistakes, or provide feedback about what pupils need to practise and improve on.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and enrichment is very good. Curriculum plans have been revised to address the identified weaknesses in pupils' attainments. The curriculum is now well planned and ensures relevant links are made between subjects. In addition, French is taught in all classes, pupils have daily swimming lessons in the summer months, and all pupils in Year 2 are to be taught to play the recorder. Provision for ICT is good, and this has improved very well since the last inspection. Many pupils participate in the wide range of after-school clubs. They regularly visit museums, environmental centres and other local places of interest. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good, and that for gifted and talented pupils is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

Although personal support for pupils is very good, those weaker aspects of teaching, particularly feedback to pupils, mean that care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Staff support pupils' personal needs very well. Pupils are therefore very happy and feel confident in school. They say they feel safe and confident to approach any adult if they have a problem. Arrangements for ensuring health and safety and minimising risks are good, and the building is cleaned and maintained to a high standard. Vulnerable pupils are supported very well and the school makes very good use of links with parents, carers and external agencies in this regard. 4 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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Grade: 3

The headteacher provides strong leadership and a very clear direction for the school and has achieved much in a relatively short space of time. She has been prompt to introduce systems to track all pupils' progress and to check and develop the quality of teaching and learning, in order to improve achievement. However, insufficient attention has been given to developing subject leadership since the last inspection. Subject leaders' role in monitoring provision and standards in their subject is still inadequate. This limits the usefulness of some of their action plans, and their involvement in the school self-evaluation process. Improvement since the last inspection, although uneven, is satisfactory overall. Governors know the school's strengths and weaknesses and support and challenge the school appropriately. Finances are managed efficiently and spending is clearly directed towards school improvement.

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Grade: 3

5 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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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 2 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. 7 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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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? 8 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

West Wittering School Pound Road West Wittering West Sussex PO208AJ 28 September 2006 Dear Pupils, Thank you very much for making us welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you. We found that your headteacher and the staff are working hard to make sure that the school is improving. These are the things we especially liked about West Wittering School: • Everyone who works in the school makes sure that you settle into school quickly and are safe, happy and well cared for. • You are friendly and polite, get on very well together and really help one other. This really helps to make your school run smoothly. • The staff provide many interesting activities during and after school. These help you to learn and to enjoy school, as well as to become fit and healthy. • Some of you make good progress because of the extra help you receive. These are the things that need to improve: • The staff that have responsibility for subjects need look at all your work more often, to see

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

what is working well and what might need to improve. • To help you to make even more progress in English, mathematics and science, we want you to learn to use advanced skills in your reading, and carry out more problem-solving activities and investigations. • We think your teachers should give you more information about what you need to do to improve your work. We also feel you can be given more responsibility for checking your own progress and setting yourself new challenges. We would like to wish you lots of success in your future education. With very best wishes, Ms K Taylor Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School, 28 September 2006

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