The Pines School

Inspection Report The Pines Primary School

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134740 Unique Reference Number Bracknell Forest Local Authority 294163 Inspection number 30 °31 January 2007 Inspection dates Nicola Davies 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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Hanworth Road School address Primary Type of school Hanworth Community School category Bracknell RG12 7WX 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01344 426413 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01344 306685 Fax number 209 Number on roll (school) Mr Doug Jennings Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Kathleen Nugent Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 294163 30 °31 January 2007 3°11 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This small primary school opened in September 2005 following the amalgamation of an infant and junior school on the same site. This is its first inspection. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is broadly average, but the school draws some of its pupils from areas of socio-economic disadvantage. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is higher than the rate found nationally.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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Grade: 3

The committed staff of this new school have worked together well over four terms to establish good behaviour and provide pupils with interesting opportunities to learn. The overall effectiveness of the school is satisfactory and the headteacher and senior staff have, within this short time, successfully built a team to help the school to improve further. The school provides satisfactory care, guidance and support and its good partnerships with other agencies help to meet the different needs of its pupils. As a result, the school's calm and happy atmosphere is helping pupils to behave well and enjoy their learning. Although attendance is below average, pupils enjoy school, and particularly the good curriculum that the school provides. This includes a very wide range of enjoyable lunchtime and after school clubs, visits, visitors and stimulating lessons which link learning in different subjects together. Parents praise not only the

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Grade: 3

interesting activities but also the approachability of staff, who they feel are always 'available to listen to any concerns'. Children enter the Foundation Stage with a wide range of experiences, but overall their skills, and particularly their language skills, are below those expected of children their age. They make satisfactory progress in the improving Foundation Stage but not all are working within the nationally expected early learning goals by the end of their time there. Pupils' standards by the end of Year 6 are broadly average. Their achievement is satisfactory overall although too few pupils achieved at higher levels in mathematics in the most recent national tests. The school has recently set more challenging targets and is developing its tracking of pupils to improve the consistency of pupils' progress across different year groups. However, there is more work to be done to ensure that teachers use this information well to plan pupil's next steps over

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Grade: 3

time. This is one reason why teaching and learning overall are satisfactory, even though much of the teaching observed was good. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school has clear priorities and has systems in place to further improve its work. Early successes include a whole school focus on writing which has already improved the progress that pupils make in this subject. Similarly, changes to the Foundation Stage have improved the quality of children's experiences, and their learning is satisfactory and improving as a result. However, as yet, there are too few opportunities for subject leaders to make a difference by observing and improving teaching and by closely monitoring the progress that pupils make. The new school has made a good start. Staff are passionate about continuing to improve the education that the school provides and their positive attitudes, combined with the evidence of the school's early successes, illustrate its sound capacity to

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the progress that pupils make, particularly in mathematics, by ensuring targets are consistently high enough and are used well in teachers' planning. 2 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007 • Provide opportunities for subject leaders to monitor teaching and learning regularly in their areas of responsibility. • Improve attendance.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' standards vary across the school but are broadly average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. The progress that pupils make overall is satisfactory. A successful whole-school focus on writing meant that standards in English in Year 6 national tests in 2006 were slightly above average. However, too few pupils met their targets in mathematics, particularly more able pupils. The school has recognised that targets for pupils are not consistently challenging. As a result, more challenging targets have already been set, and the school is developing its tracking of pupils' progress to ensure that there is a greater consistency across different year groups. There are no significant differences between the rates of progress made by different groups of pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. They enjoy school and particularly the opportunities they have to take part in extra activities, such as the many clubs the school operates. Pupils show a good understanding of how to keep safe and are well aware of how to develop healthy lifestyles. For example, pupils enthusiastically approve of and help to lead the early morning exercise session which starts some school days. Pupils collaborate well in lessons and take responsibility for helping others, for example through helping in the lunch hall and playground or through the school council. They have responded well to initiatives to help them manage their emotions. This has contributed to a marked improvement in their behaviour and attitudes to learning. However, a small minority still find behaving well more difficult. Although pupils feel

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Grade: 2

there are still some incidents of poor behaviour, they also feel confident that these are generally 'sorted out' and older pupils are proud of their own role in this as 'peer mediators'. Although not all pupils reach high standards in academic skills, they develop good personal and social skills which help prepare them for the next phase in their education. 3 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall and ensures that pupils make satisfactory progress through the school. There are some clear strengths in teaching. For example, good relationships between staff and pupils help girls and boys tackle their work with confidence and enthusiasm. Teachers are open to new ideas and have successfully worked on a school project to improve pupil's writing. The marking of pupil's work is good and teachers involve pupils well in reviewing their own work and planning how to improve. Teachers use a range of different approaches and activities to interest pupils and to meet their different needs and abilities. Although teachers have a good deal of information about the standards pupils reach, they are not yet using this consistently to highlight where they want them to get to and to plan how to achieve this.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. Good links have been developed between subjects to make the curriculum interesting and relevant. For example, children in the Foundation Stage enjoyed visiting the local shops and using their mathematical skills to buy ingredients for a cake-making session. Across the school, teachers have developed an interesting curriculum for literacy and numeracy, although the full impact of this is not yet reflected in the standards that pupils reach. Pupils have good opportunities to use their information and communication technology skills in other subjects. For example, Year 5 pupils have enjoyed their involvement in a web-based drama project linking them with a school in the United States. A good programme for personal, social and health education helps pupils make healthy choices and develop life skills. Very good enrichment activities are provided through the many clubs, and the sporting and

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Grade: 2

musical [cs1]opportunities which develop pupils' personal skills and talents well. The school's good local links and partnerships mean that pupils benefit from regular contacts with many visitors, including older local residents who eat an organic lunch at the school every week. Staff have identified that children in the Foundation Stage do not have enough opportunities to learn outdoors, and this has been rectified in the plans for the new Foundation Stage building.

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Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support provided for pupils are satisfactory overall. Good systems are in place to safeguard pupils which help them to feel safe and confident. There are very good links with outside agencies to protect the most vulnerable children and to make sure pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are quickly identified and helped. For example, the school has worked closely with local specialists to ensure 4 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007 that staff are trained to provide extra help for the above average number of pupils with speech and language difficulties across the school. This year, a programme has been trialled to support the education of pupils with particular behavioural needs. The school has recognised that this has limited their access to some aspects of the curriculum and is modifying it further. Although attendance is still below average, the

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Grade: 3

school has worked successfully to improve the attendance of particular pupils. Senior staff have identified a need to further improve academic guidance to ensure that this is effective in helping all pupils to reach challenging targets.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher is effective in creating a positive, caring atmosphere and is well supported by her senior staff. Plans to improve the school are based on a good range of evidence and are clearly linked to well-judged priorities. However, there has been a lack of clarity as to how to assess whether all children are doing as well as they should as they move through the school. The role of subject leaders is developing, but does not yet include rigorous monitoring and evaluation to determine the impact of initiatives on children's learning. The governors are well organised and involved in the life of the school. They are involved well in planning improvements and have good structures and systems for monitoring the school's progress against its priorities. 5 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007 .

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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: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 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? 3 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 NA 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. 7 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 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? 8 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school recently. It was lovely to meet so many of you and to share in some of your activities. We particularly enjoyed seeing how exercise gets you started for your day at school and hearing from so many of you how much you enjoy your lessons and all the clubs and activities you get a chance to try. We were really pleased to see the part you play in helping the school. One of our jobs is to help the school too and we have judged that the school is satisfactory. This means that although there are lots of good things, there are also things which could be better. Some of the good things about the school are: • how the school helps you grow up and think about your actions and other people • your very interesting lessons, trips and activities • your really helpful teachers and how they involve you in judging your own work and how to improve it • how everyone works together as a team.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your teachers have good ideas about what they want to do next and we have made some suggestions to help them. We have asked them to make sure they set challenging targets for you and keep a careful watch on how well you meet these. We have also asked them to make some time to watch each other's lessons and share their ideas about making sure you do your best work. We also want you to help the school to improve attendance by making sure that all of you come to school very regularly. Best wishes for your future Nicola Davies Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: The Pines Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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