Western Church of England Primary School

Western Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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116327 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312262 Inspection number 28 °29 February 2008 Inspection dates Jo Curd 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 Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 417 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Mark Brown Chair Mrs Lorraine Smith Headteacher 1 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Browning Drive School address Winchester SO22 5AR 01962 852591 Telephone number 01962 865444 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 28 °29 February 2008 Inspection dates 312262 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

Western Church of England School is located in a settled and largely advantaged area. There are slightly more boys than girls overall but the proportions of these vary significantly between year groups. Although very few pupils have English as an additional language, some from Eastern Europe are at very early stages of learning this. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is just below the national average. Three pupils have statements of special educational need for autistic spectrum and behavioural difficulties. A quarter of the teaching staff have joined the school in the past two years.

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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: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Because of good teaching, a good curriculum and good care, guidance and support, all groups of pupils achieve well in learning and in their personal development. Most parents are appreciative and supportive. One said 'We feel extremely lucky and privileged to have got a place at Western, where the children are lovely, the staff are friendly and welcoming and the head is so dedicated to the school and the children' whilst another said 'It is a happy place where everyone is valued'. The school has developed considerably over recent years, especially with the arrival of the relatively new deputy headteacher. He and the headteacher work well as a team. They know the school well and are committed to its improvement. Many parents commended the dedication and hard work of the headteacher. One described her as '...excellent, supportive compassionate and clear thinking'. Effective monitoring and evaluation have successfully led to improvements in teaching, learning

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Grade: 2

and the curriculum. These ensure that, from a high starting point at the beginning of the Reception class, all pupils make good progress and that standards at the end of Year 6 are significantly above the national average. Some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning between different classes remain, however. Expectations, challenge and pace are not always as good as they could be. Consequently, although all groups of pupils achieve well, this is not as rapid in some classes as others. The curriculum has been adapted to make it even more relevant and engaging for all pupils. This has been particularly necessary for writing, where progress is slower than in reading, mathematics and science. Curriculum enrichment, for example through clubs and special events, is excellent. The diverse curriculum in the Foundation Stage is one of its many strengths. An effective partnership with parents successfully supports pupils'

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Grade: 2

learning. Attendance, which has risen because fewer families are taking holidays in term time, is now above the national average. Pupils enjoy school and are keen to come. Staff help pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties well, through clear rewards, sanctions and effective support, so behaviour is good. Although three pupils were briefly excluded last year, they have been supported effectively and are making good progress. Pupils feel safe and know that teachers are there to help and support them whenever necessary. They have a strong commitment to health, and are well aware of the need to eat sensibly and to exercise. They are proud of their school, keen to take responsibility and contribute to their community through the school council, becoming 'team leaders' and representing their school at local events. This strong sense of citizenship and good achievement in learning successfully

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Grade: 2

contribute to their preparation for the future. Progress since the last inspection is good. The proportion of good teaching has increased. The effectiveness of leaders and the quality of assessments have improved and are now good. Attendance has risen. Strong leadership and management, clear and accurate self-evaluation and high commitment to making the school even better all mean that the school's capacity for further improvement is good.

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Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage has significantly changed and developed over the past year. Two separate Reception classes combined six months ago to form a cohesive Foundation Stage unit. Although 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008 these changes are new and plans for development, such as extending the outdoor area, are not yet fully complete, they provide an effective, enjoyable and stimulating start to the school. Most children join the Reception class with knowledge, skills and experience above those usually found at this age. They make good progress and finish with standards well above those expected. Staff are experienced, sensitive and knowledgeable about early years education. They are deployed well to support the learning, medical and emotional needs of all the children. The curriculum indoors and out is broad, interesting and engaging. It contains a good balance of

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Grade: 2

activities, some which children initiate and pursue themselves and some which are led and explicitly taught by adults. Well focussed topics culminating in special events such as the 'bear's birthday party' are effective for children's learning and personal development. Resources are attractive, well organised and accessible.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement and standards in writing.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that expectations, pace and challenge are effective for all pupils.

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Grade: 2

By the end of Year 6, standards in English, mathematics and science are all significantly above the national average. All groups of pupils achieve well. Although there is no significant variation in the achievement of different groups of pupils, there is some variation between the progress made in different classes related to the quality of teaching and learning in these. Parents recognise this variation and are appreciative of the particularly good progress their children make when teaching is effective. Progress in reading is particularly strong due to good teaching, pupils' motivation and good parental support. Achievement in mathematics and science has improved due to detailed monitoring and evaluation, and developments in the curriculum. Although progress in writing is slower, this is gradually improving as pupils are motivated by the new curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school and are keen to learn. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Although some parents expressed concerns about behaviour, the inspection found that the vast majority of pupils behave well and have a clear sense of right and wrong. As one parent said, 'My children have learned to be kind and thoughtful amid a nurturing atmosphere'. Pupils feel safe because they behave responsibly and know that staff deal quickly with any difficulties that arise. Their strong commitment to healthy lifestyles is evident in the high numbers who attend sports clubs and are physically active at break times. They have a good understanding of the need to eat and drink sensibly. They keenly engage in tasks that contribute well to school life, such as becoming litter pickers and librarians. Older pupils help their younger schoolmates as lunchtime play leaders. They contribute well to the wider community through supporting

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Grade: 2

the Hat Fair and church events, and organising events to raise money for charity. Pupils are well prepared for the world of future work through their good progress in literacy, mathematics, teamwork and co-operation. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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Grade: 2

Pupils' engage well with their work because teachers provide interesting, practical and relevant activities. A younger child said 'lessons are fun and interesting and if you are stuck, the teacher helps you'. Marking is up to date and there are good opportunities for teachers, parents and pupils to discuss progress together. Good relationships, effective use of praise and high expectations of behaviour contribute to harmonious and settled classes. Expectations for learning are not always sufficiently high however. The pace and challenge of lessons, especially when teachers do not make their aims clear or allow too long for a task to be completed, do not always ensure that all pupils achieve as much as they could or that progress overall is any better than good.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum has been adapted to make learning more engaging, practical and relevant. As a result, pupils enjoy their work and make good progress. Leaders are successfully working to address some shortcomings in the currently satisfactory provision for information and communication technology. Music is a strength of the school because it is led by a skilled specialist who very successfully enthuses pupils to sing and play instruments. The curriculum is greatly enriched by visits, visitors and an outstanding array of after-school clubs, including sport, music and general interest. Pupils currently take up around 450 places in the 24 clubs offered. Parents are very appreciative of these excellent opportunities, which add to pupils' enjoyment, health and preparation for later life and learning.

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Grade: 2

Procedures to ensure pupils' health and safety are secure. Although some parents of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities expressed concerns about how the school meets their children's needs, the inspection found that these pupils are usually supported well. Effective tracking of progress helps staff identify learning needs quickly. A strong commitment to supporting all pupils usually ensures that needs are met well, both within the school and by involving a range of specialist agencies. One parent of a pupil with a disability praised the school by saying, 'Western has, from day one, been fully supportive of his needs and encouraged all children to accept that not all children are the same. As a result, he has always felt safe and secure, never feeling rejected or bullied'. Teaching assistants play a successful and prominent role in supporting pupils, especially those with emotional and behavioural difficulties, so that

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Grade: 2

disruptions are minimised and all pupils can engage in learning. Pupils at early stages of English make good progress because they are supported well and because the curriculum is active and appropriate. Pupils report that they find targets for future development and marking helpful in guiding their learning and showing them how to improve. There are inconsistencies in the extent to which different teachers implement these, however, and not all yet use them well enough. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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Grade: 2

Effective leadership and management have contributed significantly to the school's good improvement since the last inspection. The headteacher, particularly in partnership with the relatively new deputy headteacher, has successfully improved teaching, learning, the curriculum and consequently achievement. Governors are effective, supportive and challenging. Some middle managers are at relatively early stages in developing their roles, however. Although they are developing rapidly, they are not always sufficiently focussed on achievement throughout the school, to ensure this is consistently good. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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?

2 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: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Western Church of England Primary School,Winchester,SO22 5AR Thank you for being so friendly and welcoming when we visited your school recently. The things you told us really helped us in our work. We agree with your headteacher, governors and staff that yours is a good school. You are making good progress in your learning, especially your reading. You do not do quite so well in your writing. Personal development, (that is, the way you behave and relate to others) is good. This is largely because teaching, the curriculum (that is, what you learn about) and care guidance and support are all good. Nearly all of you enjoy school and we were very pleased to see that attendance is now good. Although some of you find school and relationships difficult, nearly all of you behave well. We were pleased to see that those of you who do find things difficult are supported well, and are making good progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your staff to improve two things. Firstly, the progress you all make in your writing. Secondly, to make sure that work in lessons is always sufficiently fast and challenging for you all. You can help by continuing to try hard with your writing and by telling your teachers when you find lessons particularly helpful and challenging. We wish you and your families all the very best for the future. Jo Curd Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Western Church of England Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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