West Oxford Community Primary School

West Oxford Community Primary School Inspection report

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123050 Unique Reference Number Oxfordshire Local Authority 314467 Inspection number 16 September 2008 Inspection date Keith Sadler Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 153 School (total) 42 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Ed Duckham Chair Ms Julie St Clair Hoare Headteacher 18 April 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Ferry Hinksey Road School address Oxford OX2 0BY 01865 248862 Telephone number

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3–11 Age group 16 September 2008 Inspection date 314467 Inspection number 01865 203555 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 16 September 2008 Inspection date 314467 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. 3 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues.

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Introduction

■ Are there any groups of pupils that are not making good progress?

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Introduction

■ How well does the curriculum meet the pupils' needs?

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Introduction

■ How well do teachers with subject responsibilities carry out their roles?

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from the school's analysis of pupils' progress, a scrutiny of samples of their work and observations of pupils in lessons. Discussions were held with staff, governors and pupils. In addition, the responses of parents' questionnaires were analysed and their comments taken into account. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

West Oxford is smaller than most primary schools, though it is growing rapidly. Three year old and four year old children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are taught together in a suite of rooms. There is an after school club operating every day in the term time. This is not managed by the governing body and is held in the school dining room. About a third of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and this is well above the national average. A significant number of minority ethnic groups are represented in the school, the largest of which is of Pakistani heritage. Seventeen pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties. The school has gained the following awards: Investors in People, Healthy Schools, Inclusion Quality Mark, BECTA information and

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Description of the school

communication technology (ICT) Mark, Green Flag (for sustainable education focus), Sports Activemark and Intermediate International Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It is on an upward trend and has some significant strengths. Parents are almost unanimous in their support of the school. They rightly agree that there is not only a good emphasis on academic achievement, but also on developing the whole child so that pupils are well equipped for later life. One parent wrote, 'I am pleased with my daughter's progress and that the school makes sure that her happiness and well-being are also good.' Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. They grow into mature, happy and confident pupils. The school's very inclusive ethos, linked to the excellent care, guidance and support provided by all the adults make a very positive contribution to pupils' excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils say that they thoroughly enjoy school and learning. Behaviour is outstanding and pupils work and play very happily together. They feel safe, secure

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Grade: 2

and free from any sort of bullying. Relationships between the adults and pupils are excellent and pupils trust their teachers. They have a good understanding of the need for a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise. The exceptionally strong sense of community within the school is reflected not only in pupils relishing responsibility but also appreciating and valuing the views of others. Diversity is celebrated and the school takes enormous strides to ensure that all are included. Links with the local community are outstanding and the school plays a pivotal role in promoting and linking community events. One of many good examples of this is the annual arts event. The school also promotes pupils' global education exceptionally well. The school, for example, has established links with a schools in Bali and South Africa. The outstanding leadership and management of the headteacher is pivotal to the school's

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Grade: 2

success. She has a clear vision for the future of the school that is shared by staff, governors and parents. She is determined to ensure that all pupils make good progress. Even though children enter the Nursery with skills that are typically below those found nationally, by the time that they leave the school, standards are average and improving. This marks good achievement overall. In the 2008 national tests for pupils at the end of Year 6 standards in writing have improved. This reflects the positive impact of the school's work in this area which includes bringing a consistent approach throughout the school and extending opportunities for writing in many subjects. However, the school is aware that the proportion of pupils gaining the higher levels in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 is too low. There are good systems for assessing and monitoring pupils' progress. As a result, any underachievement

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Grade: 2

is quickly identified and additional support provided. In consequence, those pupils who find learning less easy and those at an early stage of learning English progress as well as their classmates. There has been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning since the previous inspection. This is now good and contributes well to the good progress that pupils make. There are some outstanding features. Teachers invariably ensure that pupils are clear about what is to be learned and what they have to do to succeed. Very good use is made of specialist teaching in French, technology, physical education and music. Behaviour management is excellent and in every class, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere where pupils enjoy learning. In outstanding lessons, work is matched to ensure that activities present a high challenge to all groups of pupils. However, this is not always the case and in some classes

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Grade: 2

teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly those who find learning easy. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 2008 The curriculum is good. There is a suitable emphasis on securing both the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) and also for providing a rich range of activities, both as part of the school day and outside school time. This captures the interest of pupils. The exceptionally wide range of extra curricular activities are very well attended and pupils thoroughly enjoy the sports and arts activities that are available. In particular, both parents and pupils mentioned the opportunities that are available to them to learn a musical instrument. The quality of this is shown in the very high numbers that now have lessons. The curriculum has been developed considerably since the previous inspection. Teachers

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Grade: 2

plan subjects to be linked together in order to provide meaning and purpose, though as yet not all literacy and numeracy work in the topic themes are fully matched to pupils' writing and mathematical needs. Leadership and management are good. The staff and governors constantly strive to improve provision. The headteacher's strong belief that everyone in the school community matters is a strong motivation for staff and pupils. She is committed to developing staff as leaders and, as a result, the impact of the work of senior and subject leaders is significant. Most make a strong contribution to the school's good procedures for checking provision and standards. Most use a good range of data, though in some subjects such as science, tracking data are not used to measure progress. Nevertheless, the school has, in general, an accurate view of its strengths and development needs. There is good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Nursery year with skills that are typically below those found nationally for three-year olds. They achieve well, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. By the time that they leave the EYFS, most attain the required learning goals and some children exceed them. Many parents commented on how well their children settle in. This is because the staff use their observations and assessments effectively to identify and support children's varying needs. Because the provision is good, children achieve well and make good progress towards the required learning goals. The new nursery aged children in the Reception class have settled very well. They are secure and confident and have already developed a strong understanding of the routines of the setting. Staff work extremely well together as a team to provide a safe, secure and vibrant learning environment. They make sure that their

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Grade: 2

plans provide a good balance between those activities that are directed by adults and those that the children choose for themselves. Teaching and learning plans are of good quality though work is not always set at different levels to meet the varying needs of the children. The outdoor space is exceptionally well used. All areas of learning are effectively promoted and children thoroughly enjoy the rich range of activities provided. There are good links with other pre-school providers and this aids the children's induction into school. Leadership and management are good and led by the senior teacher. She uses her specialist knowledge and enthusiasm to make improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the proportion of pupils gaining the higher levels in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2. ■ Make sure that teachers' planning consistently provides challenging activities and reflect high expectations of what pupils can achieve. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 2008

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learners?

1 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 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 September 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of West Oxford Community Primary School,Oxford,OX2 0BY We really enjoyed visiting your school. Thank you very much for the friendly way you welcomed us and for your help in finding out about the school. Both you and your parents told us that you love school and that you feel safe and well cared for. We agree. Yours is a good school and everybody who works there tries hard to help you to do well. Your teachers work hard to make sure that lessons are made interesting and exciting. Your headteacher has done an excellent job to make sure that everyone helps you all to work and play together in such a friendly way and to make the school successful. We were very impressed with your excellent behaviour and your positive attitudes to each other. Your teachers help you to learn well and also make sure that everyone feels part of the family of your school and your local area.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You work hard in lessons so that you learn lots of new things. Your progress is good and you reach equally good standards in English, mathematics and science. All schools want to get better, and to do this we have asked your headteacher and teachers to do two things. The first is to make sure that more of you gain the higher levels in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. Secondly, we have asked teachers to make sure that the activities that they give you in lessons really challenge you. Thank you once again for being so helpful to us. With very best wishes for your future. Yours sincerely Keith Sadler Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: West Oxford Community Primary School, 16 September 2008

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